I Samuel 31, Death of Saul

David and his men have defeated the Amelikites and recaptured the people and goods taken from them. This has all occurred while the Philistines marched on Saul.  We now return to a report of that battle.

I Samuel 31: 1-5, Saul and his sons killed

Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.

Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me." But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.

The predicted defeat of Saul occurs.  Saul does not want to be captured and tortured by the Philistines and so, after his armor-bearer refuses to kill him, Saul falls on his sword.

I Samuel 31: 6-10, Body hung up

So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.

When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people.

They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

The Philistines overwhelm the Israelites and devastate the Israelite army. They kill Saul and his sons. They display Saul's body and armor at their temple. They hang the bodies of Saul's sons on a wall.

I Samuel 31: 11-13, Dignity in burial

When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard of what the Philistines had done to Saul, all their valiant men journeyed through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them.

Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

Saul's first act as king was to save the people of Jabesh Gilead. (See 1 Samuel 11.) They do not forget that. Their soldiers go to the town where the bodies of Saul and his sons are displayed.  They take down the body and give them a dignified burial (which involves first burning the bodies.)

The first king of Israel has died.  His kingdom has had some improvements over the days of the judges, but there are still many failures.  The first king will be followed, however, by Israel's greatest king, one promised to have an eternal line.

The death of Saul and the impending reign of David closes out this first half of the scroll of Samuel.