David Mourns Saul & Jonathan

Summary

Episode Summary: David Mourns Saul & Jonathan

Podcast Title: The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein
Host/Author: Pray.com
Episode Title: David Mourns Saul & Jonathan
Release Date: July 2, 2025

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Introduction

In this poignant episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, listeners are transported to the tumultuous aftermath of the Battle of Gilboa, where King Saul and his son Jonathan meet their tragic end. Yael Eckstein masterfully intertwines dramatic storytelling with deep biblical insights, offering a profound exploration of grief, leadership, and faith.

The Battle of Gilboa (00:26 - 02:27)

The episode opens with a vivid recounting of the Battle of Gilboa, where the Israelites face the Philistines in a fierce conflict. Positioned beside King Saul, Jonathan, Saul's son, exemplifies bravery and loyalty. As the battle intensifies, Saul sustains a fatal arrow wound, leading to his tragic demise.

Narrator (00:26): "Jonathan, son of Saul, lay in the dust, surrounded by his brothers and the dead. His sword had not broken. His faith had not wavered. But his heart had ceased to beat."

The scene culminates with Saul's fall, emphasizing the human cost of war and the fragility of leadership.

Mourning and Leadership (02:27 - 12:27)

Yael Eckstein delves into the emotional landscape following the battle, highlighting David's response to the crisis. Contrary to expectations of triumph, David embodies profound grief, mourning both Saul and Jonathan. This period is not marked by celebration but by a deep, reflective sorrow.

Yael Eckstein (02:27): "Sometimes mourning is the holiest thing that a leader can do."

David's lamentation serves as a powerful example of leadership grounded in empathy and humility. The narrative captures the collective mourning of Israel, illustrating how even in loss, there is unity and shared sorrow.

The Arrival of Drag, the Amalekite (05:00 - 18:31)

Amidst the aftermath, Drag, an Amalekite scavenger, discovers Saul's crown and amulet amidst the chaos. His encounter with David introduces tension and moral complexity into the story.

Drag (05:33): "Now this is worth far more than gold. I can buy a good favor or two with this."

Drag's attempt to leverage the crown for personal gain is met with David's deep sorrow and moral integrity. David refuses to accept any reward for Saul's death, underscoring his respect for Saul as the Lord's anointed king.

David (15:04): "You call yourself a traveler? So you have no nation, no home, no loyalty. That must be why you did not hesitate to put your hands on the Lord's anointed."

This confrontation highlights themes of forgiveness, righteousness, and the heavy burden of leadership. David's refusal to revel in Saul's death and his insistence on honoring Saul's legacy demonstrate his character and adherence to divine will.

Yael Eckstein's Reflections and Insights (18:31 - 22:41)

Yael transitions from the narrative to offer profound reflections on the story's deeper meanings. She emphasizes that David's grief transcends personal loss, symbolizing the rupture of a covenant and the challenges of leadership in times of turmoil.

Yael Eckstein: "David wasn't just mourning the loss of two people. He was mourning the rupture of the covenant, the unraveling of what was his weeping wasn't weakness. It was a form of leadership."

Yael draws parallels between Saul's complex character—marked by both righteousness and grave mistakes—and the broader human experience of making and repenting from errors. She encourages listeners to view themselves as inherently good despite their mistakes, emphasizing the power of repentance and divine forgiveness.

Conclusion: Embracing Grief and Transformation

Yael concludes by urging listeners to recognize the importance of mourning and reflection in their personal journeys. She advocates for embracing grief as a transformative process that prepares individuals for future blessings, much like David's mourning prepares him for his eventual kingship.

Yael Eckstein: "When grief visits your doorstep, don't shove it away. Let it teach you like David. Let it shape you into the kind of person who is ready when God's blessing finally comes."

