1 Chronicles10
King James Version · Public Domain
1Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
2And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi–shua, the sons of Saul.
3And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers.
4Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
5And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on the sword, and died.
6So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together.
7And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they forsook their cities, and fled: and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
9And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people.
10And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.
11And when all Jabesh–gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,
12They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
13So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;
14And enquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 1 Chronicles 10.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The death of Saul. (1-14).
vv1-14
The design chiefly in view in these books of the Chronicles, appears to be to preserve the records of the house of David. Therefore the writer repeats not the history of Saul's reign, but only of his death, by which a way was made for David to the throne. And from the ruin of Saul, we may learn, 1. That the sin of sinners will certainly find them out, sooner or later; Saul died for his transgression. 2. That no man's greatness can exempt him from the judgments of God. 3. Disobedience is a killing thing. Saul died for not keeping the word of the Lord. May be delivered from unbelief, impatience, and despair. By waiting on the Lord we shall obtain a kingdom that cannot be moved.
Key Words
פְּלִשְׁתִּי: a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth
לָחַם: to feed on; figuratively, to consume; by implication, to battle (as destruction)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
אִישׁ: a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
נוּס: to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)
פָּנִים: the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
נָפַל: to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
חָלָל: pierced (especially to death); figuratively, polluted
הַר: a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
גִּלְבֹּעַ: Gilboa, a mountain of Palestine
Cross References
1 Chronicles 10The direct parallel narrative of the battle of Gilboa, almost word-for-word identical.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The historical account of Saul consulting the medium at Endor, which prompted his judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Saul's disobedience in sparing Agag and the Amalekite spoil, referenced as his fatal transgression.
Supported by JFB
The Mosaic prohibition against consulting mediums and familiar spirits which Saul violated.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Shows Saul inquired of God superficially, but not in spirit, leading to silence and judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Fulfillment of Samuel's prophecy that God had torn the kingdom from Saul to give it to David.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Clarifies that the Philistines fastened Saul's headless body to the wall of Beth-shan.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Explains Jabesh-gilead's gratitude to Saul, whom he had rescued from Nahash the Ammonite.
Historical precedent of Abimelech ordering his armor-bearer to kill him to avoid disgrace.
The turning of Saul's kingdom to David according to the word of the Lord.