Click Here – 2 Samuel 1:17-27.
This one of the rare instances of poetry in Samuel, but then again this is a rare circumstance. The king of Judah has been killed along with three of his sons, one of them being Jonathan, the heir to the throne. David had been anointed to be the next king, yet did not jump at the opportunity to take over the country. Instead he mourned his friend, Jonathan, and the person who wanted him dead, Saul.
He honored them both with this lament (song of mourning). He pointed out only the good that Saul had done, none of his faults. David kept the 8th commandment even in the midst of difficult times. He did not bear false witness, but he spoke well of Saul, and put the best construction on everything.
May we be as generous with our words to our friends (not to mention our enemies)!