1 Samuel 31:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

NIV: Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa.

NASB: Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from the Philistines but fell fatally wounded on Mount Gilboa.

CSB: The Philistines fought against Israel, and Israel’s men fled from them and were killed on Mount Gilboa.

NLT: Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa.

KJV: Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

NKJV: Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

Facing the massive armies of the Philistines from his perch on Mount Gilboa, King Saul had recognized that his prospects were grim (1 Samuel 28:5). Since he had no other way to hear from the Lord, he had traveled to the home of a medium. There, he asked her to call up the spirit of the prophet Samuel from the dead (1 Samuel 28:14). Samuel did appear, but he offered Saul no comfort, telling the king the Lord had become his enemy and that he and his sons would die the next day (1 Samuel 28:16–19).

Now the day of the battle has come. The Philistines attack and overwhelm the Israelites at Mount Gilboa with great force, beginning what would become a rout and slaughter.

God's relationship with Israel was unique. He told them that if they didn't obey Him, He would discipline them, including allowing them to fall to their enemies. The covenant the Israelites made with God says that if they rebel against God, "The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them. And you shall be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth" (Deuteronomy 28:25). God doesn't need Israel to be a mighty army to beat the Philistines (Judges 7). He allows the Israelites to lose for a specific purpose: to judge Saul. Because of the king's sin, the nation suffers.

First Samuel 31:1–7 records King Saul's death. When he first saw the Philistine army, he became so terrified that he asked a medium to bring up the late prophet Samuel. Samuel told him he and his sons would die (1 Samuel 28:5–19). His greatest fear—that David will be king instead of Jonathan—is about to come true (1 Samuel 20:30–31; 2 Samuel 5:3). Severely wounded, Saul commits suicide rather than being killed by enemy soldiers. The fall of King Saul is also recorded in 1 Chronicles 10:1–6.

Philistines overwhelm the outnumbered Israelites. Soldiers kill three of Saul's sons, and archers critically wound Saul. When his armor-bearer refuses to end Saul's life, Saul commits suicide. The Philistines behead Saul's body, display his armor in a temple of their goddess, and hang his and his son's bodies on public display. The men of Jabesh-gilead retrieve the bodies and respectfully bury them.

The reign of Saul ends. Saul knows his time has come. His son will not inherit the crown (2 Samuel 15:28). The Philistine force is too great (1 Samuel 28:5). He and his sons will die today (1 Samuel 28:19). By the end of the battle, Saul and three of his sons are dead. Soon, Judah will crown David as king (2 Samuel 2:4). After a brief civil war, David will be king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:3).

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.