The United Kingdom of Israel:
Saul, David & Solomon
Foreshadow Christ the King

Lesson 11 David Mourns the Deaths of Saul & Jonathan
the First Book of Samuel 30:1—the Second Book of Samuel 1:27

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for The United Kingdom of Israel
cross references in The United Kingdom of Israel
next lesson: David Is Acclaimed King of Judah & King of Israel

This material coordinates with Lesson 11 on pages 67–72 in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”
—the Second Book of Samuel 7:12–13

welcome to our in-depth study of Saul, David & Solomon
We invite interested groups and individuals to check out the sample first lesson from this 28-lesson Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. These online study pages link to our free lesson videos, as well as to a glossary and cross references in the biblical text. Other study aids include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King has been granted an imprimatur and may be purchased from our website shop. If you have a Bible-study question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.

open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

let’s review—the First Book of Samuel 28:1—29:11
In Lesson 10 Saul Consults a Medium at En-Dor, the Philistines gather for war, and David tells Achish that he and his men are ready and willing to fight with the Philistines against Saul’s forces, who are composed of David’s own people. Saul is afraid of the upcoming battle, and although he attempts to ask the LORD about it, the LORD refuses to answer—either by dreams or by urim and thummim, or by any prophet. Desperate, Saul seeks a medium. This is tougher than it sounds, since Saul had all of the mediums and wizards banned. He finds one at En-Dor, and she calls up Samuel’s spirit, who’s annoyed at being summoned. The spirit tells Saul that he and his sons are going to die in battle the next day and that the army of Israel will be defeated. Saul is terrified and only can face his future after the medium feeds and encourages him. The Philistines object to David and his men joining the battle because they fear that they’ll turn against them instead of fighting the Israelites. David and his men set off to return to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines head to Jezreel to fight Saul’s army.

map notes—cities that receive gifts from David
When David and his men learn that they’re unwelcome fighting with the Philistines against the descendants of Jacob, they return to Ziklag where they find that their city has been burned and their families taken captive by Amalekites. Encouraged by the LORD, David and his 600 men immediately set off after the raiders, whom they overtake and defeat, rescuing their families and recovering all of their property as well as additional spoil the Amalekites had taken from other cities in Philistia and Judah. After restoring what rightfullly belongs to his men, David sends part of the remaining spoil to elders living in towns in territory allotted by God to the tribe of Judah, the tribe to which David belongs. The cities of Bethel, Jattir, Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, Racal, Hormah, Borashan, and Hebron are shown on the map. The exact location of Athach is unknown, but scholars are fairly certain it also was in territory allotted to the tribe of Judah, as was Ramoth of the Negeb, which isn’t to be confused with Ramoth-Gilead, a settlement farther north and to the east of the Jordan River.

an unexpected detail
It’s noteworthy that David also sends gifts to cities of the Jerahmeelites and cities of the Kenites, both located near the land of the Philistines and both of which David has claimed to have attacked when in the service of Achish, the Philistine king of Gath. This raises serious doubt about whether such attacks ever took place. Click on the map (above right) to enlarge it. The original map is on page 71 in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

consider this biblical discrepancy (22:25)
In the overview for Lesson 11,”David Mourns the Deaths of Saul & Jonathan,” Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses several possibilities that might explain why the Scriptures record two conflicting versions of how Saul died. Without watching the video, how many reasons can you think of for why there are two versions? Consider which biblical version of this event is the most likely to reflect factual history. Think about possible reasons why both accounts are included in the First and Second Books of Samuel, which appear to be written to present a single history of the reigns of Saul and David. Consider why another version of the same event appears in the tenth chapter in the First Book of the Chronicles.

?  Which of the two accounts recorded in the Books of Samuel does the account in the First Book of Chronicles most closely match?
?  What evidence in the biblical text might support a conclusion that one or the other version presents the most accurate account?
?  What argues against coming to such a conclusion?
?  The Second Book of Samuel includes the information that David has the Amalekite killed who reports the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. David announces that this is because the Amalekite claims to have slain Saul. What other reason might be behind David having the Amalekite killed?


