Vengeance and distrust derails the peace process.

Having been spurned by Ish-Boshet, Avner gets the people of Israel to agree to unite under David. Avner travels to present his peace plan to David.

David is accepted as king over Judah, as the people of Israel choose a son of Saul to lead them. A battle ensues as the potential for all out civil war looms in the horizon.

How the mighty have fallen! In one of the most famous funeral dirges in history, David laments the death of Saul and his dear friend Jonathan.

The news of Saul's death arrives in Ziklag via a strange messenger.

We read of the demise of King Saul in battle, the Philistine's abuse of his remains, and the honor accorded to him by the people he saved many years ago.

As a result of acting kindly to a dying Egyptian slave, David is led to the encampment of the Amalekites. He rescues the captives and scores a major victory against the bandits. David teaches the people how to fairly distribute the spoils of war.

David and his men return to Ziklag to find their hometown ravaged and destroyed by the Amalekites. David faces one of the most difficult tests of his leadership.

David gets saved from a very sticky situation at the last minute.

The Ralbag offers an incredibly sophisticated and natural explanation for the strange events of our chapter. Using his approach, we uncover even deeper layers of meaing in this fascinating chapter.