1 Samuel 31:3-6

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 31:3

And the battle went sore against Saul ,.... Pressed heavy upon him; he was the butt of the Philistines, they aimed at his person and life: and the archers hit him ; or "found him" F1 וימצאהו "et inveserust cum", Pagninus, Montanus. ; the place where was, and directed their arrows at him: and he was sore wounded of the archers ; or rather "he was afraid" of them, as the Targum, for as yet he was not wounded; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, and is the sense... 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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:6

So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer ,.... Only with this difference, his three sons died honourably in the field of battle, but he and his armourbearer destroyed themselves. Josephus says F5 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 14. sect. 9. he reigned eighteen years in the life of Samuel, and after his death twenty two years, which make the forty years the apostle ascribes to him, Acts 13:21 ; Eupolemus F6 Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 3. p. 447. , an Heathen writer,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 31:3

He was sore wounded of the archers - It is likely that Saul's sons were slain by the archers, and that Saul was now mortally wounded by the same. Houbigant translates, The archers rushed upon him, from whom he received a grievous wound. He farther remarks that had not Saul been grievously wounded, and beyond hope of recovery, he would not have wished his armor-bearer to despatch him; as he might have continued still to fight, or have made his escape from this most disastrous... 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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 31:6

And all his men - Probably meaning those of his troops which were his life or body guards: as to the bulk of the army, it fled at the commencement of the battle, 1 Samuel 31:1 . 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

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