1 Samuel 31

King James Version

Full text for 1 Samuel Chapter 31

1¶ Now 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 upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

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

4Then 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.

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

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

7And 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.

9And 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.

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

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

12All 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.

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

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The Philistines decisively defeated Israel on Mount Gilboa, resulting in the deaths of King Saul and his three sons, including Jonathan. Gravely wounded by archers, Saul chose to fall upon his own sword to avoid capture and abuse. Following the battle, the Philistines desecrated Saul's body, but the valiant men of Jabesh-Gilead retrieved and honorably buried the remains of Saul and his sons.

Medium Summary

First Samuel chapter 31 details the final, crushing defeat of Israel by the Philistines on Mount Gilboa. King Saul's sons, including Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, were slain in the fierce engagement. Saul himself was severely wounded by Philistine archers and, fearing capture, commanded his armourbearer to kill him; upon refusal, Saul fell upon his own sword, dying alongside his armourbearer. This significant loss led to the flight of other Israelites, allowing the Philistines to occupy their abandoned cities. The Philistines subsequently discovered and desecrated the bodies of Saul and his sons, cutting off Saul's head, stripping his armour, and displaying his body on the wall of Bethshan. However, the men of Jabesh-Gilead, remembering Saul's past deliverance of their city, undertook a perilous night journey to retrieve the bodies. They brought the remains back to Jabesh, where they honorably burned them and buried the bones, concluding with a seven-day fast.

Long Summary

First Samuel chapter 31 recounts the climactic and tragic battle on Mount Gilboa, marking the end of King Saul's reign and life. The Philistines engaged Israel in a fierce conflict, leading to a rout where the men of Israel fled and many fell slain on the mountain. The Philistine pursuit was relentless, specifically targeting Saul and his sons. Tragically, three of Saul's sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua—were killed during the battle. King Saul himself was gravely wounded by Philistine archers, suffering greatly. In a desperate act to avoid capture and abuse by his enemies, Saul commanded his armourbearer to thrust him through with a sword. When the armourbearer, out of fear, refused this command, Saul took his own sword and fell upon it, ending his life. Witnessing his king's death, the armourbearer likewise fell upon his sword, dying alongside Saul. Thus, King Saul, his three sons, and his armourbearer perished on the same day, signifying a complete defeat for Israel. Upon seeing the extent of Israel's flight and the death of their king, Israelites on both sides of the valley and Jordan abandoned their cities, which the Philistines subsequently occupied. The following day, as the Philistines came to strip the slain, they discovered the bodies of Saul and his sons on Mount Gilboa. They further desecrated Saul's body by cutting off his head, stripping his armour, and sending news throughout their land, displaying the armour in the house of Ashtaroth and fastening his body to the wall of Bethshan. However, upon hearing of this indignity, the valiant men of Jabesh-Gilead, remembering Saul's past aid to their city, undertook a courageous night journey. They successfully retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Bethshan, brought them back to Jabesh, and respectfully burned them. Finally, they buried the bones under a tree in Jabesh and observed a seven-day fast, mourning their king and his sons.

Core Concepts

  • The Battle of GilboaThis battle represents a catastrophic defeat for Israel against the Philistines, leading to widespread flight and the death of King Saul and his sons. It marks a pivotal moment in Israelite history, concluding the era of Saul's kingship.
  • Saul's DeathKing Saul, gravely wounded by archers, chooses to fall upon his own sword rather than be captured and abused by the uncircumcised Philistines. His death, alongside his armourbearer, signifies the complete collapse of Israel's forces in the battle.
  • Desecration of the DeadFollowing the battle, the Philistines mutilated Saul's body by beheading him, stripping his armour, and displaying his body on the wall of Bethshan. This act was intended to humiliate Israel and glorify the Philistine gods.
  • Loyalty of Jabesh-GileadThe men of Jabesh-Gilead demonstrated profound loyalty and courage by undertaking a perilous night journey to retrieve the bodies of Saul and his sons from Bethshan. This act honored Saul, who had previously delivered their city from Nahash the Ammonite.
  • Burial Rites and MourningAfter retrieving the bodies, the men of Jabesh-Gilead burned them and buried their bones, concluding with a seven-day fast. This solemn ritual provided a measure of dignity to the deceased and served as a period of national mourning.
  • Philistine DominanceThe Philistines' decisive victory on Mount Gilboa allowed them to not only defeat Israel's army but also to occupy Israelite cities, demonstrating their significant military and territorial power at this time.