The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the Scripture ranges for the sets of questions in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. You can follow along as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 11, “David Mourns the Deaths of Saul & Jonathan,” on pages 67–72 in the study book.

shared insights—David strengthens himself in the LORD
Every lesson offers Scripture verses in which God is waiting to communicate with us. This is why our study questions focus so intently on what the biblical text actually says. Thinking more deeply about the Scripture and talking with others about what it means to us opens the way for increased understanding about how God can help us in our day-to-day lives. Turning to God’s Word co-founder Tami Palladino has shared the following thoughts about David’s reaction after he and his men return to Ziklag and find that their city has been burned and their wives and children carried away by Amalekites:

“The First Book of Samuel 30:6—’And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.’—really stood out to me. For one thing, the conjunction ‘but’ shows that there’s a contrast between what’s going on externally and what’s happening in David’s heart. David is in the midst of a terrible situation, but he strengthens himself in the LORD. Our group talked about ways that we strengthen ourselves in the LORD when disturbing things happen. Some of those ways suggested were prayer, the Rosary, going to Mass, going to Confession, doing thoughtful and kind things for others, reading the Psalms, coming together with others in Bible study or other faith-sharing groups, and listening to inspirational music.

“This verse reminded me of the Letter to the Philippians 4:13: ‘I can do all things in [Christ] who strengthens me.’ My family recently went to the Spartan Race, and there was a girl with this verse on the back of her leg (just the citation). In our Bible study, we talked about our favorite verses; one of our leaders said the Letter to the Philippians 4:13 is her favorite verse. One of my favorite verses is similar, Psalm 18:30.” (Psalm 18, prayed at Thursday Vigils [Week I], will be included as part of Lesson 9 From the Grave, Who Can Give You Praise? in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, which is scheduled for publication in late summer of 2025.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK about strengthening yourself in the LORD?
The primary point of Bible study isn’t so much obtaining academic learning about the Bible as it is familiarizing ourselves with what it is that God’s calling us to do. This almost always involves strengthening ourselves for whatever task the Lord has in mind.

?  How do you go about strengthening yourself in the LORD?
?  What counsel would you give to someone who has little or no experience in turning to God during times of difficulty?
?  Do you have a favorite Bible verse?
?  If so, what about that verse do you find so attractive?
?  If you don’t have a favorite Bible verse, consider ways that you can begin identifying a few verses that appeal to you. The Sunday Mass readings (a link to the readings for the coming weekend is located on the homepage) provide one opportunity to think about specific Scripture verses, or you might want to memorize a verse in this Bible study.

memorize a favorite Bible verse (4:48)
Turning to God’s Word co-founder Tami Palladino has created a short video about the benefits of memorizing Bible verses. Choosing a passage that you find particularly meaningful will make the task easier. There are inspiring verses in every book of the Bible, but some people in our Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible studies like to memorize a verse from their lesson every week. For more ideas, check out Tami’s video, Why Memorize Scripture? It’s less than five minutes long.


a moderately amusing detail
The First Book of Samuel 31:9 records that after the Philistines defeat Saul and his army, they carry the good news to their idols. This underlines a key difference between the Philistines’ gods, who apparently have no way of knowing the battle outcome unless the Philistines tell them, and the God of Israel, who was able to share information in advance of the fighting so that the spirit of Samuel could correctly prophesy to Saul how the battle would end. Although the defeat of Saul’s army seems regrettable, the God worshiped by the descendants of Jacob isn’t unaware of the course of events.

the daring rescue of the bodies of Saul & his sons
What do you think motivates the men of Jabesh-Gilead to march all night to recover the bodies of Saul and his sons while risking attracting attention from the Philistines?

