2 Samuel 1:15 Then David summoned one of the young men and said, "Go, execute him!" So the young man struck him down, and he died.

◄ 2 Samuel 1:15 ►

New International Version
Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!” So he struck him down, and he died.

New Living Translation
Then David said to one of his men, “Kill him!” So the man thrust his sword into the Amalekite and killed him.

English Standard Version
Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died.

Berean Standard Bible
Then David summoned one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him!” So the young man struck him down, and he died.

King James Bible
And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.

New King James Version
Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and execute him!” And he struck him so that he died.

New American Standard Bible
Then David called one of the young men and said, “Come forward, put him to death.” So he struck him and he died.

NASB 1995
And David called one of the young men and said, “Go, cut him down.” So he struck him and he died.

NASB 1977
And David called one of the young men and said, “Go, cut him down.” So he struck him and he died.

Legacy Standard Bible
And David called one of the young men and said, “Approach and fall upon him.” So he struck him and he died.

Amplified Bible
David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” So he struck the Amalekite and he died.

Christian Standard Bible
Then David summoned one of his servants and said, “Come here and kill him! ” The servant struck him, and he died.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then David summoned one of his servants and said, “Come here and kill him!” The servant struck him, and he died.

American Standard Version
And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him, so that he died.

English Revised Version
And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then David called one of [his] young men and told him, "Come here and attack him." David's young man executed him

Good News Translation
Then David called one of his men and said, "Kill him!" The man struck the Amalekite and mortally wounded him,

International Standard Version
Then David called out to one of his young men and ordered him, "Go up to him and cut him down!" So he attacked him and killed him.

Majority Standard Bible
Then David summoned one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him!” So the young man struck him down, and he died.

NET Bible
Then David called one of the soldiers and said, "Come here and strike him down!" So he struck him down, and he died.

New Heart English Bible
David called one of the young men, and said, "Go near, and fall on him." He struck him, so that he died.

Webster's Bible Translation
And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.

World English Bible
David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and cut him down!” He struck him so that he died.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And David calls to one of the youths and says, “Draw near—fall on him”; and he strikes him, and he dies;

Young's Literal Translation
And David calleth to one of the youths, and saith, 'Draw nigh -- fall upon him;' and he smiteth him, and he dieth;

Smith's Literal Translation
And David will call to one of his youths and say, Come near, fall upon him. And he will strike him, and be will die.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David calling one of his servants, said: Go near and fall upon him. And he struck him so that he died.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And calling one of his servants, David said, “Draw near and rush against him” And he struck him, and he died.

New American Bible
David then called one of the attendants and said to him, “Come, strike him down”; so he struck him and he died.

New Revised Standard Version
Then David called one of the young men and said, “Come here and strike him down.” So he struck him down and he died.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And David called one of the young men and said to him, Go near and fall upon him. And he drew near and fell upon him, and he smote him so that he died.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And David called another of the young men and said to him: “Come near; fall upon him!” And he came, he fell upon him, and he struck him and he died

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And David called one of the young men, and said: 'Go near, and fall upon him.' And he smote him that he died.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And David called one of his young men, and said, Go and fall upon him: and he smote him, and he died.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

David Learns of Saul's Death
…14So David asked him, “Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?” 15Then David summoned one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him!” So the young man struck him down, and he died. 16For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood be on your own head because your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’ ”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

1 Samuel 31:4-5
Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. / When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died with him.

1 Kings 2:25
So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died.

1 Kings 2:34
So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, struck down Joab, and killed him. He was buried at his own home in the wilderness.

1 Kings 2:46
Then the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was firmly established in the hand of Solomon.

Genesis 9:6
Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.

Numbers 35:16-21
If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. / Or if anyone has in his hand a stone of deadly size, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. / If anyone has in his hand a deadly object of wood, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. ...

Deuteronomy 19:11-13
If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities, / the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die. / You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.

1 Samuel 24:6
So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.”

1 Samuel 26:9-11
But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can extend a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?” / David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. / But the LORD forbid that I should extend my hand against the LORD’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and water jug by his head, and let us go.”

2 Samuel 4:10-12
when someone told me, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was a bearer of good news, I seized him and put him to death at Ziklag. That was his reward for his news! / How much more, when wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house and on his own bed, shall I not now require his blood from your hands and remove you from the earth!” / So David commanded his young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

2 Samuel 3:29
May it whirl over the head of Joab and over the entire house of his father, and may the house of Joab never be without one having a discharge or skin disease, or one who leans on a staff or falls by the sword or lacks food.”

2 Samuel 12:9
Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own. You have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.

Matthew 26:52
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

Romans 13:4
For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.

Revelation 13:10
“If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he will go; if anyone is to die by the sword, by the sword he must be killed.” Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.

Treasury of Scripture

And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall on him. And he smote him that he died.

