Sāmǔĕrjìshàng 31

1 Fēilìshì rén yǔ Yǐsèliè rén zhēng zhàn . Yǐsèliè rén zaì Fēilìshì rén miànqián taópǎo , zaì jī lì bō yǒu beì shā pú dǎo de .

2 Fēilìshì rén jǐn zhuī Sǎoluó hé tā érzi men , jiù shā le Sǎoluó de érzi Yuēnádān , yà bǐ ná dá , maì jī shū yà .

3 Shì paì shén dà , Sǎoluó beì gōngjiànshǒu zhuī shàng , shè shāng shén zhòng ,

4 Jiù fēnfu ná tā bīngqì de rén shuō , nǐ bá chū dāo lái , jiāng wǒ cī sǐ , miǎndé nàxiē wèi shòu gēlǐ de rén lái cī wǒ , língrǔ wǒ . dàn ná bīngqì de rén shén jùpà , bù kĕn cī tā . Sǎoluó jiù zìjǐ fú zaì dāo shàng sǐ le .

5 Ná bīngqì de rén jiàn Sǎoluó yǐ sǐ , yĕ fú zaì dāo shàng sǐ le .

6 Zhèyàng , Sǎoluó hé tā sān gè érzi , yǔ ná tā bīngqì de rén , yǐjí gēnsuí tāde rén , dōu yītóng sǐwáng .

7 Zhù píngyuán nàbiān bìng Yuēdànhé xī de Yǐsèliè rén , jiàn Yǐsèliè jūn bīng taópǎo , Sǎoluó hé tā érzi dōu sǐ le , yĕ jiù qì chéng taópǎo . Fēilìshì rén biàn lái zhù zaì qízhōng .

8 Cì rì , Fēilìshì rén lái bāo nà beì shā zhī rén de yīfu , kànjian Sǎoluó hé tā sān gè érzi pú dǎo zaì jī lì bō shān ,

9 Jiù gē xià tāde shǒu jí , bāo le tāde jūn zhuāng , dǎfa rén dào ( huò zuò sòng dào ) Fēilìshì dì de sì jìng , bàoxìn yǔ tāmen miào lǐ de ǒuxiàng hé zhòng mín .

10 Yòu jiāng Sǎoluó de jūn zhuāng fàng zaì Yàsītālù miào lǐ , jiāng tāde shī shēn dīng zaì bǎi shān de chéngqiáng shàng .

11 Jīliè yǎ bǐ de jūmín tīngjian Fēilìshì rén xiàng Sǎoluó suǒ xíng de shì ,

12 Tāmen zhōngjiān suǒyǒude yǒng shì jiù qǐshēn , zǒu le yī yè , jiāng Sǎoluó hé tā érzi de shī shēn cóng bǎi shān chéngqiáng shàng qǔ xià lái , sòng dào yǎ bǐ nàli , yòng huǒshào le .

13 Jiāng tāmen háigǔ zàng zaì yǎ bǐ de chuísīliǔ shù xià , jiù jìnshí qī rì .

Sāmǔĕrjìshàng 31 Commentary

Chapter 31

Saul's defeat and death. (1-7) Saul's body rescued by the men of Jabesh-gilead. (8-13)

Verses 1-7 We cannot judge of the spiritual or eternal state of any by the manner of their death; for in that, there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked. Saul, when sorely wounded, and unable to resist or to flee, expressed no concern about his never-dying soul; but only desired that the Philistines might not insult over him, or put him to pain, and he became his own murderer. As it is the grand deceit of the devil, to persuade sinners, under great difficulties, to fly to this last act of desperation, it is well to fortify the mind against it, by a serious consideration of its sinfulness before God, and its miserable consequences in society. But our security is not in ourselves. Let us seek protection from Him who keepeth Israel. Let us watch and pray; and take unto us the whole armour of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Verses 8-13 The Scripture makes no mention what became of the souls of Saul and his sons, after they were dead; but of their bodies only: secret things belong not to us. It is of little consequence by what means we die, or what is done with our dead bodies. If our souls are saved, our bodies will be raised incorruptible and glorious; but not to fear His wrath, who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell, is the extreme of folly and wickedness. How useless is the respect of fellow-creatures to those who are suffering the wrath of God! While pompous funerals, grand monuments, and he praises of men, honour the memory of the deceased, the soul may be suffering in the regions of darkness and despair! Let us seek that honour which cometh from God only.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 31

This chapter gives an account of the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites, which had been preparing for, and the issue of it; in which Saul, his three sons, and his servants, were slain, upon which his army fled, and several of his cities were taken, 1Sa 31:1-7; what the Philistines did with his body and his armour, 1Sa 31:8-10; the former of which, together with the bodies of his sons, the men of Jabeshgilead rescued, and burnt them, and buried their bones under a tree at Jabesh, expressing great sorrow and concern, 1Sa 31:11-13.