1 Samuel 31:1-7. The death of Saul on Mount Gilboa 1. The narrative of this chapter has been inserted by the compiler of Chronicles in his work (1 Chronicles 10:1-12) with only a few verbal variations. _Now the Philistines_ The notices of the Philistine muster in 1 Samuel 28:4; 1 Samuel 29:1; 1 Sa... [ Continue Reading ]
_Saul's sons_ See 1 Samuel 14:49. There is a tragic pathos in the simplicity of the account. Cp. 1 Samuel 31:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the battle went sore against Saul_ Cp. 1 Kings 22:31 ff. The Vulg. has a striking paraphrase: "the whole weight of the battle was directed against Saul," (_totumque pondus praelii versum est in Saul_). _he was sore wounded_ So the Sept. and Vulg. But the Heb. may also be rendered, "and he was sore... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then said Saul_, &c. Cp. Judges 9:54. _these uncircumcised_ No indignity could be more intolerable than for the sacred person of Jehovah's Anointed to be the butt of the heathen who had no part in His covenant. Cp. 1 Samuel 14:6. _abuse me_ Maltreat me for their own amusement. _a sword_ HIS SWOR... [ Continue Reading ]
_and died with him_ Being answerable for the king's life he feared punishment: or from a nobler motive of true fidelity, refused to survive his master.... [ Continue Reading ]
_and all his men_ The Sept. (B) omits these words. 1 Chronicles 10:6 reads "all his house." Probably the soldiers of the royal body guard are meant, who fell fighting round him like Harold's _hus-carls_at the battle of Hastings. If so, there is no difficulty in the escape of Ishbosheth, who probably... [ Continue Reading ]
_on the other side of the valley_ On the side of the valley (_êmek_, see on 1 Samuel 6:13) or plain of Jezreel opposite to the battle-field. The district to the north is meant, in which the tribes of Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali dwelt. 1 Chronicles 10:7 however reads simply "in the valley," and pe... [ Continue Reading ]
The burial of Saul and his Sons 9. _they cut off his head_ The Anointed of Jehovah fares no better than the uncircumcised Goliath, now that God has forsaken him. _to publish it_ TO PUBLISH THE GOOD NEWS. Sept. εὐαγγελίζοντες. Cp. 2 Samuel 1:20. _in the house of their idols_ In the temples of thei... [ Continue Reading ]
_the house of Ashtaroth_ See on 1 Samuel 7:3. "This was doubtless the famous temple of Venus in Askelon mentioned by Herodotus (I. 105) as the most ancient of all her temples. Hence the special mention of Askelon in 2 Samuel 1:20." _Speaker's Comm_. _they fastened his body to the wall_ Together wit... [ Continue Reading ]
_the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead_ Mindful of the debt of gratitude they owed to Saul for rescuing them from Nahash (ch. 11). The isolated round-topped hill on the south side of the _Wady Yâbis_, which has been conjecturally fixed upon as the site of Jabesh, is in full view of Beth-shan (Tristram, _... [ Continue Reading ]
_burnt them_ Cremation was not a Hebrew practice, but in the present case was probably adopted to avoid the possibility of further insult to the bodies, if the Philistines should take Jabesh. The condensed account in Chronicles omits the mention of the burning.... [ Continue Reading ]
_under a tree_ UNDER THE TAMARISK, some well-known tree at Jabesh. Chron. reads "under the terebinth," (_êlah_). David removed the bones to the family sepulchre at Zelah (2 Samuel 21:12-14). _fasted seven days_ A sign of general mourning. Cp. 2 Samuel 1:12; 2 Samuel 3:35, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]