1The battle at Gilboa; wherein Saul's army being defeated, and his sons slain, he and his armourbearer kill themselves. 7The Philistines take possession of the towns deserted by the Israelites. 8They insult over the dead bodies of Saul and his sons. 11The men of Jabesh-gilead recover the bodies by night, burn them, and bury their bones at Jabesh.
1NOW1 the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down 2slain in mount Gilboa.
1 Here the writer of this book returns to the history, which he had left off in the 29th chapter to relate in the interim what David had done the mean while against the Amalekites, who in his absence had plundered and burnt Ziklag. This chapter agrees almost word for word with 1 Chronicles 10.
2 Hebr. properly thrust through.
2And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and 3Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.
3 He is called in 1 Sam. 14:49 Ishui.
3And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers 4hit him; and 5he was sore wounded of the archers.
4 Hebr. found him.
5 Other, he was sore afraid of the archers.
4Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, 6and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and 7fell upon it.
6 Namely, when, having taken me captive, they would offer me all shame and disgrace, and at last put me to a shameful and ignominious death. The Philistines, being not able to get Saul alive, inflicted much disgrace to his dead body, verses 9, 10.
7 That is, he stabbed himself, likewise also verse 5.
5And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
6So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and 8all his men, that same day together.
8 Understand the greatest part of his courtiers and of his household; as also the major part of the army. Though of both kinds, some escaped. Compare 1 Chron. 10 on verse 6.
7¶And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of 9the valley, and they that were on the other side 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 10dwelt in them.
9 Understand here the valley or the low grounds of Jezreel.
10 See 1 Sam. 27:6.
8And it came to pass on 11the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
11 Namely, after the battle.
9And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and 12sent into the land of the Philistines round about, 13to publish it in the house of their 14idols, and among the people.
12 Namely, Saul’s head and armor.
13 Namely, their victory.
14 The Hebrew word signifies properly grieves, pains, and terrors. Thus are the idols called, because they cause God to punish the worshippers thereof with sorrow, pain, and terror.
10And they put his armour in the house of 15Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body 16to the wall of 17Beth-shan.
15 See Judges 2:13 in the annotation.
16 Namely, in the street which was by the city wall, as may be gathered from 2 Sam. 21:12.
17 Otherwise called Beth-shean, Joshua 17:11; Judges 1:27. This city was situated in the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 17:11, which at this time was possessed by the Philistines.
11¶And when 18the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;
18 This did the citizens of Jabesh as a sign of thankfulness, because they had been freed and delivered by Saul from a hard siege of the king Nahash, 1 Sam. 11:11.
12All 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 came to Jabesh, and 19burnt them there.
19 Forasmuch as these bodies had been unburied certain days and had hung in the sun, without all doubt they were become putrefied and stinking, so that they could not be kept or preserved with balsam; therefore they burnt the flesh, and buried the bones preventing also that these dead bodies could not anymore be insulted, nor taunted, nor also exhumed. Compare Amos 6:10 with the annotation. Other, they burnt at or over them, namely, some spices, which points to the manner previously used on the bodies of the kings. See 2 Chron. 16:14; Jer. 34:5.
13And they took their bones, and buried them 20under a tree at Jabesh, and 21fasted seven days.
20 See 1 Chron. 10:12.
21 Understand daily until the evening. See 1 Chron. 10 on verse 12, thus testifying their grief for Saul and his sons.