1 Chronicles 10:1-14
1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slaina in mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab,b and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archersc hit him, and he was wounded of the archers.
4 Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armourbearerd would not; for he was sore afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on the sword, and died.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together.
7 And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they forsook their cities, and fled: and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
9 And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people.
10 And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.
11 And when all Jabeshgilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committede against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;
14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.f
PART II (1 Chronicles 10-29). The Reign of David.
1 Chronicles 10:1. The Death of Saul (see notes on 1 Samuel 31:1).
1 Chronicles 10:10. the house of their gods: altered purposely by the Chronicler instead of the house of Ashtaroth in 1 Samuel 31:10 (LXX Ashtoreth). his head in the house of Dagon: 1 Samuel 31:10 his body to the wall of Beth-Shan.
1 Chronicles 10:12. buried: according to 1 Samuel 31:12 the bodies were first burned; this detail was purposely omitted by the Chronicler as such a practice was revolting to him, being against the Law (cf. Deuteronomy 21:23) excepting as a punishment for grievous forms of sin (Leviticus 20:14; Leviticus 21:9).
1 Chronicles 10:13 f. An addition by the Chronicler in order to explain why Yahweh's anointed came by such a terrible end. inquired not of the LORD: 1 Samuel 28:6 does not bear this out.