1 Samuel 31:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

NIV: The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

NASB: It came about on the next day, when the Philistines came to strip those killed, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

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

NLT: The next day, when the Philistines went out to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on Mount Gilboa.

KJV: And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

NKJV: So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

The battle is not fully over until the plunder has been collected from the fallen. The Philistines have routed the Israelites in a decisive victory. The following day, they strip everything of value from the bodies of the dead as part of their reward for participating in the battle. They come to the bodies of Saul and the three of his sons killed alongside him in the battle: Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua. The Philistines had apparently been unaware that Saul had been killed, but they now recognize him and his sons. Soon a celebration will begin over the death of Israel's king (1 Samuel 31:9).

Saul had been wounded by Philistine arrows, but he didn't die immediately. Afraid of the humiliations his enemies would put him through, he killed himself (1 Samuel 31:4). He had reason to worry. When King Zedekiah of Judah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, his punishment was to watch his sons be killed and then lose his eyes (2 Kings 25:7). At least Saul won't experience his humiliation. The Philistines will cut off his head, display his armor in the temple of their goddess Ashtaroth, and hang his body on a wall, next to his three sons. Only the men of Jabesh-gilead will be brave enough to retrieve the bodies and bury them honorably (1 Samuel 31:9–13).

First Samuel 31:8–13 describes the desecration and rescue of King Saul's corpse. Saul has taken his own life after being wounded in battle by the Philistines. His fear that the Philistines would mistreat him will come true. However, a group of people from Jabesh, whom Saul had once rescued, will retrieve his body and the bodies of his sons who also died in battle. First Samuel was the story of the prophet Samuel, King Saul, and the rise of David. Second Samuel is the story of King David. This account is also recorded in 1 Chronicles 10:8–14.

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.