What is the meaning of 2 Samuel 1:14? So David asked him David’s very first move after hearing the Amalekite’s story (2 Samuel 1:3–10) is to seek clarification. He refuses to act on raw emotion or rumor. • 2 Samuel 1:13–14 shows David exercising discernment before judgment, echoing Proverbs 18:13—“He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him”. • This careful questioning reflects his consistent regard for justice (see 2 Samuel 4:9–12) and his desire to act in line with Deuteronomy 19:15, which requires clear testimony before punishment. • David’s example calls believers to test every report (1 Thessalonians 5:21) rather than react rashly. Why were you not afraid David highlights the missing element in the Amalekite’s heart: the fear of God. • Psalm 33:8 urges all the earth to “fear the LORD”; failing to do so invites judgment. • The midwives of Exodus 1:17 “feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them.” Their reverence preserved life, whereas the Amalekite’s irreverence cost him his own. • David himself had demonstrated this godly fear twice, refusing to harm Saul when he had the chance (1 Samuel 24:6; 26:9). To lift your hand The phrase points to deliberate, personal action. • “Lift your hand” is an idiom for striking or taking violent initiative (Isaiah 1:15). • In 1 Samuel 26:11 David said, “The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed”. He believed that human hands must not usurp divine prerogative. • Romans 12:19 echoes this principle: “Do not avenge yourselves… ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” To destroy the LORD’s anointed? “Anointed” (Hebrew mashiach) marks Saul as God’s chosen king. • Saul was anointed by Samuel at God’s command (1 Samuel 10:1), making him sacred in office even after his failures. • Psalm 105:15 warns, “Do not touch My anointed ones; do no harm to My prophets.” • By attacking Saul, the Amalekite assaulted God’s established authority, inviting divine retribution (Romans 13:1–2). • David’s respect for the anointed anticipates the ultimate “Anointed One,” Christ (Psalm 2:2; Acts 4:26–27); to oppose God’s chosen king is to oppose God Himself. summary David probes the Amalekite because he recognizes a sacred boundary: no one may presumptuously harm the person whom God has set apart. His question exposes the messenger’s lack of godly fear, willful violence, and disregard for divine authority. The verse teaches that reverence for God’s appointments, patient trust in His timing, and refusal to seize vengeance are non-negotiable for faithful believers. |
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