1 Samuel 31:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

NASB: Now when the people of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, with those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then the Philistines came and settled in them.

CSB: When the men of Israel on the other side of the valley and on the other side of the Jordan saw that Israel’s men had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled. So the Philistines came and settled in them.

NLT: When the Israelites on the other side of the Jezreel Valley and beyond the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. So the Philistines moved in and occupied their towns.

KJV: And 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.

NKJV: And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

The Israelites have battled the Philistines for centuries. Some battles they win, and some they lose. Since Saul became king, their record has gotten better. This time, five Palestinian city-states have joined forces (1 Samuel 28:1). Saul hasn't always been a good commander. Some likely remember when the king forbade any of his soldiers from eating until the battle was won. They got through it, but they were so exhausted and hungry afterward that they tore into the spoils and ate the meat without properly butchering the animals (1 Samuel 14:24–32).

This battle is worse: the Israelites are beaten. News spreads quickly that Saul and three of his sons have been killed on Mount Gilboa. Those who survive the battle run for their lives. So do those Israelites who live on the other side of the Jezreel Valley from Mount Gilboa. The civilians abandon their homes, villages, and cities. With Saul dead and the army destroyed and scattered, nothing is left to protect them from the Philistines who will soon flood the region. The Philistines do exactly that, settling in these abandoned cities in northern Israel.

As the Israelites entered the Promised Land, Moses had them recommit to their covenant with God. Deuteronomy 28 is the treaty to which they agreed. Part of that treaty is that if they disobey God, God will allow them to be defeated by their enemies in a humiliating way (Deuteronomy 28:25).

But this battle isn't lost because of the people's sin; it's because of the sin of their king. This pattern will continue for the rest of Israel's history. Good kings will lead their people into righteous lives, and God will bless them. When kings do wrong, the people will suffer, because they follow their king into sin. Nations today do not have covenants with God like the Israelites did. Even so, we need to be careful about who we follow.

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.