1 Chronicles 10: Saul and his sons die on Mount Gilboa
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What happens?
The Philistines fight Israel, Israel flees, and Saul's three sons are killed on Mount Gilboa. Saul, in distress because of the archers, asks his armor bearer to pierce him through with his sword; the man will not, so Saul takes the sword and falls on it, and the armor bearer does the same. The Philistines strip the bodies, put Saul's armor in the house of their gods and fix his head in the house of Dagon, and the brave men of Jabesh Gilead take the bodies, bury the bones and fast seven days. The chapter ends by saying why Saul died and that the kingdom was turned over to David.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words of his own in this chapter. Saul speaks only in verse 4, to his armor bearer. Verses 13 and 14, the reason Saul died, are the narrator's words. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.
In plain English: Now the Philistines fought against Israel. The men of Israel fled from the Philistines, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa.
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2The Philistines followed hard after Saul and after his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
In plain English: The Philistines chased closely after Saul and his sons. They killed Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
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3The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was distressed by reason of the archers.
In plain English: The battle grew heavy against Saul. The archers found him with their bows, and he was in distress (or: in pain, or: in fear) because of the archers.
The Hebrew word: "Was distressed" is chul, which the dictionary gives as "to twist or whirl", and among its uses "to writhe in pain ... or fear". The verse does not say which.
What changes: Read as pain, Saul was hurt by the archers. Read as fear, Saul was shaking with fear of them. Either way the verse says only that it was "because of the archers".
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4Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it.
In plain English: Then Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, so that these uncircumcised men do not come and abuse me." But his armor bearer was not willing, because he was very afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.
Good to know: tells the same moment. There Saul's words end "lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse me"; here they end "come and abuse me". The rest of the verse is the same.
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5When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword and died.
In plain English: When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died.
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6So Saul died with his three sons; and all his house died together.
In plain English: So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together.
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7When all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.
In plain English: All the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead. They left their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and lived in them.
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8On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
In plain English: The next day the Philistines came to strip the dead, and they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
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9They stripped him and took his head and his armor, then sent into the land of the Philistines all around to carry the news to their idols and to the people.
In plain English: They stripped Saul and took his head and his armor. They sent word all around the land of the Philistines, to bring the news to their idols and to the people.
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10They put his armor in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the house of Dagon.
In plain English: They put his armor in the house of their gods, and they fixed his head in the house of Dagon.
Good to know: and tell this differently. There the Philistines put his armor "in the house of the Ashtaroth" and fasten "his body to the wall of Beth Shan"; here they put his armor "in the house of their gods" and fix his head "in the house of Dagon". The dictionary gives Dagon as "a Philistine deity". The text does not say how the two accounts fit.
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11When all Jabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,
In plain English: All Jabesh Gilead heard everything the Philistines had done to Saul.
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12all the valiant men arose 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.
In plain English: All the brave men got up and took away the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
Good to know: says the bones were buried "under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh"; here they are buried "under the oak in Jabesh". The text does not explain the difference.
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13So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against Yahweh, because of Yahweh’s word, which he didn’t keep, and also because he asked counsel of one who had a familiar spirit, to inquire,
In plain English: So Saul died for his unfaithfulness, because he was unfaithful to Yahweh. He did not keep the word of Yahweh, and he also asked advice of one who had a familiar spirit (or: a necromancer), to inquire,
The Hebrew words: "Trespass" is ma'al, which the dictionary gives as "treachery, i.e. sin". The verse then says Saul "committed" it with the matching word ma'al, the dictionary's "to act covertly, i.e. treacherously". "One who had a familiar spirit" is ov, which the dictionary gives as "a necromancer"; the same word is the "familiar spirit" of the woman at Endor in .
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14and didn’t inquire of Yahweh. Therefore he killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
In plain English: and did not inquire of Yahweh. So he put him to death (or: Yahweh put him to death) and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
The Hebrew words: "He killed him" is word for word "he put to death him". The verse does not name who "he" is: the nearest name is Yahweh, in "did not inquire of Yahweh".
Good to know: Verses 4 and 5 say Saul fell on his own sword, and this verse says "he killed him". The text puts both side by side and does not explain how they fit.
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