1Saul's overthrow and death. 8The Philistines triumph. 11The kindness shewn by the men of Jabesh-gilead toward Saul and his sons. 13Saul's sin: for which the kingdom was translated from him to David.
1NOW1 the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount 2Gilboa.
1 See the exposition on this chapter 1 Samuel 31, which agrees almost verbatim with this chapter.
2 See the annotation on 1 Sam. 28:4.
2And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
3And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and 3he was wounded of the archers.
3 See the annotation on 1 Sam. 31:3.
4Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and 4abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
4 Or, mock me. Namely, if I were to fall into their hands alive.
5And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on the sword, and died.
6So Saul died, and his three sons, and 5all his house died together.
5 Understand all who were with him; for, Ishbosheth was not slain, as appears by 2 Samuel 2. See 1 Sam. 31:6. Also Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, remained alive; of whose posterity see 1 Chron. 8:34; 9:40.
7And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they forsook their cities, and fled: and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8¶And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
9And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people.
10Anda they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened 6his head in the temple of Dagon.
a 1 Sam. 31:10
6 For they fastened the dead body to the wall at Beth-shan, 1 Sam. 31:10.
11¶And when all 7Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,
7 See the annotation on Judges 21:8.
12They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and 8buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and 9fasted 10seven days.
8 Namely, after they had first burned the bodies, 1 Sam. 31:12.
9 Thus showing their grief.
10 This is not so to be understood as if they had fasted seven days and seven nights together, but seven days one after another, namely, every day till evening.
13¶So Saul died 11for his transgression which he committed 12against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also forb asking counsel of one that had 13a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;
11 Other, for his transgression. Compare Num. 27:3.
12 Namely, when God had expressly commanded Saul to destroy and to banish the Amalekites utterly, 1 Sam. 15:28. Here the accomplishment of the threat, there made, is described.
b 1 Sam. 28:8.
13 See the annotation on Lev. 19:31.
14And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.