1 Samuel 31:7

7 And the sons of Israel, that were beyond the valley, and beyond Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled, and that Saul was dead, and his sons, and they left their cities, and fled; and the Philistines came, and dwelled there. (And when the Israelites, who were beyond the valley, and east of the Jordan River, saw that the other Israelites had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they left their cities, and fled; and the Philistines came, and lived there.)

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 squire had seen this, that Saul was dead, also he felled upon his sword (he also fell on his sword), and was dead with him.

6 And so Saul was dead, and his three sons, and his squire, and all his men in that day together. (And so Saul, and his three sons, and his squire, and all his men, died together on the same day.)

7 And the sons of Israel, that were beyond the valley, and beyond Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled, and that Saul was dead, and his sons, and they left their cities, and fled; and the Philistines came, and dwelled there. (And when the Israelites, who were beyond the valley, and east of the Jordan River, saw that the other Israelites had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they left their cities, and fled; and the Philistines came, and lived there.)

8 Forsooth in the tother day made, Philistines came, that they should despoil the slain men, and they found Saul, and his three sons, lying in the hill of Gilboa; (And the next day, the Philistines came to rob the dead men, and they found Saul, and his three sons, lying there dead on Mount Gilboa;)

9 and they cutted away the head of Saul, and despoiled him of his armours; and sent into the land of Philistines by compass, that it should be told in the temple of idols, and in the peoples. (and they cut off Saul's head, and stripped him of his armour/and robbed him of his arms, or of his weapons; and then they sent messengers into all the land of the Philistines, so that it could be told to their idols, and to their people alike.)