1 Samuel 31:1

The Tragic End of Saul and His Sons

1 Now ^athe Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount ^bGilboa.

2 Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed ^aJonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons.

3 ^aThe battle became fierce against Saul. The archers¹ hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers.

4 ^aThen Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest ^bthese uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and¹ abuse me.” But his armorbearer would not, ^cfor he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and ^dfell on it.

5 And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him.

6 So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that same day.

7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

8 So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

9 And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines, to ^aproclaim it in the temple of their idols and among the people.

Commentaries:

Matthew Henry

<< 1 Samuel 30:31

1 Samuel 31:2 >>

1 Samuel 31:1-13

Saul's defeat and death. (1-7) Saul's body rescued by the men of Jabesh-gilead. (8-13)

Verses 1-7 We cannot judge of the spiritual or eternal state of any by the manner of their death; for in that, there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked. Saul, when sorely wounded, and unable to resist or to flee, expressed no concern about his never-dying soul; but only desired that the Philistines might not insult over him, or put him to pain, and he became his own murderer. As it is the grand deceit of the devil, to persuade sinners, under great difficulties, to fly to this last act of desperation, it is well to fortify the mind against it, by a serious consideration of its sinfulness before God, and its miserable consequences in society. But our security is not in ourselves. Let us seek protection from Him who keepeth Israel. Let us watch and pray; and take unto us the whole armour of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Verses 8-13 The Scripture makes no mention what became of the souls of Saul and his sons, after they were dead; but of their bodies only: secret things belong not to us. It is of little consequence by what means we die, or what is done with our dead bodies. If our souls are saved, our bodies will be raised incorruptible and glorious; but not to fear His wrath, who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell, is the extreme of folly and wickedness. How useless is the respect of fellow-creatures to those who are suffering the wrath of God! While pompous funerals, grand monuments, and he praises of men, honour the memory of the deceased, the soul may be suffering in the regions of darkness and despair! Let us seek that honour which cometh from God only.

<< 1 Samuel 30:31

1 Samuel 31:2 >>

DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.

Join 137,350+ readers

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning

Consistent Bible study is hard to start.

The Berean gives you the starting point: one scripture and a focused commentary in your inbox each morning — read it in minutes, or go as deep as you like.

Free, daily, and spam-free. We never share your address. Unsubscribe anytime.

The Tragic End of Saul and His Sons

A Verse and a Thought,Every Morning

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning