2 Samuel 1:16
New International Version
For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’”

New Living Translation
“You have condemned yourself,” David said, “for you yourself confessed that you killed the LORD’s anointed one.”

English Standard Version
And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’s anointed.’”

Berean Standard Bible
For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood be on your own head because your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’”

Berean Literal Bible
And David said to him, “Your blood is on your own head. For your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the anointed of YHWH.’”

King James Bible
And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.

New King James Version
So David said to him, “Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’s anointed.’ ”

New American Standard Bible
And David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, because your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have finished off the LORD’S anointed.’”

NASB 1995
David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’S anointed.’”

NASB 1977
And David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’s anointed.’”

Legacy Standard Bible
And David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has answered against you, saying, ‘I have put the anointed of Yahweh to death.’”

Amplified Bible
David said to the [fallen] man, “Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’S anointed.’”

Berean Annotated Bible
For David (beloved) had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood be on your own head because your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I killed the LORD’s {YHWH} anointed.

Christian Standard Bible
For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood is on your own head because your own mouth testified against you by saying, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’ ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood is on your own head because your own mouth testified against you by saying, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’”

American Standard Version
And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain Jehovah's anointed.

English Revised Version
And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
while David said, "You are responsible for spilling your own blood. You testified against yourself when you said, 'I killed the LORD's anointed king.'"

Good News Translation
and David said to the Amalekite, "You brought this on yourself. You condemned yourself when you confessed that you killed the one whom the LORD chose to be king."

International Standard Version
David told him, "Your blood is on your own head, because your own words testified against you! After all, you said, 'I myself have killed the LORD's anointed!'"

NET Bible
David said to him, "Your blood be on your own head! Your own mouth has testified against you, saying 'I have put the LORD's anointed to death.'"

New Heart English Bible
David said to him, "Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the LORD's anointed.'"

Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard Bible
For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood be on your own head because your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’”

World English Bible
David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have slain Yahweh’s anointed.’”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and David says to him, “Your blood [is] on your own head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, I put to death the anointed of YHWH.”

Berean Literal Bible
And David said to him, “Your blood is on your own head. For your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the anointed of YHWH.’”

Young's Literal Translation
and David saith unto him, 'Thy blood is on thine own head, for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I -- I put to death the anointed of Jehovah.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And David will say to him, Thy bloods upon thy head, for thy mouth answered against thee, saying, I killed Jehovah's Messiah.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to him: Thy blood be upon thy own head: for thy own mouth hath spoken against thee, saying: I have slain the Lord's anointed.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And David said to him: “Your blood is upon your own head. For your own mouth has spoken against you, saying: ‘I have killed the Christ of the Lord.’ ”

New American Bible
David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for you testified against yourself when you said, ‘I put the LORD’s anointed to death.’ ”

New Revised Standard Version
David said to him, “Your blood be on your head; for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’s anointed.’”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And David said to him, Your blood be upon your head; for your mouth has testified against you, for you have said, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And David said to him: “Your blood be on your head, because your mouth is a witness against you, because you said, "I have killed the Anointed One of LORD JEHOVAH"
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And David said unto him: 'Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying: I have slain the LORD'S anointed.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And David said to him, Thy blood be upon thine own head; for thy mouth has testified against thee, saying, I have slain the anointed of the Lord.

Additional Translations ...



Context
David Learns of Saul's Death
15Then David summoned one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him!” So the young man struck him down, and he died. 16For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood be on your own head because your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’”

Cross References
For David had said to the Amalekite,

2 Samuel 4:9-12
But David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, / when someone told me, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was a bearer of good news, I seized him and put him to death at Ziklag. That was his reward for his news! / How much more, when wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house and on his own bed, shall I not now require his blood from your hands and remove you from the earth!” …

1 Kings 2:31-32
And the king replied, “Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so remove from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood that Joab shed. / The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to the sword Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.

Joshua 7:19-26
So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.” / “It is true,” Achan replied, “I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did: / When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” …
“Your blood be on your own head

Acts 18:6
But when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Ezekiel 33:4-5
Then if anyone hears the sound of the horn but fails to heed the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. / Since he heard the sound of the horn but failed to heed the warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had heeded the warning, he would have saved his life.

Joshua 2:19
If anyone goes out the door of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads.
because your own mouth has testified against you,

Job 15:6
Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you.

Luke 19:22
His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?

Matthew 12:37
For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
saying, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’”

1 Samuel 26:9
But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can extend a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?”

1 Samuel 24:6
So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.”

1 Samuel 26:11
But the LORD forbid that I should extend my hand against the LORD’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and water jug by his head, and let us go.”
Genesis 9:6
Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.

Matthew 26:52
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

Revelation 13:10
“If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he will go; if anyone is to die by the sword, by the sword he must be killed.” Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.

Numbers 35:33
Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.


