1 Samuel 31 (Listen)
The Death of Saul
31:1 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 6 Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. 7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11 But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what 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 Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
(ESV)
1 Samuel 31 Commentary
In 1 Samuel 31, the Philistines fought Israel, killing many on Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31:1). Saul’s sons (Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua) were killed (1 Samuel 31:2). Saul was critically wounded by archers and, fearing torture, fell on his own sword when his armor-bearer refused to kill him (1 Samuel 31:3–4). The armor-bearer then took his own life as well (1 Samuel 31:5). Saul, his sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died that day (1 Samuel 31:6).
When nearby Israelites saw the defeat, they abandoned their cities, allowing the Philistines to occupy them (1 Samuel 31:7). The next day, the Philistines found the bodies, beheaded Saul, stripped his armor, and spread the news as a victory report in their pagan temples (1 Samuel 31:8–9). They placed Saul’s armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan (1 Samuel 31:10).
In response, the brave men of Jabesh-gilead traveled overnight to retrieve the bodies (1 Samuel 31:11-12). They burned them in Jabesh and buried the bones under a tamarisk tree, fasting for seven days in mourning (1 Samuel 31:13).
Context
In desperation, Saul traveled to see a witch (1 Sam 28:7-25) who (through God’s providence) brought Samuel back from the dead and predicted Saul’s death the next day (1 Sam 28:19). Today is the next day (1 Samuel 31:1-6). Also, in desperation, David joined forces with the Philistines and lived on their land so that Saul would not harm him (1 Sam 27:1-7). The Philistine commanders didn’t trust David, so they sent him home (1 Sam 29:1-11). The desperation of both men drove them to make rash decisions, however, Saul’s would cost him his life.
Saul’s Death
Saul’s death unfolded just as foretold – within 24 hours of the prophecy. In battle, after seeing his sons killed and suffering a severe wound, Saul chose to fall on his own sword rather than be captured and tortured by the Philistines. The aftermath was gruesome: his body was hung on the wall of Beth-shan. This was an ancient wartime practice meant to declare victory and send a warning to enemies.
“Beth Shan (Beisan) is just east of Mount Gilboa, at the junction of the Jezreel and Jordan valleys. The University Museum of Pennsylvania (1921–33) uncovered, in an 11th-century B.C. stratum at Beth Shan, the ruins of twin temples, which may have been the very buildings in which Saul’s armor and head were fastened; at least, it is proof that there were such temples in Beth Shan in Saul’s day.”
Halley’s Bible Handbook
Here are some additional points regarding Saul’s death:
- Robert D. Bergen (The New American Commentary) notes that Saul’s final moments mirror earlier tragic figures in Israel’s history. Like Abimelech (Jdg 9:54), Saul asked his armor-bearer to kill him to avoid disgrace. But the armor-bearer refused, possibly out of fear of killing the Lord’s anointed (1 Sam 26:9-11). Saul then fell on his own sword, similar to how Eli “fell” to his death (1 Sam 4:18).
- The bodies of Saul and his sons were not removed from the battlefield before the Philistines came back through to do a body check (and loot) the next morning. This suggests the Philistines routed Israel.
- Politically and geographically, this victory secured control over the Jezreel Valley. This valley was a critical portion of the Via Maris – a major international trade and military route. This meant more influence, more wealth, and stronger territorial control for the Philistines.
What’s most tragic, though, is not just Saul’s violent death but his apparent lack of repentance. Though he knew his end was near, Scripture gives no indication of sorrow or turning back to God. When Saul learned that his kingdom would be taken away (around 20 years earlier) his heart seemed to grow harder. This hardening wasn’t sudden but gradual, built over years of resisting conviction and refusing to humble himself. The same danger exists today: when we ignore conviction or refuse to admit our wrongs, our hearts can become more closed off to God and His ways.
Jabesh-Gilead
The bright spot of 1 Samuel 31 is the brave men of Jabesh-gilead. It is an ironic ending to Saul’s reign, and in some ways, a bookend to how his leadership began. Saul’s most successful victory was arguably his first in 1 Sam 11:1-11 when he rescued Jabesh-gilead from a man who was threatening to poke out the right eye of every Israelite (1 Samuel 11).
In that battle, Saul stepped up with authority to lead Israel. This was a defining moment in his transition from anointed leader to active king. Through God’s Spirit moving in Saul, Israel was inspired to gather and defeat the Ammonites. The men of Jabesh-gilead never forgot that moment, and in return, they risked their own lives to give Saul and his family an honorable burial.
“The only gleam of light on that terrible day was the chivalrous deed of Jabesh-gilead. Her sons could never forget Saul’s valorous exploit on their behalf. After the manner of Joseph and Nicodemus at the death of our Lord, they identified themselves with what seemed a lost cause. Would that every reader of these lines was equally grateful and generous in confessing Him who delivered us from a yet greater death!”
F.B. Meyer
