1 Samuel 31:6

6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, and all his men, that same day together.

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 Then said Saul to his armour-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armour-bearer would not; for he was much afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.

5 And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on his sword, and died with him.

6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, and all his men, that same day together.

7 And when the men of Israel that were on this side of the valley, and [they] that were on this side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

8 And it came to pass the next day, that the Philistines came to strip the slain, and they found Saul and his three sons fallen on mount Gilboa.