1 Samuel Chapter 31    

“torture.” Saul was apparently afraid of being tortured, not of dying, because he asked his armor-bearer to kill him, and when the armor-bearer refused, Saul killed himself. How the Philistines would have tortured Saul since he was already badly wounded is not expressed but was clearly in the mind of Saul.

“Therefore Saul took the sword and fell on it.” This is how Saul died: he took his own life. The story told by the Amalekite was a lie (see commentary on 2 Sam. 1:6). The text reads “the sword,” not “his sword.” It is possible that Saul used the sword of the armor-bearer; perhaps he had dropped his in the battle. If so, then the armor-bearer used the same sword (1 Sam. 31:5).

“and all his men that same day together.” One lesson we learn from this record of the death of Saul and his army is the importance of having godly and wise leaders. The Bible shows us in many places, this being one of them, that when leaders make mistakes many other people get hurt as well. Saul was an ungodly leader, and his poor leadership and hatred of David, one of his best leaders and fighters, led to his death as well as the death of his sons and his army. The death of his army put Israel in a very vulnerable position militarily, and it was only David’s godliness and leadership skills that allowed him to rather quickly build an army that could defeat the armies of the nations around him and build and solidify his kingdom. The subjects of a nation should do whatever they can to assure they have godly leaders.

“of the valley.” Likely the Harod Valley, a narrower section off of the main Jezreel Valley.

“that they found Saul.” It seems that the archers did not know that they had severely wounded the king, so they did not know Saul was dead.

“the house of their idols.” That is, the temple of their idols.

“house of the Ashtaroth.” The temple of the Ashtaroth, which is likely in Beth-shan.

“Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard.” Years earlier, when Saul had just become king, he rounded up an army and rescued the people of Jabesh-gilead from the Ammonites (1 Sam. 11:1-11). The people of Jabesh-gilead never forgot that kindness, and so went at the risk of their lives to keep Saul’s body from being desecrated. This is one of the great records of thankfulness and heroism in the Bible.