1 Samuel 31:11

11 But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

1 Samuel 31:11 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 31:11

And the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead
Who lived on the other side Jordan, about eight miles from Bethshan, according to Fuller F16:

heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;
not only that they had got the victory over him, and routed his army, but had abused his body, and hung it up by way of reproach and ignominy; which they could not bear to hear of, remembering with gratitude the kindness he had shown to them, in delivering them out of the hands of Nahash the Ammonite, ( 1 Samuel 11:1-13 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F16 Pisgah-Sight of Palestine, b. 2. ch. 2. p. 82.

1 Samuel 31:11 In-Context

9 They cut off his head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to the houses of their idols and to the people.
10 They put his armor in the temple of Astarte; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.
11 But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 all the valiant men set out, traveled all night long, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. They came to Jabesh and burned them there.
13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.