1 Samuel 31:1

Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

Ver. 1. Now the Philistines fought against Israel.] As they had done, by times, all the days of Saul, whose endless turmoils - as one saith of our King John - kept his body still in action, his mind in passions, and his prowess in use. Now he is to fight his last, and to die for his transgressions, 1Ch 10:13 and, as it maybe feared, in his trangressions, which is worse than to die in a ditch, Joh 8:21 though Josephus renown him for a martyr to his country, and Pellican send him to heaven.

And the men of Israel fled … and fell down slain.] Or, Wounded: as they had been foretold. 1Sa 12:25 "But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both you and your king"; but they believed it not, till it befell them. Now they are so hard bestead, that they had neither good heart to go forward, nor good liking to stand still, nor good assurance to run away: as our historian saith of the Scottish army at Musselburgh field; adding, moreover, that two thousand lying all day as dead, departed in the night; and that many so strained themselves in their flight, that they fell down breathless and dead; whereby they seemed in running from their death, to run to it. The execution was much maintained by the Scots' own swords scattered in every place, &c. The like might be done here. If this calamity befell them at the same instant when David was triumphing over the Amalekites, as Josephus saith it did, it was very remarkable. It is sometimes hail with the saints, when it is much worse with the wicked. At once the sun rose upon Zoar, and the fire fell down upon Sodom. Abraham stands upon the hill, and seeth the cities burning. Gen 19:27-28