Why does David describe Saul as pleasant in 2 Samuel 1:23?

Question

2 Samuel 1:23 NASB

“Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their life, And in their death they were not parted; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.

When Saul is finally killed David laments over him and describes him together with Jonathan as pleasant.But Saul had done many unpleasant things not only to David but also to God as well as the Israelites.

1)Saul performs an unsanctioned sacrifice(1 Sam 13)

2)Saul forces the Israelites to fight on an empty stomach(1 Sam 14)

3)Saul disobeys God concerning the amalekites(1 Sam 15)

4)Saul turns against David(1 Sam 16)

5)Saul tries to kill David(1 Sam 19)

6)Saul tries to kill his own son Jonathan(1 Sam 20)

7)Saul kills the priest at Nob(1 Sam 22)

8)Saul chases after David(1 Sam 24)

9)Saul consults the spirit medium(1 Sam 28)

It does seems Saul;s reign was littered with a lot of inconsistency which David bore the full brunt of.

Why then does David say he was pleasant?

Answer 1

The OP has asked a very valid question as Saul, from this vantage point of history, appears to have been a disastrous king of Israel. However, his early life was quite different and successful.

Ellicott offers the simplest solution to this question:

(23) Lovely and pleasant.--This applies peculiarly to Jonathan, but also in a good degree to Saul in his earlier years and his better moments, which David chose at this moment to recall. It also applies truthfully to them both in their relations to each other.

Answer 2

I think it also key that David says that Saul was a God’s anointed. David had been prophesied over by Samuel, but he had not been placed on the throne yet. Saul was still king and anointed authority in Israel. I presume David understood that God and not yet removed Saul’s authority, so Gods was still in control even through Saul, even as Saul was a person not walking