This episode serves as a powerful reminder that true leadership involves vulnerability and the capacity to honor the past while moving forward with faith and integrity.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Yael Eckstein (02:27): "Sometimes mourning is the holiest thing that a leader can do."
• David (15:04): "You call yourself a traveler? So you have no nation, no home, no loyalty. That must be why you did not hesitate to put your hands on the Lord's anointed."
• Yael Eckstein (18:31): "David wasn't just mourning the loss of two people. He was mourning the rupture of the covenant, the unraveling of what was his weeping wasn't weakness. It was a form of leadership."

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Key Themes and Insights

1. Grief as Leadership: David's mourning illustrates that true leaders embrace vulnerability and empathy, recognizing the human cost of their responsibilities.

2. Forgiveness and Integrity: Despite Saul's continuous threats, David chooses forgiveness, honoring Saul's role as anointed by God rather than seeking personal vengeance.

3. Redemption and Repentance: The episode highlights the importance of recognizing and repenting for one's mistakes, a theme central to both Saul's and David's narratives.

4. Mourning and Renewal: Grief is portrayed not just as an emotional response but as a necessary process for healing and preparing for future blessings.

5. Moral Complexity: The interaction with Drag introduces questions about loyalty, morality, and the consequences of one's actions, emphasizing the nuanced nature of biblical leadership stories.

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Final Thoughts

David Mourns Saul & Jonathan is a deeply moving episode that transcends a simple recounting of biblical events. Through vivid storytelling and insightful commentary, Yael Eckstein invites listeners to reflect on the complexities of leadership, the power of genuine mourning, and the enduring relevance of ancient wisdom in contemporary life. This episode serves as both a tribute to the characters' solemn journeys and a guide for personal growth and spiritual resilience.

Transcript

[Narrator]

Previously on the Chosen People.

[Yael Eckstein]

The Lord is your enemy soul, and.

[Drag]

His will is like a coursing river. You cannot lose what is to come because you have disobeyed him.

[Yael Eckstein]

He has delivered you into the hands of the Philistines.

[Narrator]

To Saul's right, Jonathan stood ready, flanked by his other sons, Abinadab and Malki Shua. They stood atop the rise with their men behind them, gripping shields and spears. Jonathan glanced toward his father once, and that glance held everything. Love, loyalty. Farewell. And then they charged. The army of Israel poured down the slope of Gilboa like a wave crashing, crashing onto rock. Jonathan, son of Saul, lay in the dust, surrounded by his brothers and the dead. His sword had not broken. His faith had not wavered. But his heart had ceased to beat. Saul's weary arms slashed through the enemy as they advanced. Closer and closer they pressed, but the king stood his ground until it hit. An enemy arrow whistled through the air, finding its mark on Saul's side. Through flesh, through bone, into the lungs. So this is how it. How it ends. I was the. I was the first.

[David]

But not the last.

[Narrator]

And so soon. The first king of Israel pressed the hilt of his sword against the earth, its point at his chest. He closed his eyes. He fell. The blade pierced through skin and sinew, through bone and heart. When he struck the earth, the life left.

[Yael Eckstein]

This is an I Heart podcast. Sometimes mourning is the holiest thing that a leader can do. Shalom, my friends. From here in the holy land of Israel, I'm Yael Eckstein with International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. And welcome to the Chosen People. Sometimes sorrow sneaks up on us in moments we thought would be victorious. We long for a breakthrough only to find ourselves breaking open. How do we respond?

[Narrator]

Do we grieve?

[Yael Eckstein]

Do we rejoice? Or do we freeze? In 1st Samuel 31, we return to the smoldering hills of Gilboa. The story continues, but not exactly how we expected. A revered king has fallen. A beloved prince is lost. And David waits not for a crown, but for clarity. Our story today isn't about conquest. Instead, it's about how we grieve, how we wait for God's perfect timing, and what we do when he gives us his blessings.