pray with the Psalms—prayers of mourning
It’s Jewish tradition to recite Psalms in the presence of the dead. Psalms customarily recited are the familiar Psalm 23 (“The LORD is my shepherd”); Psalm 91, regularly prayed at Compline; and Psalm 90. Although these Psalms often are chosen for funerals, many other Psalms can be recited to comfort mourners. Prayed at Wednesday Lauds (Week II), Psalm 90 is included as part of Lesson 22 Teach Us to Number Our Days in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. Psalm 23, prayed at Sunday Vigils (Week I), and Psalm 91, prayed at Compline during Weeks I and II, will be included as part of Lesson 1 He Who Sits in the Heavens Laughs and Lesson 29 In Peace I Will Lie Down, both in Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayers & Compline. Volume two of our Psalms Bible study is scheduled for publication in late summer of 2025.

David mourns Saul
The following reflection is by Rupert of Deutz, a Benedictine theologian who lived in the late 10th and early 11th centuries in Belgium. According to Rupert, when David mourns Saul’s death, he mysteriously sketches in advance the lament of Christ, who wept for the ruin of his people. Rupert’s commentary reinforces the biblical understanding that a king has responsibility for all of his people, and that if the king sins then all of his people suffer the consequences:

“Over what did David grieve? Over this undoubtedly, that Saul who was the LORD’s anointed should have deserved by his pride to be cast out from the LORD’s presence, and that with him all Israel should have fallen before his enemies, as its mighty men were slain. This was a mattter for mourning indeed for a wise man who in his deep humility recognized in Saul’s example a warning to himself.”

glory—you could look it up in our archives
In the Second Book of Samuel 1:19, David begins his lamentation for Saul and Jonathan by lauding them for their glory, a somewhat unusual view for him to take regarding Saul. You can learn how the a Hebrew view of “glory” differs slightly from the Greek view—and also why Michelangelo’s statue of Moses in Rome sports horns—by reading Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.

what is the Book of Jashar? 
The Second Book of Samuel 1:18 records that David’s heartfelt expressions of mourning over Saul and Jonathan are written in the Book of Jashar. Composed of songs celebrating great battles and righteous leaders in Hebrew history, this ancient hymnbook no longer is extant. It sometimes is referred to as the Book of the Upright. To learn more about other people and places that appear in the biblical text, visit our online glossary.

biblical vocabulary—lamentations
Lamentations appear throughout the Old Testament. The Second Book of Samuel 1:19–27 records David’s lament over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. Other passionate expressions of grief or sorrow can be found in the Psalms and, of course, in the Book of Lamentations, which traditionally are prayed during the Easter Triduum. The Book of Lamentations is the focus of Lesson 4 The People Who Remain in Judah Lament Their Tragic Situation in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption.

the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however, including the passage in this lesson from the First Book of Samuel 30:1 through the Second Book of Samuel 1:27.

ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun that appears in the primary biblical text for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.

ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.

wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

the First Book of Samuel 30:—the Second Book of Samuel 1:27 (NIV)

round black doveclose with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following prayer based on the biblical text in this lesson in the study book The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

O God, your set your plan for our salvation in motion centuries ago.
Increase our faith and trust in your word in order that—
even when events in our lives seem most dismal—
we’re able to cling to our hope of heaven.
We ask this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ,
whose love led him willingly to die for us 
in order to bring about the possibility of our salvation. Amen.

Lesson 12 David Is Acclaimed King of Judah & King of Israel—the Second Book of Samuel 2:1—5:5
Lesson 10 Saul Consults a Medium at En-Dor—the First Book of Samuel 28:1—29:11

you also may like our study of the book of Revelation
REVELATION LOOK 022516The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness, a 23-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines ways in which our traditional Christian view of heaven is built on Hebrew apocalyptic visions recorded in the Old Testament. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary and takes a close look at the role of the prophets in present-day Christianity. Illustrations by Tami Palladino depict the often-misunderstood images in the book of Revelation. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer

*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus—but the same books aren’t found in existing Hebrew manuscripts, which aren’t as old as the oldest version of the Septuagint. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?

Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online study pages for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.

The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces those with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.

Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.

You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.