I Samuel 31:13

Death and Burial of Saul and His Sons - Sa1 31:1-13 The end of the unhappy king corresponded to his life ever since the day of his rejection as king. When he had lost the battle, and saw his three sons fallen at his side, and the archers of the enemy pressing hard upon him, without either repentance or remorse he put an end to his life by suicide, to escape the disgrace of being wounded and abused by the foe (Sa1 31:1-7). But he did not attain his object; for the next day the enemy found his corpse and those of his sons, and proceeded to plunder, mutilate, and abuse them (Sa1 31:8-10). However, the king of Israel was not to be left to perish in utter disgrace. The citizens of Jabesh remembered the deliverance which Saul had brought to their city after his election as king, and showed their gratitude by giving an honourable burial to Saul and his sons (Sa1 31:11-13). There is a parallel to this chapter in Ch1 10:1-14, which agrees exactly with the account before us, with very few deviations indeed, and those mostly verbal, and merely introduces a hortatory clause at the end (Ch1 10:13, Ch1 10:14).

In the foregoing chapter we had David conquering, yea, more than a conqueror. In this chapter we have Saul conquered and worse than a captive. Providence ordered it that both these things should be doing just at the same time. The very same day; perhaps, that David was triumphing over the Amalekites, were the Philistines triumphing over Saul. One is set over against the other, that men may see what comes of trusting in God and what comes of forsaking him. We left Saul ready to engage the Philistines, with a shaking hand and an aching heart, having had his doom read him from hell, which he would not regard when it was read him from heaven. Let us now see what becomes of him. Here is, I. His army routed (Sa1 31:1). II. His three sons slain (Sa1 31:2). III. Himself wounded (Sa1 31:3), and slain by his own hand (Sa1 31:4). The death of his armour-bearer (Sa1 31:5) and all his men (Sa1 31:6). IV. His country possessed by the Philistines (Sa1 31:7). His camp plundered, and his dead body deserted (Sa1 31:8). His fall triumphed in (Sa1 31:9). His body publicly exposed (Sa1 31:10) and with difficulty rescued by the men of Jabesh-Gilead (Sa1 31:11-13). Thus fell the man that was rejected of God.

31:13 bones . . . Jabesh: This was not the final resting place of Saul’s remains (see 2 Sam 21:12-14). • The ending of 1 Samuel brings Israel’s history back to the situation at the end of Judges, when “Israel had no king.” Once again, the Philistines were in control. David had God’s anointing but no crown. He had wives but no sons. His affiliation with the hated Philistines might jeopardize his standing among his own people. David’s future path would be challenging, but God was clearly with him.