Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 Samuel 31

Introduction

1  Saul, having lost his army, and his sons slain, he and his armour-bearer kill themselves.
7  The Philistines possess the forsaken towns of the Israelites.
8  They triumph over the dead carcases.
11  They of Jabesh-gilead recovering the dead bodies by night, burn them at Jabesh, and mournfully bury their bones.
Verse 1

Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
the Philistines
28:1,15, 29:1
fell down
12:25, 1 Chronicles 10:1-12
slain
Heb. wounded. Gilboa. Eusebius and Jerome place this mountain six miles west from Bethshan, where was a large place called Gelbus. The natives still call it Djebel Gilbo.
28:4, 2 Samuel 1:21
Verse 2

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.
followed
14:22, 2 Samuel 1:6
Jonathan
13:2,16, 14:1-14,49, 18:1-4, 23:17, 1 Chronicles 8:33, 9:39
Saul's sons
Exodus 20:5, 2 Kings 25:7
Verse 3

And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
went sore
2 Samuel 1:4, Amos 2:14
archers hit him
Heb. shooters, men with bows, found him.
Genesis 49:23, 1 Kings 22:34
Verse 4

Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
Draw
Judges 9:54, 1 Chronicles 10:4
uncircumcised
14:6, 17:26,36, 2 Samuel 1:20, Jeremiah 9:25,26, Ezekiel 44:7-9
abuse me
or, mock me. he was sore.
2 Samuel 1:14
Saul
2 Samuel 1:9,10, 17:23, 1 Kings 16:27
a sword
Eth hacherve, rather, "the sword," i.e., his armour- bearer's, who, according to the Jews, was Doeg; and if so, then Saul and his executioner fell by the same sword with which they massacred the priests of God.
Verse 5

And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
1 Chronicles 10:5
Verse 6

So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.
4:10,11, 11:15, 12:17,25, 28:19, 1 Chronicles 10:6, Ecclesiastes 9:1,2, Hosea 13:10,11
Verse 7

And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the 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 dwelt in them.
they forsook the cities
13:6, Leviticus 26:32,36, Deuteronomy 28:33, Judges 6:2
Verse 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.
to strip
1 Chronicles 10:8, 2 Chronicles 20:25
Verse 9

And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.
cut off
4, 17:51,54, 1 Chronicles 10:9,10
to publish
Judges 16:23,24, 2 Samuel 1:20
Verse 10

And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.
they put
The Philistines placed the armour of Saul in the temple of Ashtaroth as a trophy of victory, and a testimony of their gratitude, in the same manner as David placed the sword of Goliath in the tabernacle.
21:9
Ashtaroth
Judges 2:13
Bethshan
Joshua 17:11, Judges 1:27, 2 Samuel 21:12-14
Verse 11

And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;
Jabesh-gilead
11:1, 2 Samuel 2:4
of that
or, concerning him, that which, etc.
Verse 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 Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.
burnt them there
2 Chronicles 16:14, Jeremiah 34:5, Amos 6:10
Verse 13

And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
their bones
Genesis 35:8, 2 Samuel 2:4,5, 21:12-14
fasted seven
Genesis 50:10

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