2 Samuel 1:19
New International Version
“A gazelle lies slain on your heights, Israel. How the mighty have fallen!

New Living Translation
Your pride and joy, O Israel, lies dead on the hills! Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen!

English Standard Version
“Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!

Berean Standard Bible
“Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen!

King James Bible
The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!

New King James Version
“The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!

New American Standard Bible
“Your beauty, Israel, is slaughtered on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!

NASB 1995
“Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen!

NASB 1977
“Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen!

Legacy Standard Bible
“Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen!

Amplified Bible
“Your glory and splendor, O Israel, is slain upon your high places! How the mighty have fallen!

Christian Standard Bible
The splendor of Israel lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The splendor of Israel lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen!

American Standard Version
Thy glory, O Israel, is slain upon thy high places! How are the mighty fallen!

Contemporary English Version
Israel, your famous hero lies dead on the hills, and your mighty warriors have fallen!

English Revised Version
Thy glory, O Israel, is slain upon thy high places! how are the mighty fallen!

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Your glory, Israel, lies dead on your hills. See how the mighty have fallen!

Good News Translation
"On the hills of Israel our leaders are dead! The bravest of our soldiers have fallen!

International Standard Version
"Your beauty, Israel, lies slain on your high places! O, how the valiant have fallen!

Majority Standard Bible
“Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen!

NET Bible
The beauty of Israel lies slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!

New Heart English Bible
"Your glory, Israel, is slain on your high places. How the mighty have fallen.

Webster's Bible Translation
The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!

World English Bible
“Your glory, Israel, was slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“The beauty of Israel "" [Is] wounded on your high places; How the mighty have fallen!

Young's Literal Translation
The Roebuck, O Israel, On thy high places is wounded; How have the mighty fallen!

Smith's Literal Translation
The beauty of Israel was wounded upon thy heights: how have the powerful fallen.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The illustrious of Israel are slain upon thy mountains: how are the valiant fallen?

Catholic Public Domain Version
The illustrious of Israel have been killed upon your mountains. How could the valiant have fallen?

New American Bible
Alas! the glory of Israel, slain upon your heights! How can the warriors have fallen!

New Revised Standard Version
Your glory, O Israel, lies slain upon your high places! How the mighty have fallen!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Israel was swift like a gazelle, and is slain upon her proud hills! How are the mighty fallen!

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
“Israel the deer on your high places is slain! How the mighty ones have fallen!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thy beauty, O Israel, upon thy high places is slain! How are the mighty fallen!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Set up a pillar, O Israel, for the slain that died upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David's Song for Saul and Jonathan
18and he ordered that the sons of Judah be taught the Song of the Bow. It is written in the Book of Jashar: 19“Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen! 20Tell it not in Gath; proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, and the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 31:1-6
Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. / The Philistines hotly pursued Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. / When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically. ...

1 Chronicles 10:1-6
Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. / The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. / When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him. ...

Lamentations 2:1
How the Lord has covered the Daughter of Zion with the cloud of His anger! He has cast the glory of Israel from heaven to earth. He has abandoned His footstool in the day of His anger.

Isaiah 14:12
How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations.

Ezekiel 26:17
Then they will lament for you, saying, “How you have perished, O city of renown inhabited by seafaring men—she who was powerful on the sea, along with her people, who imposed terror on all peoples!

Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches. / But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

Amos 2:14-16
Escape will fail the swift, the strong will not prevail by his strength, and the mighty will not save his life. / The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet of foot will not escape, and the horseman will not save his life. / Even the bravest of mighty men will flee naked on that day,” declares the LORD.

Psalm 78:64
His priests fell by the sword, but their widows could not lament.

Judges 5:24-27
Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women. / He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds. / She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple. ...

Isaiah 34:5-8
When My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens, then it will come down upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction. / The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood. It drips with fat—with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom. / And the wild oxen will fall with them, the young bulls with the strong ones. Their land will be drenched with blood, and their soil will be soaked with fat. ...

Revelation 18:9-10
Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. / In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Luke 19:41-44
As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it / and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. / For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. ...

Acts 13:22
After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’

Hebrews 11:32-34
And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, / who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, / quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.


Treasury of Scripture

The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places: how are the mighty fallen!

beauty

2 Samuel 1:23
Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

Deuteronomy 4:7,8
For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? …

1 Samuel 31:8
And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

how are

2 Samuel 1:25,27
How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places…

Lamentations 5:16
The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!

