Christianity

1 Samuel 31Saul's Death on Gilboa

Summary

1 Samuel 31 describes the battle on Mount Gilboa. Israel flees before the Philistines, and Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchi-shua are killed. Badly wounded by archers, Saul begs his armourbearer to kill him, and when he refuses, Saul falls on his own sword; the armourbearer does the same. The Philistines behead Saul, put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth and fasten his body to the wall of Beth-shan. Men of Jabesh-gilead recover and bury the bodies.

Key verse

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

1 Samuel 31:4

Themes

Tragic Death
Defeat
Loyalty Repaid
End of a Reign

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

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul’s sons.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.

Across traditions

Christianity
2 Samuel 1: The Amalekite's Story
An Amalekite later claims he killed Saul at Saul's request and brings David the crown. Many readers conclude he lied to win favor, since 1 Samuel 31 says Saul fell on his own sword.
Christianity
1 Chronicles 10: Why Saul Died
1 Chronicles 10 retells Saul's death and adds a verdict that he died for unfaithfulness and for consulting a medium instead of the LORD.

Questions about 1 Samuel 31

How did Saul die?

After being badly wounded by archers, he fell on his own sword when his armourbearer refused to kill him (1 Samuel 31:3 to 4). 2 Samuel 1 records a different claim by an Amalekite.

Why did the men of Jabesh-gilead bury Saul?

They remembered how Saul had rescued their city from Nahash in 1 Samuel 11. They walked all night to take the bodies from Beth-shan, burned them, buried the bones under a tree and fasted seven days (1 Samuel 31:11 to 13).