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Matthew Henry

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

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:8-13

The scripture makes no mention of the souls of Saul and his sons, what became of them after they were dead (secret things belong not to us), but of their bodies only. I. How they were basely abused by the Philistines. The day after the battle, when they had recovered their fatigue, they came to strip the slain, and, among the rest, found the bodies of Saul and his three sons, 1 Sam. 31:8. Saul's armour-bearer perhaps intended to honour his master by following the example of his self-murder,... 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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:7

And which the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley ,.... The valley of Jezreel; of which See Gill on Hosea 1:5 , and they that were on the other side Jordan ; or rather "on that side"; for the phrase will bear to be rendered either way, and so may mean that side of Jordan on which the battle was fought; for as for the other side, or that beyond it, the Israelites there could not be in such fear of the Philistines, nor do we ever read of their inhabiting any... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:8

And it came to pass on the morrow ,.... The day after the battle, which perhaps was fought till night came on: when the Philistines came to strip the slain ; of their clothes, and take from them whatever was valuable, as their booty: that they found Saul and his sons fallen in Mount Gilboa ; to which they had betaken themselves, when the battle went against them in the valley; of which see 1 Samuel 28:4 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:9

And they cut off his head ,.... And fastened it in the temple of Dagon, 1 Chronicles 10:10 ; perhaps that which was at Ashdod, one of the principalities of the Philistines, 1 Samuel 5:1 , and stripped off his armour ; or vessels F8 את כליו "vasa ejus", Munster, Montanus. , his clothes as well as his armour, and what he had about him; as for his crown on his head, and the bracelet on his arm, the Amalekite took them before the Philistines came, 2 Samuel 1:10 , and sent... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 31:10

And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth ,.... A temple dedicated to their deities, called by this name; of which See Gill on Judges 2:13 ; Nothing was more common with the Gentiles than to place in their temples the arms they took from their enemies, as is strongly expressed by Homer F9 τευχεα συλησας , Iliad. 7. ver. 83. and Virgil F11 "Multaque praeterea sacris in postibus arma", &c.; Aeneid. 7. ver. 183. So Persius, Satyr. 6. ver. 45. ; and indeed the Jews... 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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 31:7

The men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley - They appear to have been panic-struck, and therefore fled as far as they could out of the reach of the Philistines. As the Philistines possessed Beth-shan, situated near to Jordan, the people on the other side of that river, fearing for their safety, fled also. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 31:8

On the morrow - It is very likely that the battle and pursuit continued till the night, so that there was no time till the next day to strip and plunder the slain. read more

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