[Narrator]

The fire had claimed the fallen before the crows could mount. Gilboa smoldered in silence, her scorched ridges littered with the dead men of Israel sprawled across the blood drenched slopes. Smoke curled into the crimson sky and ash drifted like snowfall upon the wind. Among the dead was the king of Israel, Saul, son of Kish. Once anointed of the Lord lay face down in the dirt, his own sword driven through his chest. His armor, once polished to mirror the sun, was charred and dulled, caked in soot. The golden crown had slipped from his brow and lay a few feet away, resting in a pool of blood and black earth. A group of scavengers came to claim treasures from the carnage. One among them was Drag, an Amalekite man of little dignity or respect for the dead. He picked his way over corpses and shattered shields, walked as lightly as a crow over a battlefield, eyes flicking toward rings, purses and daggers left by the dead. When he came to the body of the king, he paused.

[Drag]

Oh, hello. Who do we have here? A king. The king. Oh, what luck.

[Narrator]

The Amalekite crouched beside Saul and stared long at the blood caked crown. The gold had dulled beneath ash and the gemstones seemed to weep, streaked with gore. The scavenger wiped the soot from one ruby with his sleeve and ran his fingers across the etchings of the old script.

[Drag]

Now this is worth far more than gold. I can buy a good favor or two with this.

[Narrator]

He tucked the crown into his pack and with it, the amulet torn from Saw's throat. There was no reverence in his theft, only haste. Then came the shout. Philistine riders crested the ridge. Their arrows came swift and whistling. The Amalekite darted up the craggy slope, scrambling with the desperation of a rat chased by cats. He scaled the rocks above Saw's corpse and vanished into the smoke, ran until he knew he had lost the Philistines. He held the crown like a curse in his pack. Too heavy to carry, too dangerous to cast away.

[Drag]

If I sell it to the wrong person, they'll hang me for defiling a king. But if I keep it, it's worthless. What to do? What to do?

[Narrator]

A smile coiled around Drag's whole face as a new thought popped into his head. There was one man who might see the value in what he carried. A man who, many whispered, would be the next king of Israel. The Amalekite turned his steps towards Ziklag. Ziklag was alive with the sounds of rebuilding. Hammers rang like bells. Laughter echoed in alleyways, and the smell of sawdust clung to the warm summer wind. Children played beside the fields. Women laughed beneath the shade of olive trees, men whistled as they worked, for once tasting the fruit of their labor. Then came the cry. It carried from the hills like a wounded hawk. All work halted. Hammers fell silent. David looked up as the figure Descended barefoot, dirt streaked, torn robes flapping in the wind. The man was breathless and hollow, eyed as if he had crawled up from the very grave. He collapsed at David's feet.

[Drag]

My lord, I bring tidings from the battle of the Philistine kings. And Saul.

[David]

Where do you come from? You don't look like a soldier.

[Drag]

I escaped from the camp of Israel. I am a traveler. And I found myself caught in the fray of the battle. The united kingdoms of Philistia, the gleaming armies of Israel. Alas, Israel fell before the Philistines.

[Narrator]

All breath left the camp. The outcasts and warriors, men hardened by exile and blood, stood frozen like statues. David's voice was soft, too soft.

[Drag]

And the king, Saul, the great king, is dead.

[Narrator]

A pause. The world grew still. And Jonathan.

[Drag]

Oh, the prince. The brave prince. Word was he stood violently against all the kings of Philistia before meeting his demise.

[Narrator]

The scavenger opened his pack, revealing gold glinting beneath the crust of dried blood, the broken amulet and Saul's crown. David took them both in his hands. The weight of them nearly broke him.

[David]

How. How did. How did Saul die? And how did you come upon his crown?

[Narrator]

The Amalekite licked his lips. His lie came smooth and steady. He had practiced it along every step of his escape.

[Drag]

I found the fallen king leaning on his spear. Oh. An arrow had pierced him, but still he lived. Oh, sir, he called to me. He says he begged me to end his suffering before the Philistines found him. I did what I had to do. I took his dagger and gave him peace.

[Narrator]

Drag had a glint in his eye as he looked up, hopeful.

