1 Samuel 31:1-13 - G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

Reader Related Verse
Bible Comments

This closing chapter in the first Book of Samuel is draped in sackcloth and ashes. It gives the account of the end of the career of one of the most disastrous failures on record in Biblical history.

Defeat at the hands of the Philistines drove Saul to tragic desperation. Wounded in the final fight, and fearing that the last blow might come to him by the hand of an enemy, he called upon his armor-bearer to slay him.

When the armor-bearer refused to do so, Saul died by his own hand physically, as he had already slain himself morally by his own sin and folly.

Tragically terrible, and ghastly beyond compare, is the account of the Philistines carrying Saul's head about in token of their triumph and his defeat.

The chief spiritual value of this whole Book consists in the solemn lessons it teaches by the life and failure and death of this man. The story proclaims forevermore that advantages and remarkable opportunities are no guarantees of success unless the heart be firm and steady in allegiance to principle and loyalty to God.

Related Commentaries of 1 Samuel 31:1

1 Samuel 31:1-13

1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slaina in mount Gilboa.

2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

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

4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abusec me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

7 And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.

10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.

11 And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;

12 All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.

13 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.