---
title: "Clarke"
description: "Verse 1 Samuel 31:1. Now the Philistines fought — This is the continuation of the account given in 1 Samuel 29:1-11. The men of Israel fled — It seems as"
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url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/1-samuel/31"
---

Verse [1 Samuel 31:1](../../../kjv/1-samuel/31/1). ***Now the Philistines fought*** — This is the continuation of the account given in [1 Samuel 29:1-11](../../../kjv/1-samuel/29/1-11).
***The men of Israel fled*** — It seems as if they were thrown into confusion at the first onset, and turned their backs upon their enemies.

Verse [1 Samuel 31:2](../../../kjv/1-samuel/31/2). ***Followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons*** — They, seeing the discomfiture of their troops, were determined to sell their lives as dear as possible, and therefore maintained the battle till the three brothers were slain.

Verse [1 Samuel 31:3](../../../kjv/1-samuel/31/3). ***He was sore wounded of the archers.*** — It is likely that Saul's sons were slain by the archers, and that Saul was now mortally wounded by the same. Houbigant translates, *The archers* *rushed upon him, from whom he received a grievous wound*. He farther remarks that had not Saul been grievously wounded, and beyond hope of recovery, he would not have wished his armour-bearer to despatch him; as he might have continued still to fight, or have made his escape from this most disastrous battle. Some of the versions render it, *He FEARED the archers greatly*; but this is by no means likely.

Verse [1 Samuel 31:4](../../../kjv/1-samuel/31/4). ***Draw thy sword, and thrust me through*** — Dr. Delaney has some good observations on this part of the subject: "Saul and his armour-bearer died by the same sword. That his armour-bearer died by his own sword is out of all doubt; the text expressly tells us so; and that Saul perished by the same sword is sufficiently evident. *Draw THY sword*, says he to him, *and thrust me through*; which, when he refused, *Saul*, says the text, *took THE sword*, (את החרב eth hachereb, the very sword,) *and fell upon it*. What sword? Not his *own*, for then the text would have said so; but, in the plain natural grammatical construction, the *sword before* *mentioned* must be the sword now referred to, that is, his armour-bearer's, [1 Chronicles 10:4-5](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/10/4-5). Now it is the established tradition of all the Jewish nation that this armour-bearer was *Doeg*, and I see no reason why it should be discredited; and if so, then Saul and his executioner both fell by that weapon with which they had before massacred the priests of God. So *Brutus* and *Cassius* killed themselves with the same swords with which they stabbed *Caesar*; and *Calippus* was stabbed with the same sword with which he stabbed *Dio*."

Verse [1 Samuel 31:6](../../../kjv/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](../../../kjv/1-samuel/31/1).

Verse [1 Samuel 31:7](../../../kjv/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.

Verse [1 Samuel 31:8](../../../kjv/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.

Verse [1 Samuel 31:9](../../../kjv/1-samuel/31/9). ***And they cut off his head*** — It is possible that they cut off the heads of his three sons likewise; for although only *his* *head* is said to be cut off, and *his body* only to be fastened to the walls of Beth-shan, yet we find that the men of Jabesh-gilead found both *his body* and the *bodies* of *his three sons*, fastened to the walls, [1 Samuel 31:12](../../../kjv/1-samuel/31/12).
Perhaps they only took off Saul's head, which they sent about to their temples as a trophy of their victory, when they sent the news of the defeat of the Israelites through all their coasts, and at last placed it in the temple of Dagon, [1 Chronicles 10:10](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/10/10).

Verse [1 Samuel 31:10](../../../kjv/1-samuel/31/10). ***They put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth*** — As David had done in placing the sword of Goliath in the tabernacle. We have already seen that it was common for the conquerors to consecrate armour and spoils taken in war, to those who were the objects of religious worship.
***They fastened his body to the wall*** — Probably by means of iron hooks; but it is said, [2 Samuel 21:12](../../../kjv/2-samuel/21/12), that these bodies *were fastened in the STREET of Beth-shan*. This may mean that the place where they were fastened to the wall was the main *street* or *entrance* into the city.

Verse [1 Samuel 31:11](../../../kjv/1-samuel/31/11). ***When the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard*** — This act of the men of Jabesh-gilead was an act of gratitude due to Saul, who, at the very commencement of his reign, rescued them from Nahash, king of the Ammonites, (see [1 Samuel 11:1](../../../kjv/1-samuel/11/1), &c.,) and by his timely succours saved them from the deepest degradation and the most oppressive tyranny. This heroic act, with the seven days' *fast*, showed that they retained a due sense of their obligation to this unfortunate monarch.

