The Death of Saul at Gilboa

During the conflict at Mount Gilboa, the Philistines fought against Israel, causing the men of Israel to flee and fall down slain (1 Samuel 31:1). The Philistines followed hard upon Saul and his sons. In this pursuit, the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul (1 Samuel 31:2). The battle went sore against Saul as the archers hit him, and he was sore wounded by the archers (1 Samuel 31:3). Facing this situation, Saul commanded his armor-bearer to draw his sword and thrust him through, citing a desire to avoid being abused by the uncircumcised Philistines. The armor-bearer refused because he was sore afraid (1 Samuel 31:4).

Saul then took a sword and fell upon it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him (1 Samuel 31:5). Thus Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died that same day together (1 Samuel 31:6). When the Israelites on the other side of the valley and those beyond Jordan saw that the men of Israel fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled. The Philistines then came and dwelt in those cities (1 Samuel 31:7).

The following day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen in Mount Gilboa. They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, sending messengers into the land of the Philistines to publish the news in the house of their idols and among the people (1 Samuel 31:9). They placed his armor in the house of Ashtaroth and fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. Upon hearing what the Philistines had done to Saul, the valiant men of Jabesh-gilead traveled all night to recover the bodies. They took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall, brought them to Jabesh, and burnt them there (1 Samuel 31:12). They buried the bones under a tree at Jabesh and fasted seven days (1 Samuel 31:13).