1 Samuel 31:3

3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.

1 Samuel 31:3 in Other Translations

3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.

3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers.

3 The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely.

3 The battle was hot and heavy around Saul. The archers got his range and wounded him badly.

3 When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers caught up with him and severely wounded him.

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 Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa.

2 The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua.

3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.

4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.” But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.

Cross References

• 1. S 1 Samuel 28:4; 2 Samuel 1:6