Shmuel II Chapter 1 | The Amalekite Youth

There are prominent contradictions between the description of Sha’ul's death in chapter 31 of Shmuel I and the account provided by the Amalekite youth in this chapter. The primary difference lies in whether Sha’ul committed suicide or was killed by the youth, with additional variations to consider.

In a lecture from the Tanakh Study Circle at the Prime Minister's Residence, Prof. Yehuda Elitzur examines the two main approaches to reconciling this disparity, critiques them, and offers a third explanation.

The harmonists, aiming to merge the two accounts, suggest that each narrative reveals different aspects of the event. Together, they claim, the truth can be pieced together: Sha’ul was initially wounded by the archers, then fell on his sword, but did not die immediately. The Amalekite youth later finished him off.

The critics argue that the two accounts stem from contradictory sources that cannot be reconciled.

Prof. Elitzur proposes a third explanation. When there is a divergence between an event as described by an objective narrator and as recounted by a character from the story — in this case, the Amalekite youth — it is possible that the character is simply lying. Some biblical characters lie, and an Amalekite youth is not an exception to this trend.

Elitzur claims that all issues are resolved when we understand the role of an "Amalekite youth" on the battlefield. The youth describes his arrival at the battlefield: "I happened to be on Mount Gilboa." It seems questionable that a mere passerby would wander into a war zone. Elitzur explains that the youth was part of a sophisticated intelligence network supporting Amalekite military operations. The Amalekites were a nomadic tribe that raided areas left unguarded by armies. When they learned that both the Philistines and Israelites were moving northward, they seized the opportunity to attack. They identified vacant territories using scouts like the youth, who roamed the land gathering intelligence.

The youth was on Mount Gilboa looting corpses. Recognizing Sha’ul, he decided to take the crown and armlet to David, expecting a reward. Initially, he likely did not plan to reveal his Amalekite identity. However, David interrogated him, and ultimately, the youth was executed after his deception was exposed.