Old Testament Commentary - 1 Chronicles 10

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial] Commentary & Explanation Footnotes ~ References ~ JST

CHAPTER 10
Philistines defeat Israel—Saul dies for his transgressions.

1 NOW the ^aPhilistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
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.
3 And the battle went sore against Saul^a, and the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers.
3^a the battle went sore against Saul With no more introduction to Saul than to throw him right into his last battle and death, the Chronicles of the Kings rather swiftly with no regard to any other detail does transition into the fact that Saul died and David became king. This despite the fact that Saul's family after him did for a time arise to the throne after him. But one must understand that the Chronicles of the Kings does deal more with the House of David and the Jews than with any other. And such other history beyond that of the Jews is more there to make the Jewish history flow than to provide objective insight into any other such history but the Jewish history. Even that history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel is there primarily from the Jewish skew and not from an objective whole history. This must be waited for to be seen when the plates of brass of Laban do come forth in the time of the Lord for a more objective whole history to be had, they being that record of the writings of the descendants of Joseph.

4 Then said Saul to his armour-bearer, 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 ^aSaul took a sword, and fell upon it.
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.
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.
10 And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his ^ahead in the temple of Dagon.

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.

13 ¶ So ^aSaul died for his ^btransgression 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 ^cfamiliar spirit, to enquire of it;
14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto ^aDavid the son of Jesse.

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 10 Philistines defeat Israel—Saul dies for his transgressions.
1 NOW the ^aPhilistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. 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. 3 And the battle went sore against Saul^a, and the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers.	3^a the battle went sore against Saul With no more introduction to Saul than to throw him right into his last battle and death, the Chronicles of the Kings rather swiftly with no regard to any other detail does transition into the fact that Saul died and David became king. This despite the fact that Saul's family after him did for a time arise to the throne after him. But one must understand that the Chronicles of the Kings does deal more with the House of David and the Jews than with any other. And such other history beyond that of the Jews is more there to make the Jewish history flow than to provide objective insight into any other such history but the Jewish history. Even that history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel is there primarily from the Jewish skew and not from an objective whole history. This must be waited for to be seen when the plates of brass of Laban do come forth in the time of the Lord for a more objective whole history to be had, they being that record of the writings of the descendants of Joseph.
4 Then said Saul to his armour-bearer, 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 ^aSaul took a sword, and fell upon it. 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. 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. 10 And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his ^ahead in the temple of Dagon.
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.
13 ¶ So ^aSaul died for his ^btransgression 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 ^cfamiliar spirit, to enquire of it; 14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto ^aDavid the son of Jesse.