1 Samuel 31:3

3 The battle went sore against Sha'ul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.

1 Samuel 31:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 31:3

And the battle went sore against Saul
Pressed heavy upon him; he was the butt of the Philistines, they aimed at his person and life:

and the archers hit him;
or "found him" ^F1; the place where was, and directed their arrows at him:

and he was sore wounded of the archers;
or rather "he was afraid" of them, as the Targum, for as yet he was not wounded; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, and is the sense Kimchi and Ben Melech give of the word: he was not afraid of death, as Abarbinel observes, he chose to die; but he was afraid he should be hit by the archers in such a way that he should not die immediately, and should be taken alive and ill used; the Philistines, especially the Cherethites, were famous for archery; (See Gill on Zephaniah 2:5).

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 (whaumyw) "et inveserust cum", Pagninus, Montanus.

1 Samuel 31:3 In-Context

1 Now the Pelishtim fought against Yisra'el: and the men of Yisra'el fled from before the Pelishtim, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.

2 The Pelishtim followed hard on Sha'ul and on his sons; and the Pelishtim killed Yonatan, and Avinadav, and Malki-Shua, the sons of Sha'ul.

3 The battle went sore against Sha'ul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.

4 Then said Sha'ul to his armor bearer, Draw your sword, and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armor bearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Sha'ul took his sword, and fell on it.

5 When his armor bearer saw that Sha'ul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him.