1 Chronicles 10

1 The Philistines went to war against Israel; the Israelites ran for their lives from the Philistines but fell, slaughtered on Mount Gilboa.

2 The Philistines zeroed in on Saul and his sons and killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua.

3 The battle went hard against Saul - the archers found him and wounded him.

4 Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and finish me off before these pagan pigs get to me and make a sport of my body." But his armor bearer, restrained by both reverence and fear, wouldn't do it.

5 The armor bearer, panicked because Saul was dead, then killed himself.

6 So Saul and his three sons - all four the same day - died.

7 When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and ran off; the Philistines came and moved in.

8 The next day the Philistines came to plunder the dead bodies and found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa.

9 They stripped Saul, removed his head and his armor, and put them on exhibit throughout Philistia, reporting the victory news to their idols and the people.

10 Then they put Saul's armor on display in the temple of their gods and placed his skull as a trophy in the temple of their god Dagon.

11 The people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul.

12 All of their fighting men went into action - retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh, gave them a dignified burial under the oak at Jabesh, and mourned their deaths for seven days.

13 Saul died in disobedience, disobedient to God. He didn't obey God's words. Instead of praying, he went to a witch to seek guidance.

14 Because he didn't go to God for help, God took his life and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

1 Chronicles 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

The death of Saul.

- The design chiefly in view in these books of the Chronicles, appears to be to preserve the records of the house of David. Therefore the writer repeats not the history of Saul's reign, but only of his death, by which a way was made for David to the throne. And from the ruin of Saul, we may learn, 1. That the sin of sinners will certainly find them out, sooner or later; Saul died for his transgression. 2. That no man's greatness can exempt him from the judgments of God. 3. Disobedience is a killing thing. Saul died for not keeping the word of the Lord. May be delivered from unbelief, impatience, and despair. By waiting on the Lord we shall obtain a kingdom that cannot be moved.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 10

This part, 1Ch 10:1-12 which gives an account of the last battle of Saul with the Philistines, and of his death and burial, is the same with 1Sa 31:1-13 see the notes there; the cause of his death follows in 1Ch 10:13.