1 Samuel 31:6

6 Saul and his three sons died together that same day. The man who carried his armor also died with them that day. So did all of Saul's men.

1 Samuel 31:6 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 31:6

So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer
Only with this difference, his three sons died honourably in the field of battle, but he and his armourbearer destroyed themselves. Josephus says ^F5 he reigned eighteen years in the life of Samuel, and after his death twenty two years, which make the forty years the apostle ascribes to him, ( Acts 13:21 ) ; Eupolemus ^F6, an Heathen writer, makes him to reign twenty one years; but of the years of his reign, both before and after the death of Samuel, chronologers are not agreed, see ( 1 Samuel 25:1 ) ; and (See Gill on Acts 13:21);

and all his men that same day together;
not all the soldiers in his army; for many of them fled and escaped, and even Abner the general of the army, but his household servants, or those that were near his person, his bodyguards.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 14. sect. 9.
F6 Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 3. p. 447.

1 Samuel 31:6 In-Context

4 Saul spoke to the man who was carrying his armor. He said, "Pull out your sword. Stick it through me. If you don't, those fellows who aren't circumcised will come. They'll stick their swords through me and hurt me badly." But the man was terrified. He wouldn't do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

5 The man saw that Saul was dead. So he fell on his own sword and died with him.

6 Saul and his three sons died together that same day. The man who carried his armor also died with them that day. So did all of Saul's men.

7 The Israelites who lived along the valley saw that their army had run away. So did those who lived across the Jordan River. They saw that Saul and his sons were dead. So they left their towns and ran away. Then the Philistines came and settled down in them.

8 The day after the Philistines had won the battle, they came to take what they wanted from the dead bodies. They found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount Gilboa.