2 Samuel 1:23

Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

Cross-reference

2 Samuel 1:19 opens the lament 'How the mighty have fallen'; verse 23 then details their swiftness and strength.

2 Samuel 2:18 describes Asahel as swift as a wild gazelle, paralleling the 'swifter than eagles' praise of Saul and Jonathan.

1 Samuel 31:1–5 Historical context

1 Samuel 31:1-5 narrates the actual death of Saul and Jonathan, the event that inspired David's lament here.

Jeremiah 4:13 uses the exact phrase 'swifter than eagles' for an invading army, directly paralleling the lament's description.

Lamentations 4:19 repeats 'swifter than eagles' for pursuers, matching the lament's simile for Saul and Jonathan.

1 Samuel 18:1 Historical context

1 Samuel 18:1 shows Jonathan's soul knit to David, providing background for the 'beloved and lovely' bond praised in the lament.