Treasury of Scripture

And David said to him, Your blood be on your head; for your mouth has testified against you, saying, I have slain the LORD's anointed.

thy blood

Genesis 9:5,6
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man…

Leviticus 20:9,11-13,16,27
For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him…

Deuteronomy 19:10
That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

mouth

2 Samuel 1:10
So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.

Job 15:6
Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

Proverbs 6:2
Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

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2 Samuel 1
1. The Amalekite who accused himself of Saul's death is slain
17. David laments Saul and Jonathan with a song












For David had said to the Amalekite,

The Amalekite came to David after Saul’s death, carrying Saul’s crown and armlet and expecting favor from the man who would become king. His account contradicted the report that Saul had taken his own life, but David judged him according to his own confession.

2Sa 4:9-12 As surely as the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life…
1Ki 2:31-32 And the king replied, “Do just as he says.…
Jos 7:19-26 So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD,…

“Your blood be on your own head

David declared that the man bore full responsibility for the judgment brought upon him. Rather than rewarding him for Saul’s death, David ordered his execution.

Act 18:6 But when they opposed and insulted him,…
Ezk 33:4-5 Then if anyone hears the sound of the horn…
Jos 2:19 If anyone goes out the door of your house into the street,…

because your own mouth has testified against you,

The Amalekite condemned himself by claiming credit for killing Saul. Whether his report was true or fabricated, he presented himself as the one who had struck down Israel’s king.

Job 15:6 Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you;…
Luk 19:22 His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you…
Mat 12:37 For by your words you will be acquitted,…

saying, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’”

Saul remained the king God had appointed, despite his sin and his hostility toward David. David would not seize the throne through violence or approve the killing of the man the LORD had anointed, foreshadowing Jesus Christ, the Messiah, meaning “anointed one.”

1Sa 26:9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him…
1Sa 24:6 So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid…
1Sa 26:11 But the LORD forbid that I should extend my hand…

Persons / Places / Events
1. David
The second king of Israel, known for his heart for God and his complex character. In this passage, he is responding to the news of Saul's death.

2. The Amalekite
A young man who claimed to have killed Saul, the first king of Israel, and brought the news to David, expecting a reward.

3. Saul
The first king of Israel, anointed by God but later rejected due to disobedience. His death marks a significant transition in Israel's history.

4. The LORD’s Anointed
A term used to describe someone chosen by God for a special purpose, in this case, King Saul.

5. Hebron
Although not directly mentioned in this verse, it is significant as the place where David was later anointed king over Judah.
Teaching Points
Respect for God's Anointed
David's reaction highlights the importance of respecting those whom God has chosen, even when they fall short of expectations.

Integrity and Justice
David's decision to hold the Amalekite accountable for his claim teaches us about the importance of integrity and justice in leadership.

The Power of Words
The Amalekite's own words led to his downfall, reminding us to be mindful of what we say and the truthfulness of our claims.

God's Sovereignty in Leadership
The transition from Saul to David illustrates God's control over leadership and His timing in raising and removing leaders.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of 2 Samuel 1:16?

2. How does 2 Samuel 1:16 emphasize the importance of respecting God's anointed leaders?

3. What lessons about justice and accountability can we learn from 2 Samuel 1:16?

4. How does David's response in 2 Samuel 1:16 connect to Romans 12:19?

5. In what ways can we apply David's respect for authority in our lives?

6. How does 2 Samuel 1:16 challenge us to uphold God's standards in leadership?

7. Why did David hold the Amalekite accountable for Saul's death in 2 Samuel 1:16?

8. How does 2 Samuel 1:16 reflect on the concept of justice in the Bible?

9. What does David's reaction in 2 Samuel 1:16 reveal about his character?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from 2 Samuel 1?


David’s sentence in 2 Samuel 1:16 demonstrates reverence for God’s established authority, the principle of personal accountability, and the power of one’s own words to confirm guilt. The Amalekite, whether he truly killed Saul or merely claimed it, admits to violating a sacred boundary. David therefore upholds divine justice: the man’s confessed act against “the LORD’s anointed” brings his own blood upon his head.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For David
דָּוִ֔ד (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

had said
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to the Amalekite,
אֵלָיו֙ (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

“Your blood
דָּמְךָ֖ (dā·mə·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

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

your own head
רֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ (rō·še·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7218: The head

because
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

your own mouth
פִ֗יךָ (p̄î·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

testified
עָנָ֤ה (‘ā·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

against you,
בְךָ֙ (ḇə·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

saying,
לֵאמֹ֔ר (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘I
אָנֹכִ֥י (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

killed
מֹתַ֖תִּי (mō·ṯat·tî)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

the LORD’s
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

anointed.’”
מְשִׁ֥יחַ (mə·šî·aḥ)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4899: Anointed, a consecrated person, the Messiah


Additonal Resources
2 Samuel 1:16 Blue Letter Bible
2 Samuel 1:16 Bible Gateway
2 Samuel 1:16 Bible.com

2 Samuel 1:16 NIV
2 Samuel 1:16 NLT
2 Samuel 1:16 ESV
2 Samuel 1:16 NASB
2 Samuel 1:16 KJV

2 Samuel 1:16 Study Bible
2 Samuel 1:16 Biblia Paralela
2 Samuel 1:16 Chinese Bible
2 Samuel 1:16 French Bible
2 Samuel 1:16 Catholic Bible

OT History: 2 Samuel 1:16 David said to him Your blood be (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)

2 Samuel 1:15
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