שמואל ב, פרק א׳, פסוק י״ז

A public lament for fallen leaders carries profound weight, blending personal grief with national duty. When David openly mourns the tragic deaths on the battlefield before the entire nation, his expression of sorrow serves a crucial public purpose. By grieving publicly, he actively dispels any suspicion that he might be rejoicing over the death of Saul, the man who had relentlessly hunted him. It makes clear to the masses that David is not celebrating the removal of the final barrier to his own kingship [אלשיך].

The structure of his mourning is highly intentional, honoring Saul before addressing Jonathan. This clarifies that the primary focus of the eulogy is directed toward Saul, preventing any cynical rumors from spreading that David is solely grieving for his beloved friend Jonathan while treating Saul merely as an afterthought. Furthermore, the mourning centers entirely on Saul as a private individual rather than as a monarch. Because God had already rejected his reign, it was no longer appropriate for David to eulogize the loss of the kingship itself [אלשיך].

Although other sons of Saul also died in the same battle, the lament focuses exclusively on these two figures. They were the central, most prominent heroes of the royal household. David also had deeply personal reasons to mourn them specifically. He wept for Saul out of respect for his high personal stature, and for Jonathan out of a profound love. No such unique bonds or high levels of greatness existed between David and the other fallen sons [אברבנאל].