4 and Saul saith unto the bearer of his weapons, `Draw thy sword, and pierce me with it, lest these uncircumcised come -- and have abused me.' And the bearer of his weapons hath not been willing, for he feareth exceedingly, and Saul taketh the sword, and falleth upon it;
And David saith unto him, `How wast thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy the anointed of Jehovah?' And David calleth to one of the youths, and saith, `Draw nigh -- fall upon him;' and he smiteth him, and he dieth; and David saith unto him, `Thy blood `is' on thine own head, for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I -- I put to death the anointed of Jehovah.'
`I did sin, having delivered up innocent blood;' and they said, `What -- to us? thou shalt see!' and having cast down the silverlings in the sanctuary, he departed, and having gone away, he did strangle himself.
`And he saith unto me, Stand, I pray thee, over me, and put me to death, for seized me hath the arrow, for all my soul `is' still in me. And I stand over him, and put him to death, for I knew that he doth not live after his falling, and I take the crown which `is' on his head, and the bracelet which `is' on his arm, and bring them in unto my lord hither.'
and the princes of the Philistines have been gathered together to sacrifice a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; and they say, `Our god hath given into our hand Samson our enemy.' And the people see him, and praise their god, for they said, `Our god hath given in our hand our enemy, and he who is laying waste our land, and who multiplied our wounded.' And it cometh to pass, when their heart `is' glad, that they say, `Call for Samson, and he doth play before us;' and they call for Samson out of the prison-house, and he playeth before them, and they cause him to stand between the pillars.
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Commentary on 1 Chronicles 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 10
1Ch 10:1-7. Saul's Overthrow and Death.
1. Now the Philistines fought against Israel—The details of this chapter have no relation to the preceding genealogies and seem to be inserted solely to introduce the narrative of David's elevation to the throne of the whole kingdom. The parallel between the books of Samuel and Chronicles commences with this chapter, which relates the issue of the fatal battle of Gilboa almost in the very same words as 1Sa 31:1-13.
3. the battle went sore against Saul; and the archers hit him, and he was wounded—The Hebrew words may be thus rendered: "The archers found (attacked) him, and he feared the archers." He was not wounded, at least not dangerously, when he resolved on committing suicide. The deed was the effect of sudden terror and overwhelming depression of spirits [Calmet].
4. his armour-bearer would not; for he was sore afraid—He was, of course, placed in the same perilous condition as Saul. But it is probable that the feelings that restrained him from complying with Saul's wish were a profound respect for royalty, mingled with apprehension of the shock which such a catastrophe would give to the national feelings and interests.
6. Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house—his sons and courtiers who were there engaged in the battle. But it appears that Ish-bosheth and Mephibosheth were kept at Gibeah on account of their youth.
1Ch 10:8-14. The Philistines Triumph over Him.
10. put his armour in the house of their gods—It was common among the heathen to vow to a national or favorite deity, that, in the event of a victory, the armor of the enemy's king, or of some eminent leader, should be dedicated to him as an offering of gratitude. Such trophies were usually suspended on the pillars of the temple.
fastened his head in the temple of Dagon—while the trunk or headless corpse was affixed to the wall of Beth-shan (1Sa 31:10).
13. Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord—in having spared the king of the Amalekites and taken the flocks of the people as spoils [1Sa 15:9], as well as in having consulted a pythoness [1Sa 28:7]. Both of these acts were great sins—the first as a violation of God's express and positive command [1Sa 15:3], and the second as contrary to a well-known statute of the kingdom (Le 19:31).
14. And inquired not of the Lord—He had done so in form (1Sa 28:6), but not in the spirit of a humble penitent, nor with the believing confidence of a sincere worshipper. His enquiry was, in fact, a mere mockery, and his total want of all right religious impressions was manifested by his rushing from God to a wretched impostor in the service of the devil [1Sa 28:7].