1 Samuel Chapter 31 — The Death of King Saul
King Saul and his sons are killed in battle against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, marking the end of Saul's reign over Israel.
1Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.
2The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
3The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.
4Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse me!” But his armor bearer would not, for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it.
5When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him.
6So Saul died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men that same day together.
7When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.
8On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
9They cut off his head, stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines all around, to carry the news to the house of their idols and to the people.
10They put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.
11When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12all the valiant men arose, 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 burned them there.
13They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk*or, salt cedar tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
1 Samuel 31:4
“Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it.”
This verse describes the tragic end of the first king of Israel.
1 Samuel 31:12
“all the valiant men arose, 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 burned them there.”
This highlights the bravery and loyalty of the men of Jabesh Gilead toward their former king.
Chapter Summary
1 Samuel 31 recounts the final battle between Israel and the Philistines on Mount Gilboa. The Israelites are defeated, and Saul’s sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua—are killed. Saul himself is critically wounded by Philistine archers. To avoid capture and abuse by the enemy, Saul asks his armor-bearer to kill him. When the armor-bearer refuses out of fear, Saul takes his own life. The next day, the Philistines find the bodies, decapitate Saul, and display his armor and corpse in their cities. Hearing of this, the valiant men of Jabesh Gilead travel through the night to recover the bodies of Saul and his sons. They provide them with a respectful cremation and burial in Jabesh, concluding the narrative of Saul’s kingship and setting the stage for David's rise to the throne.
Frequently Asked Questions
After being severely wounded by Philistine archers and fearing capture, Saul took his own sword and fell on it to end his life. His armor-bearer also followed suit after seeing that Saul was dead.
Three of Saul's sons were killed in the battle against the Philistines: Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. Jonathan was notably a close friend of David.
The men of Jabesh Gilead traveled through the night to retrieve the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan. They brought them back to Jabesh, burned the bodies, and buried the bones under a tamarisk tree, fasting for seven days.
Study Note
The burial of Saul’s remains under a tamarisk tree in Jabesh Gilead represents a full circle in his life, returning him to the people he first rescued as king.
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