1 Samuel 31:4-5 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:1-7

The day of recompence has now come, in which Saul must account for the blood of the Amalekites which he had sinfully spared, and that of the priests which he had more sinfully spilt; that of David too, which he would have spilt, must come into the account. Now his day has come to fall, as David foresaw, when he should descend into battle and perish, 1 Sam. 26:10. Come and see the righteous judgments of God. I. He sees his soldiers fall about him, 1 Sam. 31:1. Whether the Philistines were more... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:4

Then said Saul unto his armourbearer ,.... Who, the Jews F2 Hieron. Trad. Heb. in lib. Reg. fol. 77. B. say, was Doeg the Edomite, promoted to this office for slaying the priests: draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith ; for if he was wounded, yet not mortally, and it is certain he did not so apprehend it. It is much the sword of the armourbearer should be sheathed in a battle; but perhaps he was preparing for flight, and so had put it up in its scabbard: lest these... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:5

And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead ,.... By his own hands, and not by the hands of the Amalekite, which the armour bearer would scarcely have suffered: he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him ; some think that Saul, and his armourbearer, died by the same sword, which was the armourbearer's; and if he was Doeg, they fell probably by the same sword with which the priests of the Lord were murdered at Nob, 1 Samuel 22:18 ; and it is observed by an historian F4 ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 31:4

Draw thy sword , and thrust me through - Dr. Delaney has some good observations on this part of the subject: "Saul and his armor-bearer died by the same sword. That his armor-bearer died by his own sword is out of all doubt; the text expressly tells us so; and that Saul perished by the same sword is sufficiently evident. Draw Thy sword, says he to him, and thrust me through; which, when he refused, Saul, says the text, took The sword, ( החרב את eth hachereb , the very sword),... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:1-6

Judgment at last. The facts are— 1 . In the battle at Gilboa the men of Israel suffer a defeat from the Philistines. 2 . His sons being slain, the conflict presses hard on Saul. 3 . Dreading to fall by the hand of a Philistine, and failing to find death through the hand of his armour bearer, he falls on his own sword, his example being followed by his armour bearer. Here we have the closing scene in the tragedy of Saul's life, verifying the prediction of Samuel. Our heart... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:3-4

The archers. Literally, as in the margin, "shooters, men with bows." As the first word would equally apply to men who threw javelins, the explanation is added to make the meaning clear. Hit him. Literally, "found him, i.e. found out his position, and came up to where he was. He was sore wounded. Rather, "he was sore distressed." In Deuteronomy 2:25 the verb is rendered "be in anguish." The meaning is that Saul, finding himself surrounded by these archers, and that he could neither... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:3-6

The bitter end. The tragic element, so conspicuous in this history, is intense in the last scene of all. I. SAUL 'S DEATH . 1 . His despair. When the battle went against him, and the Philistines, keeping beyond reach of his long arm and terrible sword, hit him from a distance with their arrows, the king's spirit suddenly failed and died within him. "He trembled sore because of the archers." Always fitful in his moods, liable to sudden elation and sudden depression, he gave up... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:5-6

His armour bearer. The Jewish tradition says that he was Doeg the Edomite, and that the sword on which Saul fell was that with which he had massacred the priests. This is not very probable; but whoever he was, his horror on being asked to slay his master, and his devotion to him, are deserving of admiration. All his men. In 1 Chronicles 10:6 " all his house." But Ishbosheth and Abner survived, and the meaning probably is not that his whole army, but that his personal attendants, all... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 31:4

1 Samuel 31:4. Lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me He was afraid they might put him to some ignominious death, or make sport with him, as they did with Samson. But his armour-bearer would not, for he was sore afraid He dreaded to think of killing his king. Saul took a sword, and fell upon it “A truly brave man,” says Delaney, “would have died fighting, as Jonathan did, or would, at worst, have gloried at being abused, and even tortured, for having done... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 31:5

1 Samuel 31:5. He (his armour-bearer) fell likewise upon his sword The same sword on which Saul had fallen, which was the sword of the armour- bearer. This will appear evident to any one that reads these two verses (the 4th and 5th) in the original. Now it is the established tradition of the Jewish nation, that this armour-bearer was Doeg, which is not at all unlikely; and if so, then both Saul and his executioner fell by that very weapon with which they had before massacred the priests... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:1-7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:5

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 31:4

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:1-6

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:3-4

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:3-6

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:5-6

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 31:4

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 31:5

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