[Drag]

I brought you his crown. You of all people should have it as an inheritance.

[Narrator]

David turned away. Drag twitched.

[Drag]

Surely, my lord, such a great gesture deserves a reward.

[Narrator]

David looked at Drag, eyes filled with sorrow. He gestured to his men to give Drag a warm meal, then departed to be alone. He walked to the edge of the camp, where the fields rolled out toward the horizon, green and endless. There he sat alone. The crown was in his lap. The king was dead. The prince slain. Jonathan, his brother of the soul, his truest friend. The last threads of the old kingdom had snapped, and now there was only him. He tore his tunic down. The middle cloth ripped like thunder. The sound was his only cry. David buried his face in his hands and wept like a child. His sobs racked the quiet morning. One by one, his men followed suit. Ashes smeared their foreheads. The mourning spread like a plague. Swords were sheathed, shovels dropped. Wives wept. Even the children seemed to understand something holy had died. Then David rose and sang.

[David]

The glory of Israel lies broken on your heights. How the mighty have fallen. Mountains of Gilboa, let no dew, no rain fall upon you. There the shield of the valiant must defile the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.

[Narrator]

But with blood. He lifted the crown high into the air, and the sunlight glanced off its edge like fire off steel.

[David]

Jonathan's bow never turned back. Saul's sword returned, not void. In life and death they were not defied. Swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.

[Narrator]

His voice cracked.

[David]

Jonathan, my brother Jonathan distressed for you. Your love was wonderful to me, more than the love of the oh, how the mighty have fallen. How the weapons of war have perished.

[Narrator]

He fell to his knees. And there beneath the wide sky, with the crown still in his hand, David wept. Evening fell over Ziklag. David sat by the flames, hunched beneath the weight of the robe Jonathan had once draped over his shoulders. He stared into the heart of the fire, watching the embers pulse like dying stars. Across from him, the Amalekite scavenger shifted uneasily on his haunches. His clothes were still stained with the soot of Mount Gilboa, but his eyes were bright and eager, watching David the way a gambler watches the dice as they rattle in the cub. The man expected favor, perhaps wealth, perhaps a position in the new king's house. David did not speak for some time. When he did, his voice was quiet and cold.

[David]

Tell me, Drag, where do you come from?

[Drag]

I am but the humble son of a humble traveler, an Amalekite by birth. But I have no true home. I have wandered many lands.

[Narrator]

Drag smiled, as though expecting praise for his worldly experience. David looked up at him then, not with kindness, not with curiosity, but with the sharpened stare of a man who just glimpsed the truth hidden in another's soul.

[David]

You call yourself a traveler? So you have no nation, no home, no loyalty. That must be why you did not hesitate to put your hands on the Lord's anointed.

[Narrator]

The firelight danced across David's face, casting long shadows beneath his bright, piercing eyes. Eyes of thunder and justice. The Amalekite's smile faltered.

[Drag]

My lord, I. He begged me to end it. He would have been taken.

[David]

Spare me your tale.

[Drag]

You brought me a crown and thought.

[David]

I'd give you one in return. But you mistook grief for gratitude. You thought I'd rejoice at the death of Saul.

[Narrator]

David stepped over the fire, now, face to face with the scavenger.

[David]

But Saul was my king and Jonathan was my Brother. You say you found him dying and finished the deed. Then his blood is on your hands.

[Narrator]

He turned and gestured to his men.

[David]

Benaiah.

[Narrator]

The captain stepped forward without a word. His sword was already in his hand. The Amalekite's eyes widened.

[Drag]

My lord. No. I came to honor you. I. I brought you the crown. I did what? He asked.

[Narrator]

But the words didn't matter. David's voice was low, steady.

[David]

You thought I would feign grief while secretly rejoicing in Saul's death? You think I wanted Saul dead? I had plenty of chances to kill Saul. Do you think I play the game of thrones? You're wrong. Kings are not mine to kill. Nor are they yours. You raised your hand against the Lord's anointed. That was your undoing.

