1 Samuel 31:5

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

1 Samuel 31:5 in Other Translations

KJV
5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
ESV
5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him.
NLT
5 When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king.
MSG
5 When the weapon bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.
CSB
5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him.

1 Samuel 31:5 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 31:5

And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead
By his own hands, and not by the hands of the Amalekite, which the armour bearer would scarcely have suffered:

he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him;
some think that Saul, and his armourbearer, died by the same sword, which was the armourbearer's; and if he was Doeg, they fell probably by the same sword with which the priests of the Lord were murdered at Nob, ( 1 Samuel 22:18 ) ; and it is observed by an historian F4, that the murderers of Julius Caesar slew themselves with the same dagger they destroyed him.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 Sucton. Vit. Caesar. c. 89.

1 Samuel 31:5 In-Context

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.
6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.
7 When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.
Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.