This chapter gives an account of the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites, which had been preparing for, and the issue of it; in which Saul, his three sons, and his servants, were slain, upon which his army fled, and several of his cities were taken, 1 Sam.

Now the Philistines fought against Israel Being come to Jezreel where Israel pitched, (1 Sam. 29:1, 1 Sam. 29:11) ; they fell upon them, began the battle: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines; at the first onset, as it should seem: and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa; which was…

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul Stuck to him, pushed him close, bore hard upon him in that part of the army where he was having a design upon his person: and upon his sons; who were with him: and the Philistines slew Jonathan; who is mentioned first, being the eldest son, and perhaps…

And the battle went sore against Saul Pressed heavy upon him; he was the butt of the Philistines, they aimed at his person and life: and the archers hit him; or “found him” [[0]]; the place where was, and directed their arrows at him: and he was sore wounded of the archers; or rather “he was…

Then said Saul unto his armourbearer Who, the Jews [[1]] say, was Doeg the Edomite, promoted to this office for slaying the priests: draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; for if he was wounded, yet not mortally, and it is certain he did not so apprehend it.

And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead By his own hands, and not by the hands of the Amalekite, which the armour bearer would scarcely have suffered: he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him; some think that Saul, and his armourbearer, died by the same sword, which was the…

So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer Only with this difference, his three sons died honourably in the field of battle, but he and his armourbearer destroyed themselves.

And which the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley The valley of Jezreel; of which (See Gill on Hos. 1:5); and they that were on the other side Jordan; or rather “on that side”; for the phrase will bear to be rendered either way, and so may mean that side of Jordan on which the…

And it came to pass on the morrow The day after the battle, which perhaps was fought till night came on: when the Philistines came to strip the slain; of their clothes, and take from them whatever was valuable, as their booty: that they found Saul and his sons fallen in Mount Gilboa; to which they…

And they cut off his head And fastened it in the temple of Dagon, ; perhaps that which was at Ashdod, one of the principalities of the Philistines, (1 Sam. 5:1, 1 Sam.

And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth A temple dedicated to their deities, called by this name; of which (See Gill on Judg. 2:13); Nothing was more common with the Gentiles than to place in their temples the arms they took from their enemies, as is strongly expressed by Homer [[8]] and…

And the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead Who lived on the other side Jordan, about eight miles from Bethshan, according to Fuller [[14]]: heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul; not only that they had got the victory over him, and routed his army, but had abused his body, and hung it up by…

All the valiant men arose Of the city of Jabeshgilead, fired with indignation at the Philistines’ ill usage of Saul and the bodies of his sons: and went all night; not only for secrecy, but for haste: and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to…

And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh For though they burned the bodies, yet so as to preserve the bones; and these, together with the ashes of the parts burnt, they gathered up, and buried under a tree near this city; this tree is said to be an oak, ; so Deborah, the…