שמואל ב, פרק א׳, פסוק כ׳

The crushing grief over the fall of the nation's leaders is deepened by the agonizing thought of the enemy's reaction. Beyond the battlefield disaster itself lies a profound layer of humiliation: the suffering that comes from knowing the enemy is celebrating the defeat. The plea to keep the deaths of Saul and Jonathan a secret from the Philistines naturally raises a logical question, as the Philistines were the very ones who fought and killed them. They undoubtedly already knew of their victory. The primary approach among commentators is that this is not a practical command, but rather a poetic expression typical of a lament. It serves to capture the sheer magnitude of the tragedy and the deep sorrow over the enemies' celebration [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The cities of Gath and Ashkelon are specifically named simply because they were the renowned, central hubs of the Philistines [רלב״ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The lament uses a parallel structure, repeating its plea, which commentators interpret in two distinct ways. One perspective views this as a standard poetic form, where an idea is naturally repeated using different words for emotional effect, making the different expressions of joy mere synonyms [מצודת ציון].

Conversely, another approach identifies deliberate and fine distinctions within the repetition [מלבי״ם]. In this view, there is a core difference between simply telling news and officially proclaiming it. Telling implies the casual passing of information, perhaps just a rumor without any intent to publicize. Proclaiming, however, is a deliberate, official broadcast designed to spark public feasts and celebration. Historically, the news would first reach Gath, the royal city, and from there, special messengers would be dispatched to officially proclaim the victory in the streets of Ashkelon.

Similarly, this approach distinguishes between different types of happiness. One form of joy is an internal feeling kept in the heart, while the other represents a physical, outward explosion of massive celebration, such as dancing. The lament therefore builds in severity. The initial plea is to avoid telling the news in Gath to prevent even their internal joy. Yet, if the news has already reached them, the plea shifts: at least do not officially proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon, to prevent the public dancing and outward celebrations. Ultimately, the deepest fear was not just the military defeat, but that the Philistines would celebrate the illusion that God had abandoned His people [מלבי״ם].