שמואל ב, פרק א׳, פסוק ט׳

Severely wounded from enemy arrows and a failed attempt to take his own life, King Saul lies in an agonizing state of near death. In his final moments, he turns to a young Amalekite with a desperate plea to end his life. In making this request, the king is not asking to be murdered outright. He is already considered a dead man who has lost his physical senses. Instead, he is simply asking the youth to finish the process and shorten his suffering [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The specific nature of the agony gripping the king is understood in several different ways. The primary approach among commentators is that it refers to a severe medical condition, such as violent trembling, death throes, or paralysis that takes hold of a dying person as a result of their wounds [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, his condition is viewed through a military lens relating to checkered or scaled armor. This could mean that enemy cavalry wearing such armor had finally caught up to him [רד״ק]. It might also refer to Saul's own heavy armor, which was strong enough to stop the spear he fell upon, tragically preventing him from dying immediately [רלב״ג]. A third perspective offers a spiritual explanation, suggesting that his suffering is a punishment for ordering the massacre of the priests of the city of Nob, who were known for wearing checkered tunics [רש״י, רד״ק].

Saul explains the urgency of his plea by describing how his soul struggles to depart, leaving him trapped in intense physical pain as he begs for a swift end [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. Yet, beyond the paralyzing pain, there is a much deeper fear driving his request. The king is terrified that if he remains alive for even a few moments longer, the Philistines will reach him first. He knows that if they capture him alive, they will ruthlessly torture and abuse him before finally putting him to death [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רלב״ג, רד״ק].