Go near

2 Samuel 4:10-12
When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings: …

Judges 8:20
And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

1 Samuel 22:17,18
And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD…

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Cut David Death Died Dieth End Fall Smiteth Smote Strike Struck Young Youths

2 Samuel 1

1. The Amalekite who accused himself of Saul's death is slain
17. David laments Saul and Jonathan with a song

Berean Study Bible

Then David summoned
The Hebrew root for "summoned" is קָרָא (qara), which means to call or proclaim. This action by David is significant as it demonstrates his authority and leadership. In the context of ancient Israel, a king's summons was not merely a request but a command that carried the weight of royal decree. David's decision to summon reflects his role as a decisive leader who acts in accordance with justice and the laws of God.

one of the young men
The phrase "young men" comes from the Hebrew נַעַר (na'ar), which often refers to a servant or attendant. In the historical context, young men served as aides to the king, ready to carry out his orders. This highlights the structured hierarchy within David's court and the readiness of his servants to fulfill their duties. It also underscores the gravity of the situation, as David entrusts this task to a reliable member of his retinue.

and said, 'Go, execute him!'
The command "execute" is derived from the Hebrew נָכָה (nakah), meaning to strike or smite. This reflects the seriousness of the offense committed by the Amalekite who claimed to have killed Saul. David's command is not an act of personal vengeance but a fulfillment of justice according to the divine law. In the broader scriptural context, this action aligns with the principle that those who shed innocent blood must themselves be held accountable, as seen in Genesis 9:6.

So he struck him down
The act of striking down is a direct consequence of the king's command. It emphasizes the immediacy and finality of justice being served. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the king's word was law, and the execution of justice was swift. This phrase also serves as a reminder of the seriousness with which God views the sanctity of life and the responsibility of leaders to uphold righteousness.

and he died
The finality of "he died" underscores the irreversible nature of the judgment executed. In the biblical narrative, death is often portrayed as the ultimate consequence of sin and disobedience. This serves as a sobering reminder of the wages of sin, as articulated in Romans 6:23. The death of the Amalekite is a testament to the divine justice that David, as God's anointed king, is called to uphold. It also foreshadows the ultimate justice that will be fulfilled in Christ, who conquers sin and death through His sacrifice.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) Fall upon him.--All question of David's authority to pronounce a capital sentence is here quite out of place. The Amalekite had just recognised him as king, and therefore acknowledged his authority. But, besides this, David and his band of 600 outlaws were accustomed to live by the sword, and to defend themselves against Philistines, Amalekites, and other foes as best they could; and here stood before them one, by his own confession, guilty of high treason.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 15. - Go near, and fall upon him. This was no hasty sentence, for they had "fasted until even." And before pronouncing it David asks, "Whence art thou?" that is, he makes more full inquiry into his condition and previous doings. He knew that he was an Amalekite, and most probably had seen clearly enough that his whole story was false; but before deciding upon his fate, he desired fuller information as to the man's previous life. His question elicits from him that he was a subject of Saul. For the word "stranger" means a settler, who had withdrawn from his own country and joined himself to Israel. Moreover, it was the Amalekite's father who had done this, and probably he was one of many, who, finding their old nomad life too dangerous, had sought a home in the southern districts of Judah; but when the war broke out, the old instinct of these Bedaween made them follow the army for pilfer and trade in spoil. But as the son of a settler, the Amalekite owed by birth allegiance to Saul, and, should the occasion arise, was bound to render him loyal aid. Now, according to his own account, he had found Saul in no immediate danger of death, "for his life was still whole within him." Escape was at least possible with the Amalekite's aid, but he is eager to hill him. And David's question, "How wast thou not afraid...to destroy the Lord's anointed?" virtually means, "How wast thou not afraid to kill thy own king?" The Lord, that is, Jehovah, was no name of power to any outside the covenant people, nor in settling in Judea did the Amalekites accept the national religion. But the words would show even to a stranger that Saul was Israel's lawful and consecrated king. Commentators, with strange perverseness, have found in these words an outbreak of selfishness on David's part, and have supposed that he wished to guard his own person against future treason by making a wholesome example. But this is both to misunderstand the examination of the culprit summed up in vers. 13, 14, and also to put aside all account of the deep and agonizing sorrow which was rending David's heart. What would have been an Englishman's feelings if news had come that we had lost, for instance, the battle of Waterloo, and if the fugitive who brought the information had said that he had killed the wounded commander-in-chief? In David's case, besides deep distress at the disaster which had befallen his country, there was personal grief for the death of Jonathan and of Saul's other sons, who were David's brothers-in-law; and the words really prove his loyalty to Saul himself. He was still Jehovah's anointed, whatever his conduct might have been; and we have found David on previous occasions actuated by the same generous respect for duty when clearly it was contrary to his own interests (see, for instance, 1 Samuel 26:9). David put the wretch justly to death for meanly murdering one whom he might possibly have saved. And the man's very purpose was to suggest to David, in a covert way, that escape really was possible, but that he had made all things sure, and so deserved a large reward. As a matter of fact, he had not killed Saul, but had invented the story because, judging David by his own immoral standard, he had supposed that he would regard the crime as a valuable service.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Then David
דָוִ֗ד (ḏā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

summoned
וַיִּקְרָ֣א (way·yiq·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

one
לְאַחַד֙ (lə·’a·ḥaḏ)
Preposition-l | Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

of the young men
מֵֽהַנְּעָרִ֔ים (mê·han·nə·‘ā·rîm)
Preposition-m, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

and said,
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Go,
גַּ֣שׁ (gaš)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 5066: To draw near, approach

execute him!”
פְּגַע־ (pə·ḡa‘-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 6293: To impinge, by accident, violence, by importunity

So he struck him down,
וַיַּכֵּ֖הוּ (way·yak·kê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

and he died.
וַיָּמֹֽת׃ (way·yā·mōṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

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OT History: 2 Samuel 1:15 David called one of the young men (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)