CHAPTER 1 Jul. 17 
David Told about Saul's Death
It happened after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag; 2it happened on the third day, that behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes torn and dust upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and showed respect. 3David said to him, Where do you come from? He said to him, I have escaped out of the camp of Israel. 4David said to him, How did it go? Please tell me. He answered, The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. 5David said to the young man who told him, How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead? 6The young man who told him said, As I happened by chance on Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul was leaning on his spear; and behold, the chariots and the horsemen followed hard after him. 7When he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. I answered, ‘Here I am’. 8He said to me, ‘Who are you?’. I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite’. 9He said to me, ‘Please stand beside me, and kill me; for anguish has taken hold of me, because my life is yet whole in me’. 10So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he had fallen. I took the crown that was on his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.
David Mourns the Death of Saul and Jonathan
11Then David took hold on his clothes, and tore them; and likewise all the men who were with him. 12They mourned, wept and fasted until evening, for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Yahweh, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. 13David said to the young man who told him, Where are you from? He answered, I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite. 14David said to him, How were you not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy Yahweh’s anointed? 15David called one of the young men and said, Go near, and fall on him. He struck him, so that he died. 16David said to him, Your blood be on your head; for your mouth has testified against you saying, ‘I have slain Yahweh’s anointed’.
David's Lament
17David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son 18(and he commanded them to teach the children of Judah the song of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jashar): 19Your glory, Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20Don’t tell it in Gath. Don’t publish it in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. 21You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain on you, neither fields of offerings; for there the shield of the mighty was shamefully cast away, The shield of Saul was not anointed with oil. 22From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, Jonathan’s bow didn’t turn back. Saul’s sword didn’t return empty. 23Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives. In their death they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles. They were stronger than lions. 24You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet delicately, who put ornaments of gold on your clothing. 25How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain on your high places. 26I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. You have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. 27How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

Commentary

1:16 Your mouth has testified against you- From their own mouth and words men will be judged (Mt. 12:37; Lk. 19:22 cp. 2 Sam. 1:16). And yet perhaps even now, men are justified by their words before the court of Heaven- for 'justify' means to pronounce righteous, and this pronouncement / justification is therefore given even now. As the judgment seat of God is in a sense ongoing, our words are as it were our testimony at our own court case before God. At the last day, it could even be that the Lord cites the condemnatory words of the rejected uttered during their lifetimes and leaves these as their condemnation (cp. 1 Kings 20:40).
1:17 We can all too easily pray for what we will later ask to be changed. David prayed for deliverance from "the evil man", Saul; he asked that Saul be slain and punished (Ps. 140:1,9,10). But when this prayer was answered, David wept with the amazing lamentation over Saul which we have here. It's a lesson to think carefully about what we're praying for, and imagine our response and situation if actually the prayer is answered. We need to pray as if every prayer will be answered, not just expressing our feelings and immediate desires, as it seems David did in his prayers against Saul. 
1:18 David’s lament over Saul was taught to the children of Judah; and the early chapters of 2 Samuel are full of examples of David's expression of love for Saul in every way he knew how. David's love for Saul was truly amazing. Saul was his enemy, he drove David to absolute despair, his senseless persecution of David was articulated in every way he could. In all this we see played out the prototype of the hatred between the Jews and Jesus. Yet when Saul was slain for his sins, David's love for him was overflowing, to the point that his people saw that this was no political theatricism (3:36,37). But it was not only at Saul's death that David had these feelings; after all, it's a lot easier to love someone when they're dead. Psalm 35 is David's commentary on his feelings for Saul: "They laid to my charge things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul (spiritually). But as for me, when they (Saul and his family, in the context) were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into my heart. I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother (i.e. Jonathan, 2 Sam. 1:26): I bowed down heavily, as one that mourns for his mother" (Ps. 35:11-15). Bowing down heavily as a man weeps at his mother's graveside is a powerful image. A man's grief for his mother must surely be the finest picture David could have chosen. That sense of infinite regret that he didn't appreciate her more. David realized that he had reached the point where he knew that he really did truly love his enemies. He wept for Saul as a man weeps at his dear mother's graveside. And he did this for a man who was utterly worthless. And this is a poor, poor shadow of the Christ’s love for Israel. And how much more does He love us, who at least try to make up for Israel's cruel indifference?