# Is “How the mighty have fallen” in the Bible?

> Yes. “How the mighty have fallen” is in the Bible, at 2 Samuel 1:19.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/how-the-mighty-have-fallen
By Andrew Kittridge · November 9, 2026

David sings it in his lament for King Saul and Jonathan, killed in battle.

## The verse

> Your glory, Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen!
>
> — [2 Samuel 1:19](https://www.lumin.faith/read/2-samuel/1#19) (Lumin Translation)

These exact words are in 3 verses of the Lumin Translation, a modern English Bible.

## What it means there

It is grief, not gloating. Saul had hunted David for years, and David mourns him anyway. Today people often say it with a smirk.

## Also in the Bible

> How the mighty have fallen in the middle of the battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
>
> — [2 Samuel 1:25](https://www.lumin.faith/read/2-samuel/1#25) (Lumin Translation)

> How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war have perished!
>
> — [2 Samuel 1:27](https://www.lumin.faith/read/2-samuel/1#27) (Lumin Translation)

## Common questions

### Is “How the mighty have fallen” in the Bible?

Yes. “How the mighty have fallen” is in the Bible, at 2 Samuel 1:19. These exact words are in 3 verses of the Lumin Translation, a modern English Bible. David sings it in his lament for King Saul and Jonathan, killed in battle.

### Where in the Bible is “How the mighty have fallen”?

In 2 Samuel 1:19, and also 2 Samuel 1:25 and 2 Samuel 1:27. In the Lumin Translation, 2 Samuel 1:19 reads: “Your glory, Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen!”

### Who said “How the mighty have fallen”?

David sings it in his lament for King Saul and Jonathan, killed in battle.

### What does “How the mighty have fallen” mean in the Bible?

It is grief, not gloating. Saul had hunted David for years, and David mourns him anyway. Today people often say it with a smirk.

## More

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