שמואל ב, פרק א׳, פסוק ו׳

A young man's testimony from the battlefield paints a dramatic picture of the king's dying moments. In his account, the young man is careful to emphasize that his arrival was entirely by chance. He did not come to the area as a combat soldier, nor did he have any prior intention of finding the wounded leader [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The eyewitness recalls seeing the king leaning on his spear, a detail that seems to contradict the known fact that the king had already fallen on his sword. The primary approach among commentators resolves this by explaining that the initial attempt on his own life was not immediately fatal. Weak, severely wounded, and dying, the king managed to stand up and had to support himself with the spear that he always kept by his side [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אלשיך, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, he may have been leaning on the spear with immense force in a desperate, active attempt to complete his suicide after the sword failed to end his life [רלב״ג]. Another perspective suggests that the weapon he was leaning on was actually the very sword that had already pierced him [מלבי״ם].

As the king's life fades, the enemy forces are closing in. Philistine cavalry units, consisting of highly skilled riders and their commanders, are rapidly advancing [מצודת ציון, רד״ק]. They have overtaken the area and are drawing dangerously close to the dying king [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. Although the steep terrain of Mount Gilboa would naturally make it difficult for chariots to ascend, from the king's vantage point, the terrifying reality is undeniable. He can clearly see the enemy chariots and horsemen tightening their circle around him, bringing the immediate and real threat of capture [ביאור שטיינזלץ].