14 And David said to him, Had you no fear of stretching out your hand to put to death the one marked with the holy oil?

Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Samuel 1:14

Commentary on 2 Samuel 1:11-16

(Read 2 Samuel 1:11-16)

David was sincere in his mourning for Saul; and all with him humbled themselves under the hand of God, laid so heavily upon Israel by this defeat. The man who brought the tidings, David put to death, as a murderer of his prince. David herein did not do unjustly; the Amalekite confessed the crime. If he did as he said, he deserved to die for treason; and his lying to David, if indeed it were a lie, proved, as sooner or later that sin will prove, lying against himself. Hereby David showed himself zealous for public justice, without regard to his own private interest.