Verse [1 Samuel 31:12](../../../kjv/1-samuel/31/12). ***And burnt them there.*** — It has been denied that the Hebrews *burnt* the bodies of the dead, but that they *buried* them in the earth, or *embalmed* them, and often burnt spices *around them*, c. These no doubt were the common forms of sepulture, but neither of these could be conveniently practiced in the present case. They could not have *buried* them about Beth-shan without being discovered and as to *embalming*, that was most likely out of all question, as doubtless the bodies were now too *putrid* to bear it. They therefore *burnt* them, because there was no other way of disposing of them at that time so as to do them honour; and the *bones* and *ashes* they collected, and *buried under a tree* or in a *grove at Jabesh*.

Verse [1 Samuel 31:13](../../../kjv/1-samuel/31/13). ***And fasted seven days.*** — To testify their sincere regret for his unfortunate death, and the public calamity that had fallen upon the land.
THUS ends the troublesome, and I had almost said the useless, reign of Saul. A king was chosen in opposition to the will of the Most High; and the government of God in effect rejected, to make way for this king.
Saul was at first a very humble young man, and conducted himself with great propriety; but his elevation made him proud, and he soon became tyrannical in his private conduct and in his political measures. His natural temper was not good; he was peevish, fretful, and often outrageous; and these bad dispositions, unchecked by proper application to the grace of God, became every day more headstrong and dangerous. Through their violence he seems at times to have been wholly carried away and deranged; and this derangement appears to have been occasionally greatly exacerbated by diabolical influences. This led him to take his friends for his foes; so that in his paroxysms he strove to imbrue his hands in their blood, and more than once attempted to assassinate his own son; and most causelessly and inhumanly ordered the innocent priests of the Lord at Nob to be murdered. This was the worst act in his whole life.
Saul was but ill qualified for a proper discharge of the regal functions. The reader will remember that he was chosen rather as a *general* of the *armies* than as *civil governor*. The administration of the affairs of the *state* was left chiefly to Samuel, and Saul led forth the armies to battle.
As a general he gave proof of considerable capacity; he was courageous, prompt, decisive, and persevering; and, except in the last unfortunate battle in which he lost his life, generally led his troops to *victory*.
Saul was a weak man, and very capricious; this is amply proved by his unreasonable jealousy against David, and his continual suspicion that all were leagued against him. It is also evident, in his foolish adjuration relative to the matter of the honey (see [1 Samuel 14:24-30](../../../kjv/1-samuel/14/24-30); [1 Samuel 14:38-44](../../../kjv/1-samuel/14/38-44)) in which, to save his rash and nonsensical oath, he would have sacrificed Jonathan his son!
The question, "Was Saul a good king?" has already in effect been answered. He was on the whole a good *man*, as far as we know, in private life; but he was a *bad king*; for he endeavoured to reign independently of the Jewish constitution; he in effect assumed the sacerdotal office and functions, and thus even changed what was essential to that constitution. He not only offered sacrifices which belonged to the priests alone; but in the most positive manner went opposite to the orders of that God whose *vicegerent* he was.
Of his conduct in visiting the woman at *En-dor* I have already given my opinion, and to this I must refer. His desperate circumstances imposed on the weakness of his mind; and he did in that instance an act which, in his jurisprudential capacity, he had disapproved by the edict which banished all witches, c., from Israel. Yet in this act he only wished to avail himself of the counsel and advice of his *friend* Samuel.
To the question, "Was not Saul a *self-murderer*?" I scruple not to answer, "No." He was to all appearance mortally wounded, when he begged his armour-bearer to extinguish the remaining spark of life and he was afraid that the Philistines might *abuse* his body, if they found him alive; and we can scarcely say how much of *indignity* is implied in this *word*; and his falling on his sword was a fit of desperation, which doubtless was the issue of a mind greatly agitated, and full of distraction. A few minutes longer, and his life would in all probability have ebbed out; but though this wound accelerated his death, yet it could not be properly the cause of it, as he was mortally wounded before, and did it on the conviction that he could not survive.
Taking Saul's state and circumstances together, I believe there is not a *coroner's inquest* in this nation that would not have brought in a verdict of *derangement*; while the pious and the humane would everywhere have consoled themselves with the hope that God had extended mercy to his soul.
MILLBROOK, June 11, 1818.
*Ended this examination August 13, 1827*. - A.C.

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