1 Samuel 31

Chapter context

What is happening in 1 Samuel 31?

leadershipanointingobediencekingship

1 Samuel 31 belongs to the closing movement of the book, especially the section often described as Saul’s collapse and death. First Samuel traces the fall of Eli’s house, the ministry of Samuel, the failure of Saul, and the painful emergence of David. Read this chapter with the wider themes of leadership, anointing, and obedience in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

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 Melchishua, Saul’s sons. ³ And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers. 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. ⁵ And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him. ⁶ So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, 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 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. 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 armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people. ¹⁰ And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan. ¹¹ And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of 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 Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. ¹³ And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

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Glossary

Mount Gilboa Place v. 1, 8: Boiling spring, a mountain range, now Jebel Fukua’, memorable as the scene of Saul’s disastrous defeat by the Philistines. Here also his three sons were slain, and he himself died by his own hand. Modern identification: Mount Gilboa.
Abinadab Person v. 2: Father of nobleness; i. e., “noble. ” (1. ) A Levite of Kirjath-jearim, in whose house the ark of the covenant was deposited after having been brought back from the land of the Philistines ( 1 Sam. 7:1 ).
Jonathan Person v. 2: Whom Jehovah gave, the name of fifteen or more persons that are mentioned in Scripture. The chief of these are, (1. ) A Levite descended from Gershom ( Judg. 18:30 ). His history is recorded in 17:7-13 and 18:30.
Saul Person v. 2-8, 11-12: Asked for. (1. ) A king of Edom ( Gen. 36:37 , 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48 .
Jordan Place v. 7: Biblical river. Modern identification: Jordan River.
Valley of Jezreel Place v. 7: Biblical valley. Modern identification: Jezreel Valley.
Philistia Place v. 9: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tel Ashkelon.
Beth-shan Place v. 10, 12: House of security or rest, a city which belonged to Manasseh ( 1 Chr. 7:29 ), on the west of Jordan. The bodies of Saul and his sons were fastened to its walls. Modern identification: Tel Bet Shean.
Jabesh-gilead Place v. 11-13: A town on the east of Jordan, on the top of one of the green hills of Gilead, within the limits of the half tribe of Manasseh, and in full view of Beth-shan. Modern identification: Tell el Maqlub.