1 Chronicles 10

The Philistines smite the camp of the Israelites, vers.1. &c. Sauls three sons are slain, 2. Sauls three sons are slain, 2. Saul desireth his armor-bearer to stab him, he refusing to do it, Saul stabbeth himself, 4. His armor-bearer stabbeth himself also, 5. All Sauls house is destroyed, 6. The Israelites leave their cities, for fear of the Philistines, who take possession of them, 7. They find Saul and his sons lying dead on mount Giboa, 8. They cut off his head, and send it with his armor round about throughout their land, 9. After that they put it in the house of Dagon, 10. Those of Jabes in Gilead take down the bodies of Saul and of Jabes in Gilead take down the bodies of Saul and of his sons, and buried their bones there, and fast seven days, 11. Why God suffered Saul to perish thus 13.

1. And the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the face of the Philstines, and they fell (down) slain on mount Gilboa. [See the annotate. On 1 Sam.28.4. See the exposition of this chapter, 1 Sam.31. which agreeth almost verbatim with this chapter.]

2. And the Philistines held close after Saul, and After his son: And the Philistines smote Jonathan, and Aminadab, and Malchi-Sua the sons of Saul.

3. And the battle waxed heavy against Saul, and the archers hit him: and he was sore afraid of the archers [See the annotate. On 1 Sam.31.3.]

4. Then said Saul to his armor-bearer, draw out thy sword, and thrust me thorough therewith, left peradventure these uncircumcised come, and make a laughing-stock of me; [To wit, if I should fall into their hands alive] but his armor-bearer would not, for he was sore afraid: Then Saul took (his) sword, and fell upon it.

5. When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, than he also fell upon the sword, and died.

6. So Saul died, and his three sons: His whole house also died likewise. [Understand all that were with him: for Isboseth was not slain, as appeareth by 2 Sam.3. See 1 Sam.31.6. Also Mephiboseth the son of Saul remained alive, of whose posterity see above chap.8.34. and cha.9.40.]

7. When all the men of Israel that were in the valley, saw that they were fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead: then they their cities, and they fled, then came the Philistines and dwelt in them.

8. Now it came to pass the next day, when the Philistines came to despoil the slain: Then they found Saul and his son lying on mount Gilboa.

9. And they stript him, and they took his head, and his armor, and they sent them into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish (this) to their Idols, And to the people.

10. And they put his armor in the house of their God: And they fastened his head in the house of Dagon. [For they fastened the dead body to the wall at Beth-Sean, 1 Sam.31.v.10.]

11. When all Jabes in Gilead [See the annotate. On Judg.21.8.] heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, then all the warlike men gat them up, and they took the body of saul, and the bodies of his sons, and they brought them to Jabes: And they burnt their bones [to wit, after they had first burnt the bodies, 1 Sam.31.12.] under an oak-tree at Jabes, and they fasted [thus shewing their grief] seven days. [this is not so to be understood, as if they had fasted seven days and seven nights together, but seven days one after another, to wit, every day till the evening.]

12. So Saul died in his transgression, [Oth. For his transgression. Compare num.27.3.] wherewith he had transgressed against the LORD, against the word of the LORD, which he had not kept. [namely, when God had expressly commanded Saul utterly to destroy and ban the Amalekites, 1 Sam.15.28. Here the accomplishment of the threatening there made, is described] and also because he had asked counsel of the sooth-sayer, [see the annotat. On Lev.19.31.] seeking to her.

13. And had not sought unto the LORD: Therefore he slew him, and turned the Kingdom unto David the son of Isai.

14. No text on verse.