1 Chronicles 10

The Deaths of Saul and His Sons

1 The Philistines fought against Israel, and Israel's men fled from them and were killed on Mount Gilboa.

2 The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons and killed Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

3 When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers found him and severely wounded him.

4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and torture me!" But his armor-bearer wouldn't do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it.

5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died.

6 So Saul and his three sons died-his whole house died together.

7 When all the men of Israel in the valley saw that the army had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. So the Philistines came and settled in them.

8 The next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa.

9 They stripped Saul, cut off his head, took his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the good news to their idols and their people.

10 Then they put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his skull in the temple of Dagon.^[a]

11 When all Jabesh-gilead heard of everything the Philistines had done to Saul,

12 all their brave men set out and retrieved the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the oak^[b] in Jabesh^[c] and fasted seven days.^[d]

13 Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the Lord because he did not keep the Lord's word. He even consulted a medium for guidance,

14 but he did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.^[e]

1 Chronicles 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

The death of Saul.

- 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. 1 Sm 5:1-4; 17:54
• [b]. Or terebinth or large tree
• [c]. 2 Sm 21:12-14
• [d]. 1 Sm 31:1-13
• [e]. 1 Ch 12:23; 1 Kg 2:15

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 10

This part, 1Ch 10:1-12 which gives an account of the last battle of Saul with the Philistines, and of his death and burial, is the same with 1Sa 31:1-13 see the notes there; the cause of his death follows in 1Ch 10:13.