1 Samuel 31:1

Saul Takes His Own Life

1 The Philistines fought against Israel. The men of Israel ran away from them. But many Israelites were killed on Mount Gilboa.

1 Samuel 31:1 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 31:1

Now the Philistines fought against Israel
Being come to Jezreel where Israel pitched, ( 1 Samuel 29:1 1 Samuel 29:11 ) ; they fell upon them, began the battle:

and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines;
at the first onset, as it should seem:

and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa;
which was near, and whither fleeing they were pursued and slain, at least great numbers of them.

1 Samuel 31:1 In-Context

1 The Philistines fought against Israel. The men of Israel ran away from them. But many Israelites were killed on Mount Gilboa.

2 The Philistines kept chasing Saul and his sons. They killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua.

3 The fighting was heavy around Saul. Men who were armed with bows and arrows caught up with him. They shot their arrows at him and wounded him badly.

4 Saul spoke to the man who was carrying his armor. He said, "Pull out your sword. Stick it through me. If you don't, those fellows who aren't circumcised will come. They'll stick their swords through me and hurt me badly." But the man was terrified. He wouldn't do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

5 The man saw that Saul was dead. So he fell on his own sword and died with him.