2 Samuel 4:10
in 2 Samuel 4when 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!
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
when one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his tidings.
KJV
When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:
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This verse in 2 Samuel 4
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA reward for his tidings - Ὡ εδει με δουναι ευαγγελια, Septuagint. Here is a proof that ευαγγελιον, evangelium or gospel, signifies the reward which the bringer of good tidings is entitled to receive. See my preface to St. Matthew’s Gospel.
This site's exposition
who has redeemed my life from all distress
on 2 Samuel 4:9-12
David answers by naming the earlier case: the man who brought news of Saul's death was put to death at Ziklag in 1:14-16. Here the charge is heavier, since “wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house and on his own bed”.
This site's exposition
and thought he was a bearer of good news
Matthew Henry notes David names only the news the Amalekite brought, and takes this to mean the boast of killing Saul had been found false. The Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, names the reward here with the word behind gospel. Adam Clarke reads it as a messenger’s pay.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
2 And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin: 3 And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.) 4 And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
): he had put him to death who had brought him the tidings of the death of Saul, because he thought it would be good tidings to David. Nothing is here said of that Amalekite's helping Saul to kill himself, only of his bringing the tidings of his death, by which it should seem that the story he told was upon enquiry found to be false, and that he lied against his own head.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
When one told me, saying, behold, Saul is dead,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
He thought I would reward him for his good tidings. He thought he was making me happy in order that I should reward him for his good tidings.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הַמַּגִּיד֩ | hamagid | the [one who] told | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לִ֨י | li | to <the> me | ||
| לֵאמֹ֜ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנֵּה־ | hineh- | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| מֵ֣ת | met | he has died | H4191 → | 839 times |
| שָׁא֗וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| וְהֽוּא־ | vehu'- | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| הָיָ֤ה | hayah | he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כִמְבַשֵּׂר֙ | khimvaser | like a bearer of news | H1319 → | 24 times |
| בְּעֵינָ֔יו | beeinav | in own eyes his | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וָאֹחֲזָ֣ה | vaochazah | and I took hold ! | H270 → | 67 times |
| ב֔וֹ | vo | on <the> him | ||
| וָאֶהְרְגֵ֖הוּ | vaehregehu | and I killed him | H2026 → | 167 times |
| בְּצִֽקְלָ֑ג | betziklag | in Ziklag | H6860 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לְתִתִּי־ | letiti- | to give I | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| ל֖וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| בְּשֹׂרָֽה׃ | besorah | good news | H1309 → | 6 times |
כִּ֣יif
kiH3588 →4482 times
הַמַּגִּיד֩the [one who] told
hamagidH5046 →370 times
לִ֨יto <the> me
li
לֵאמֹ֜ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
הִנֵּה־here!
hineh-H2009 →843 times
מֵ֣תhe has died
metH4191 →839 times
שָׁא֗וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
וְהֽוּא־and he
vehu'-H1931 →1879 times
הָיָ֤הhe was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
כִמְבַשֵּׂר֙like a bearer of news
khimvaserH1319 →24 times
בְּעֵינָ֔יוin own eyes his
beeinavH5869 →887 times
וָאֹחֲזָ֣הand I took hold !
vaochazahH270 →67 times
ב֔וֹon <the> him
vo
וָאֶהְרְגֵ֖הוּand I killed him
vaehregehuH2026 →167 times
בְּצִֽקְלָ֑גin Ziklag
betziklagH6860 →
אֲשֶׁ֥רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לְתִתִּי־to give I
letiti-H5414 →2011 times
ל֖וֹto <the> him
lo
בְּשֹׂרָֽה׃good news
besorahH1309 →6 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
- PlaceNegev borderZiklagThe Philistine town David ruled from, burned by Amalekite raiders while his men were away, where David found strength in the LORD…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.