12 All the valiant H2428 men H376 H381 arose, H6965 and went H3212 all night, H3915 and took H3947 the body H1472 of Saul H7586 and the bodies H1472 of his sons H1121 from the wall H2346 of Bethshan, H1052 and came H935 to Jabesh, H3003 and burnt H8313 them there.
And they buried H6912 him in his own sepulchres, H6913 which he had made H3738 for himself in the city H5892 of David, H1732 and laid H7901 him in the bed H4904 which was filled H4390 with sweet odours H1314 and divers kinds H2177 of spices prepared H7543 by the apothecaries' H4842 art: H4639 and they made H8313 a very H3966 great H1419 burning H8316 for him.
And the men H582 of Judah H3063 came, H935 and there they anointed H4886 David H1732 king H4428 over the house H1004 of Judah. H3063 And they told H5046 David, H1732 saying, H559 That the men H582 of Jabeshgilead H3003 H1568 were they that buried H6912 Saul. H7586 And David H1732 sent H7971 messengers H4397 unto the men H582 of Jabeshgilead, H3003 H1568 and said H559 unto them, Blessed H1288 be ye of the LORD, H3068 that ye have shewed H6213 this kindness H2617 unto your lord, H113 even unto Saul, H7586 and have buried H6912 him. And now the LORD H3068 shew H6213 kindness H2617 and truth H571 unto you: and I also will requite H6213 you this kindness, H2896 because ye have done H6213 this thing. H1697 Therefore now let your hands H3027 be strengthened, H2388 and be ye valiant: H1121 H2428 for your master H113 Saul H7586 is dead, H4191 and also the house H1004 of Judah H3063 have anointed H4886 me king H4428 over them.
But thou shalt die H4191 in peace: H7965 and with the burnings H4955 of thy fathers, H1 the former H7223 kings H4428 which were before H6440 thee, so shall they burn H8313 odours for thee; and they will lament H5594 thee, saying, Ah H1945 lord! H113 for I have pronounced H1696 the word, H1697 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
And a man's uncle H1730 shall take him up, H5375 and he that burneth H5635 him, to bring out H3318 the bones H6106 out of the house, H1004 and shall say H559 unto him that is by the sides H3411 of the house, H1004 Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, H559 No. H657 Then shall he say, H559 Hold thy tongue: H2013 for we may not make mention H2142 of the name H8034 of the LORD. H3068
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Samuel 31
Commentary on 1 Samuel 31 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 31
1Sa 31:1-7. Saul Having Lost His Army at Gilboa, and His Sons Being Slain, He and His Armor-bearer Kill Themselves.
1. Now the Philistines fought against Israel—In a regular engagement, in which the two armies met (1Sa 28:1-4), the Israelites were forced to give way, being annoyed by the arrows of the enemy, which, destroying them at a distance before they came to close combat, threw them into panic and disorder. Taking advantage of the heights of Mount Gilboa, [the Israelites] attempted to rally, but in vain. Saul and his sons fought like heroes; but the onset of the Philistines being at length mainly directed against the quarter where they were, Jonathan and two brothers, Abinadab or Ishui (1Sa 14:49) and Melchishua, overpowered by numbers, were killed on the spot.
3-5. the battle went sore against Saul, &c.—He seems to have bravely maintained his ground for some time longer; but exhausted with fatigue and loss of blood, and dreading that if he fell alive into the enemy's hands, they would insolently maltreat him (Jos 8:29; 10:24; Jud 8:21), he requested his armor bearer to despatch him. However, that officer refused to do so. Saul then falling on the point of his sword killed himself; and the armor bearer, who, according to Jewish writers, was Doeg, following the example of his master, put an end to his life also. They died by one and the same sword—the very weapon with which they had massacred the Lord's servants at Nob.
6. So Saul died—(see on 1Ch 10:13; Ho 13:11).
and his three sons—The influence of a directing Providence is evidently to be traced in permitting the death of Saul's three eldest and most energetic sons, particularly that of Jonathan, for whom, had he survived his father, a strong party would undoubtedly have risen and thus obstructed the path of David to the throne.
and all his men, that same day together—his servants or bodyguard (1Ch 10:6).
7. the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley—probably the valley of Jezreel—the largest and southernmost of the valleys that run between Little Hermon and the ridges of the Gilboa range direct into the Jordan valley. It was very natural for the people in the towns and villages there to take fright and flee, for had they waited the arrival of the victors, they must, according to the war usages of the time, have been deprived either of their liberty or their lives.
1Sa 31:8-10. The Philistines Triumph over Their Dead Bodies.
8, 9. on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen—On discovering the corpses of the slaughtered princes on the battlefield, the enemy reserved them for special indignities. They consecrated the armor of the king and his sons to the temple of Ashtaroth fastened their bodies on the temple of Shen, while they fixed the royal heads ignominiously in the temple of Dagon (1Ch 10:10); thus dividing the glory among their several deities.
10. to the wall—(2Sa 21:12)—"the street" of Beth-shan. The street was called from the temple which stood in it. And they had to go along it to the wall of the city (see Jos 17:11).
1Sa 31:11-13. The Men of Jabesh-gilead Recover the Bodies and Bury Them at Jabesh.
11-13. the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done—Mindful of the important and timely services Saul had rendered them, they gratefully and heroically resolved not to suffer such indignities to be inflicted on the remains of the royal family.
12. valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons—Considering that Beth-shan is an hour and a half's distance, and by a narrow upland passage, to the west of the Jordan (the whole being a journey from Jabesh-gilead of about ten miles), they must have made all haste to travel thither to carry off the headless bodies and return to their own side of the Jordan in the course of a single night.
burnt them—This was not a Hebrew custom. It was probably resorted to on this occasion to prevent all risk of the Beth-shanites coming to disinter the royal remains for further insult.