English · ASV

1 Samuel 31

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Israel Defeated; Saul and Sons Fall 1–7

1
Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. ​
2
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. ​
3
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.
4
Then said Saul to his armorbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armorbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell upon it. ​
5
And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword, and died with him.
6
So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armorbearer, and all his men, that same day together. ​
7
And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. ​

The Philistines Desecrate the Bodies 8–10

8
And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
9
And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry the tidings unto the house of their idols, and to the people.
10
And they put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. ​

The Burial by Jabesh-Gilead 11–13

11
And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard concerning him that which the Philistines had done to Saul, ​
12
all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. ​
13
And they took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk-tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Samuel 31

Verse 1

fell down slain in mount Gilboa — 'Slain' is chalal, pierced through. Gilboa is where Saul had gathered Israel (1 Sam 28:4), and the day fulfils 'the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines' (1 Sam 28:19). David's lament names the mountain: 'let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you' (2 Sam 1:21). 1 Chr 10:1 repeats the verse.

Verse 2

Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua — 'Followed hard' is dabaq, to cling closely. These are three of Saul's sons; 1 Chr 8:33 lists a fourth, Eshbaal, who is not named among the dead. Jonathan's death ends what he had said to David, 'thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee' (1 Sam 23:17), and answers 'thou and thy sons' in 1 Sam 28:19.

Verse 4

Draw thy sword, and thrust me through — Abimelech had made the same request of his armourbearer (Judg 9:54). 'Uncircumcised' ('arel) is how David named the Philistines (1 Sam 17:26), and 'abuse' is 'alal, to deal wantonly with. The armourbearer 'would not' ('abah), for he was 'sore afraid', so Saul 'fell upon' his own sword. An Amalekite later gave David another account (2 Sam 1:6–10).

Verse 6

that same day together — The day is the 'to morrow' of 1 Sam 28:19, 'to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me'. That word named Saul and his sons; here the armourbearer and 'all his men' are added. 1 Chr 10:6 puts it, 'Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together'. The armourbearer is literally the 'bearer of the vessels' (nose' keli).

Verse 7

they forsook the cities — The men 'on the other side of the valley' ('emeq) and 'on the other side Jordan' leave their towns ('azab, to abandon) when they learn that 'Saul and his sons were dead', and the Philistines 'came and dwelt in them'. The reach of the defeat shows in who flees. 1 Chr 10:7 repeats the verse with 'their cities'.

Verse 10

the house of Ashtaroth — Ashtaroth is the plural of Ashtoreth, the goddess Israel served with Baal when 'they forsook the LORD' (Judg 2:13). Beth-shan was a city Manasseh did not drive out (Judg 1:27). David had likewise put Goliath's armour in his tent (1 Sam 17:54). 1 Chr 10:10 adds that the Philistines 'fastened his head in the temple of Dagon'.

Verse 11

Jabeshgilead — The city Saul had rescued from Nahash the Ammonite 'on the morrow' of his summons (1 Sam 11:1, 11). Its men now return the kindness, and David later sends them word: 'Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him' (2 Sam 2:5).

Verse 12

All the valiant men arose — 'Valiant' is 'ish chayil, a man of strength, and they went 'all night' to take the bodies from the wall of Beth-shan. The burning (saraph) is followed by the burial of the bones in v.13. A burning is also named at the burial of a king (2 Chr 16:14), and Jeremiah mentions 'the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings' (Jer 34:5).

Verse 13

fasted seven days — Seven days is the length of Joseph's mourning for Jacob (Gen 50:10). 'Tree' is 'eshel, a tamarisk, the tree under which Saul had once sat at Ramah (1 Sam 22:6). David afterwards took the bones from the men of Jabeshgilead and buried them 'in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father' (2 Sam 21:12–14).