[Narrator]

David gave the nod. Benaiah dragged drag from the firelight.

[Drag]

Please. No. No, I didn't actually kill him. It was a ruse. A lie. A game.

[Narrator]

Benaiah silenced the Amalekite with steel. He released a stifled gasp, then silence. The fire hissed. Somewhere, an owl called into the dark. David sat again, the crown of Saul in his lap, heavy with blood and memory. He did not look up. He only whispered, more to himself than any other.

[David]

He thought I would thank him for.

[Narrator]

Bringing me my crown.

[David]

But it wasn't his to give, not mine to take.

[Narrator]

Not like this. David closed his eyes. He had won no war. He had claimed no glory. The crown had come, and with it, the curse.

[Yael Eckstein]

There's a strange tension running through this story, isn't there? One that doesn't resolve neatly in tragedy or in triumph. David has spent years on the run, hiding in caves, weeping in silence, honoring the very king who hunted him. And when the final moment comes for Saul's reign to end, David doesn't celebrate. He sings a dirge. Why? Well, throughout his life, King Saul made some very grave mistakes. He refused to follow God's command to eliminate the Amalekites. He brutally murdered the priests of Nove out of anger. And, of course, Saul relentlessly pursued David. Yet the Jewish sages often speak of Saul as a righteous individual. And in many ways, Saul was. There's a lesson here for all of us. Well, we know that we all make mistakes, and sometimes they are serious mistakes. But we also do things that are good. And we do these good things most of the time. So we shouldn't allow ourselves to have our mistakes define us. We shouldn't see ourselves as bad people. If we truly regret our mistakes, as Saul mostly did, then we have to know and believe that God is forgiving. So, my friends, don't let your mistakes keep you from seeing yourself as good and even righteous. I often say that we, as the chosen people, are repenting all the time. It's not that we're always making mistakes, and it's not that we don't make mistakes, because we do. But if we are honestly sorry and if we ask God to forgive us, then we have redeemed ourselves and we have to feel joy in that. And so David delivered an extremely moving eulogy for Saul. Even though Saul had spent so long threatening David with death, David knew that Saul had repented, and he knew that Saul was God's anointed king. So David and his own righteousness rose above all of his resentment towards Saul and honored him greatly when he died. This story invites us not to look at David as a rising king, but as a grieving man, a man who understands that sometimes the holy thing to do is to weep. You know, when I first read this story as a young woman growing up in America, I didn't understand David's grief. I thought that maybe he was being overly sentimental. But over the years, and especially since making Aliyah and raising my children in the same holy land where David lived, I've come to see that this story is not just sentimental, but it's sacred. David wasn't just mourning the loss of two people. He was mourning the rupture of the covenant, the unraveling of what was his weeping wasn't weakness. It was a form of leadership. David lets grief have its place. And by doing so, he reminds us there is a time to build, but there's also a time to break, to bow and to weep over what has been lost. Everyone must mourn, even kings. So here's what I want to leave you with, my friends. When the world hands you something, an opportunity, a promotion, a moment of favor, try to take a pause and ask yourself, is this the time God would have me rise? Or is this the time to honor the past before stepping into the future? Don't let the hunger for your next season rob you of your reverence for the season that's coming to a close. And when grief visits your doorstep, don't shove it away. Let it teach you like David. Let it shape you into the kind of person who is ready when God's blessing finally comes.

[Paul Coltofianu]

You can listen to the Chosen People with Yael Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the pray.com app today. This pray.com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents Steve Catena, Max Bard, Zach Schellewager and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of the Chosen People with Yael Eckstein. Edited by Alberto Avila. Narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Steven Ringwald, Sylvia zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Jr. Rosanna Pilcher and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato, Bree Rosalie, and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin Van Etten, Caleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Pray. Com productions on the Pray. Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed the Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, please rate and leave a review.

[Yael Eckstein]

This is an iHeart podcast.