1 Samuel 31:1-6

1 Forsooth the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the face of Philistines, and they fell down slain in the hill of Gilboa. (Then the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from the Philistines, and they fell down dead on Mount Gilboa.)

2 And the Philistines hurled fiercely into Saul, and into his sons, and they killed Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, [the] sons of Saul.

3 And (then) all the weight, or charge, of the battle was turned against Saul; and (the) men archers pursued him, and he was wounded greatly of the archers (and he was seriously wounded by the archers).

4 And Saul said to his squire, Draw out thy sword, and slay me, lest peradventure these uncircumcised men come, and slay me, and scorn me. And his squire would not, for he was afeared by full great dread; therefore Saul took his sword, and felled thereon (But his squire would not do it, for he was afraid with a very great fear; and so Saul took his own sword, and fell on it).

5 And when his squire had seen this, that Saul was dead, also he felled upon his sword (he also fell on his sword), and was dead with him.

6 And so Saul was dead, and his three sons, and his squire, and all his men in that day together. (And so Saul, and his three sons, and his squire, and all his men, died together on the same day.)

1 Samuel 31:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 31

This chapter gives an account of the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites, which had been preparing for, and the issue of it; in which Saul, his three sons, and his servants, were slain, upon which his army fled, and several of his cities were taken, 1Sa 31:1-7; what the Philistines did with his body and his armour, 1Sa 31:8-10; the former of which, together with the bodies of his sons, the men of Jabeshgilead rescued, and burnt them, and buried their bones under a tree at Jabesh, expressing great sorrow and concern, 1Sa 31:11-13.