1 Samuel 31:11

Jabesh-gilead’s Tribute to Saul

11 When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹

1 Samuel 31:11 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 31:11

And the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead
Who lived on the other side Jordan, about eight miles from Bethshan, according to Fuller ^F16:

heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;
not only that they had got the victory over him, and routed his army, but had abused his body, and hung it up by way of reproach and ignominy; which they could not bear to hear of, remembering with gratitude the kindness he had shown to them, in delivering them out of the hands of Nahash the Ammonite, ( 1 Samuel 11:1-13 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Pisgah-Sight of Palestine, b. 2. ch. 2. p. 82.

1 Samuel 31:11 In-Context

9 They cut off Saul’s head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temples of their idols and among their people.

10 They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.

11 When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

12 all their men of valor set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.

13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

Cross References

• 1. (1 Chronicles 10:11–14)