King Saul and his son Jonathan had died in battle with the Philistines (1 Samuel 31:1-6). So David composed a song of lament to honor them.

How could David mourn for Saul? Saul had tried to kill David several times, and he had spent considerable time hunting David down with his army. Because of that, David had become a refugee in the land of their enemies the Philistines.

Even so, the report of Saul’s death grieved David. Why? Saul had been chosen by God to be the people’s first king. David honored that out of respect for the Lord, and he often called Saul “the Lord’s anointed.”

David’s mourning for Jonathan made sense. He was the first member of Saul’s family to stand up for David. He made a covenant of friendship with David against his own prospects for the throne. Jonathan pleaded with his father to see David as a blessing to Israel, not a threat.

Saul had shown David what not to do as Israel’s leader. And Jonathan had shown how a person can be a true friend. David found no paradox in mourning both of these men. They each gave him something that made him alive to God’s purposes and plans.