1 Samuel 31:7

7 And when 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 had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the towns and fled. Thus [the] Philistines came and lived in them.

1 Samuel 31:7 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 31:7

And which the men of Israel that [were] on the other side of
the valley
The valley of Jezreel; of which (See Gill on Hosea 1:5);

and [they] that [were] on the other side Jordan;
or rather "on that side"; for the phrase will bear to be rendered either way, and so may mean that side of Jordan on which the battle was fought; for as for the other side, or that beyond it, the Israelites there could not be in such fear of the Philistines, nor do we ever read of their inhabiting any cities there; though as the phrase is used of the valley, as well as of the river, it may be rendered "about the valley, [and] about Jordan" ^F7, and so describes such that dwelt near to each of them:

saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead;
that is, had information and intelligence of those facts, for it is not to be supposed they saw them with their eyes:

they forsook, the cities, and fled;
fearing they should be put to the sword, or carried captive:

and the Philistines came and dwelt them;
having nothing more to do than to come and take possession.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F7 (Ndryh rbeb-qmeh rbeb) "circa convellem illiam--circa Jordanem", Junius & Tremellius, Picator; so Noldius, p. 295. No. 936.

1 Samuel 31:7 In-Context

5 And when {his armor bearer} saw that Saul [was] dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him.

6 So Saul died, and his three sons, {his armor bearer}, [and] all his men together that [same] day.

7 And when 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 had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the towns and fled. Thus [the] Philistines came and lived in them.

8 {And then} the next day, [the] Philistines came to strip the dead and they found Saul and his three sons lying [dead] on Mount Gilboa.

9 So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor. Then they sent [messengers] around in the land of [the] Philistines to proclaim [victory in] the temples of their idols and [to] the people.