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Beauty Dead Fallen Glory Great Heights High Israel Lies Mighty Ones Places Roebuck Slain Wounded
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Beauty Dead Fallen Glory Great Heights High Israel Lies Mighty Ones Places Roebuck Slain Wounded
2 Samuel 1
1. The Amalekite who accused himself of Saul's death is slain
17. David laments Saul and Jonathan with a song














Your glory, O Israel
The phrase "Your glory, O Israel" refers to the honor and splendor of Israel, embodied in its leaders and warriors. In the Hebrew text, the word for "glory" is "tiferet," which can also mean beauty or magnificence. This highlights the deep sense of loss felt by the nation at the death of Saul and Jonathan, who were seen as the pride and strength of Israel. Historically, Israel's glory was often tied to its leaders, who were seen as God's anointed representatives. The loss of such figures was not just a personal tragedy but a national calamity, reflecting the vulnerability of the nation without its divinely appointed leaders.

lies slain
The term "lies slain" conveys the tragic and violent end of Israel's leaders. The Hebrew word used here is "ḥalal," which means to pierce or wound, often used in the context of battle. This word choice emphasizes the brutality of their deaths and the suddenness with which Israel's glory has been extinguished. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the death of a king or prince in battle was a significant event, often seen as a sign of divine displeasure or a turning point in the nation's history.

on your heights
"On your heights" refers to the elevated places where battles were often fought, symbolizing both strategic military locations and places of significance. The Hebrew word "bamah" can mean high places, often associated with worship or significant events. The mention of heights underscores the public and visible nature of the tragedy, as these were places where victories were celebrated and losses were deeply mourned. It also reflects the idea that the fall of Israel's leaders was not hidden but occurred in a manner that all could witness, adding to the nation's collective grief.

How the mighty have fallen!
This lament, "How the mighty have fallen," is a poignant expression of sorrow and disbelief. The Hebrew word for "mighty" is "gibbor," which denotes a warrior or hero, someone of great strength and valor. The repetition of this phrase throughout David's lament underscores the shock and sorrow at the loss of Saul and Jonathan, who were considered mighty in battle and leadership. This phrase has become emblematic of the fall of great leaders and serves as a reminder of the fleeting nature of human strength and glory. In a broader scriptural context, it reflects the biblical theme that true strength and might come from God, and human power is ultimately fragile and temporary.

(19) The beauty of Israel, in the sense of the glory or ornament of Israel, referring to Saul and Jonathan. The rendering of the Syriac and some commentators, "the gazelle," as a poetic name for Jonathan, is uncalled for, both because the words are spoken of Saul and Jonathan together, and because there is no evidence elsewhere that Jonathan was so called, nor is there any allusion to him under this figure in the song.

Upon thy high places.--Comp. 2Samuel 1:21; 2Samuel 1:25. This line may be considered as the superscription of the whole song.

Verse 19. - The beauty of Israel. The word zebi means both "beauty" and also "the gazelle." Ewald takes it in the second sense, and explains it of Jonathan. "everywhere the first in courage, in activity, and speed; slender also and of well-made figure, and whose personal beauty and swiftness of foot in attack or retreat gained for him among the troops the name of 'the gazelle.' The Syriac Version also translates 'gazelle,'" but Ephrem says that the whole Israelite nation is meant, the flower of whoso manhood lay slaughtered on Mount Gilboa. Which signification we take must really depend upon the meaning we attach to the words, "thy high place;" and these in the Authorized Version have nothing to refer to, and so become unmeaning. The Revised Version follows the Vulgate in taking Israel as a vocative, sad renders, "Thy glory, O Israel, is slain upon thy high places." The sense would thus be that given by Ephrem, Israel's glory being its "mighty" men or heroes, its warriors slain upon Mount Gilboa with their king. But ver. 25 makes it plain that the "high places" are Jonathan's, and not those of the nation; and the more correct rendering is "O beauty [or, 'gazelle'] of Israel, slain upon thy high places! how are the heroes fallen!" Thus Jonathan is certainly meant, and the heroes are the young, prince and his father; and as the hunted antelope is said to return to its lair in the mountains, and there await its death, "gazelle" is probably the right rendering. In a dirge in honour of Saul and Jonathan we may be pretty sure that Jonathan would be referred to in its opening words, and the camp name of his friend would bring back to David's mind many a brave feat wrought together, and many a pleasant hour of companionship in past years.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Your glory,
הַצְּבִי֙ (haṣ·ṣə·ḇî)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6643: Splendor, a gazelle

O Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

lies slain
חָלָ֑ל (ḥā·lāl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2491: Pierced, polluted

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

your heights.
בָּמוֹתֶ֖יךָ (bā·mō·w·ṯe·ḵā)
Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1116: An elevation

How
אֵ֖יךְ (’êḵ)
Interjection
Strong's 349: How?, how!, where

the mighty
גִבּוֹרִֽים׃ (ḡib·bō·w·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 1368: Powerful, warrior, tyrant

have fallen!
נָפְל֥וּ (nā·p̄ə·lū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie


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OT History: 2 Samuel 1:19 Your glory Israel is slain on your (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 1:18
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