1.
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
the Philistines fought. Compare 1 Samuel 31:1-6 and 2 Samuel 1:9 , 2 Samuel 1:10 .
2.
And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
Abinadab. Another name was Ishui (1 Samuel 14:49 ).
3.
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers 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 armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
abuse = insult, or mock.
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.
So Saul died. Here, the event. In 1 Chronicles 10:13 , the reason. See the Structure above.
his three sons = three of his sons.
all. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Whole), App-6 , put for greater part. See 2 Samuel 2:8 ; 2 Samuel 21:8 .
house. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Subject), for family or household.
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.
took his head. Figure of speech Ellipsis , "head [which they had cut off] and his, &c".
10.
And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.
gods. Ashtaroth. Compare 1 Samuel 31:10 .
his head. This is additional to 1 Samuel 31:10 . "His body", there, is additional to this passage. The two books thus independent and complementary.
11.
And when all Jabesh-gilead 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.
buried their bones. After they had burnt them (1 Samuel 31:12 ).
the oak. Compare 1 Samuel 31:13 .
13.
So Saul died for his transgression which he committed 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 inquire of it;
for. In this book the reason; in 1 Samuel only the event. See App-56 .
transgression = disobedience, shown in his faithlessness or defection. Hebrew. ma'al. App-44 . Compare 1 Samuel 13:13 , 1 Samuel 13:14 ; 1 Samuel 15:1-9 ; 1 Samuel 28:7 .
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 . Note it is not Elohim (God).
familiar spirit. See note on Leviticus 19:31 .
to enquire = to seek and consult. Hebrew. darash, to seek earnestly. Saul sought thus with the medium, but not with Jehovah.
14.
And inquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.
He: i.e. Jehovah. 1 Chronicles gives the esoteric cause. 1 Samuel gives the exoteric event, which men could see. See App-56 .