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<TITLE>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible [First Samuel, Chapter XXXI].</TITLE>
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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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[<A HREF="MHC09030.HTM">Previous</A>]
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<TD ALIGN="RIGHT" VALIGN="TOP">
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1708)
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>F I R S T S A M U E L</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XXXI.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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In the foregoing chapter we had David conquering, yea, more than a
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conqueror. In this chapter we have Saul conquered and worse than a
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captive. Providence ordered it that both these things should be doing
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just at the same time. The very same day; perhaps, that David was
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triumphing over the Amalekites, were the Philistines triumphing over
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Saul. One is set over against the other, that men may see what comes of
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trusting in God and what comes of forsaking him. We left Saul ready to
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engage the Philistines, with a shaking hand and an aching heart, having
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had his doom read him from hell, which he would not regard when it was
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read him from heaven. Let us now see what becomes of him. Here is,
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I. His army routed,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:1">ver. 1</A>.
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II. His three sons slain,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:2">ver. 2</A>.
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III. Himself wounded
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:3">ver. 3</A>),
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and slain by his own hand,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:4">ver. 4</A>.
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The death of his armour-bearer
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:5">ver. 5</A>)
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and all his men,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:6">ver. 6</A>.
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IV. His country possessed by the Philistines,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:7">ver. 7</A>.
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His camp plundered, and his dead body deserted,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:8">ver. 8</A>.
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His fall triumphed in,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:9">ver. 9</A>.
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His body publicly exposed
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:10">ver. 10</A>)
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and with difficulty rescued by the men of Jabesh-Gilead,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:11-13">ver. 11-13</A>.
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Thus fell the man that was rejected of God.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="1Sa31_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa31_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa31_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa31_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa31_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa31_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa31_7"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Death of Saul.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 1055.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of
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Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in
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mount Gilboa.
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2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his
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sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and
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Melchi-shua, Saul's sons.
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3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit
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him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
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4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and
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thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and
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thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not;
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for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell
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upon it.
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5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell
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likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
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6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and
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all his men, that same day together.
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7 And when the men of Israel that <I>were</I> on the other side of
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the valley, and <I>they</I> that <I>were</I> on the other side Jordan, saw
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that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were
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dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came
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and dwelt in them.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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The day of recompence has now come, in which Saul must account for the
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blood of the Amalekites which he had sinfully spared, and that of the
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priests which he had more sinfully spilt; that of David too, which he
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would have spilt, must come into the account. Now his day has come to
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fall, as David foresaw, when he should descend into battle and perish,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+26:10"><I>ch.</I> xxvi. 10</A>.
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Come and see the <I>righteous judgments of God.</I></P>
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<P>
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I. He sees his soldiers fall about him,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:1"><I>v.</I> 1</A>.
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Whether the Philistines were more numerous, better posted, and better
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led on, or what other advantages they had, we are not told; but it
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seems they were more vigorous, for they made the onset; they fought
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against Israel, and the Israelites fled and fell. The best of the
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troops were put into disorder, and multitudes slain, probably those
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whom Saul had employed in pursuing David. Thus those who had followed
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him and served him in his sin went before him in his fall and shared
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with him in his plagues.</P>
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<P>
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II. He sees his sons fall before him. The victorious Philistines
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pressed most forcibly upon the king of Israel and those about him. His
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three sons were next him, it is probable, and they were all three slain
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before his face, to his great grief (for they were the hopes of his
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family) and to his great terror, for they were now the guard of his
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person, and he could conclude no other than that his own turn would
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come next. His sons are named
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:2"><I>v.</I> 2</A>),
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and it grieves us to find Jonathan among them: that wise, valiant, good
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man, who was as much David's friend as Saul was his enemy, yet falls
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with the rest. Duty to his father would not permit him to stay at home,
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or to retire when the armies engaged; and Providence so orders it that
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he falls in the common fate of his family, though he never involved
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himself in the guilt of it; so that the observation of Eliphaz does not
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hold
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Job+4:7">Job iv. 7</A>),
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<I>Who ever perished being innocent?</I> For here was one. What shall
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we say to it?
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1. God would hereby complete the vexation of Saul in his dying moments,
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and the judgment that was to be executed upon his house. If the family
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must fall, Jonathan, that is one of it, must fall with it.
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2. He would hereby make David's way to the crown the more clear and
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open. For, though Jonathan himself would have cheerfully resigned all
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his title and interest to him (we have no reason to suspect any other),
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yet it is very probable that many of the people would have made use of
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his name for the support of the house of Saul, or at least would have
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come in but slowly to David. If Ish-bosheth (who was now left at home as
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one unfit for action, and so escaped) had so many friends, what would
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Jonathan have had, who had been the darling of the people and had never
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forfeited their favour? Those that were so anxious to have a king like
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the nations would be zealous for the right line, especially if that
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threw the crown upon such a head as Jonathan's. This would have
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embarrassed David; and, if Jonathan could have prevailed to bring in
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all his interest to David, then it would have been said that Jonathan
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had made him king, whereas God was to have all the glory. <I>This is
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the Lord's doing.</I> So that though the death of Jonathan would be a
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great affliction to David, yet, by making him mindful of his own
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frailty, as well as by facilitating his accession to the throne, it
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would be an advantage to him.
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3. God would hereby show us that the difference between good and bad is
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to be made in the other world, not in this. <I>All things come alike to
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all.</I> We cannot judge of the spiritual or eternal state of any by
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the manner of their death; for in that <I>there is one event to the
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righteous and to the wicked.</I></P>
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<P>
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III. He himself is sorely wounded by the Philistines and then slain by
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his own hand. The archers hit him
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:3"><I>v.</I> 3</A>),
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so that he could neither fight nor fly, and therefore must inevitably
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fall into their hands. Thus, to make him the more miserable,
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destruction comes gradually upon him, and he dies so as to feel himself
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die. To such an extremity was he now reduced that,
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1. He was desirous to die by the hand of his own servant rather than by
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the hand of the Philistines, lest they should abuse him as they had
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abused Samson. Miserable man! He finds himself dying, and all his care
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is to keep his body out of the hands of the Philistines, instead of
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being solicitous to resign his soul into the hands of God who gave it,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ec+12:7">Eccl. xii. 7</A>.
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As he lived, so he died, proud and jealous, and a terror to himself and
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all about him. Those who rightly understand the matter think it of
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small account, in comparison, how it is with them in death, so it may
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but be well with them after death. Those are in a deplorable condition
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indeed who, being <I>bitter in soul, long for death, but it cometh
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not</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Job+3:20,21">Job iii. 20, 21</A>),
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especially those who, despairing of the mercy of god, like Judas, leap
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into a hell before them, to escape a hell within them.
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2. When he could not obtain that favour he became his own executioner,
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thinking hereby to avoid shame, but running upon a heinous sin, and
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with it entailing upon his own name a mark of perpetual infamy, as
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<I>felo de se--a self-murderer.</I> Jonathan, who received his
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death-wound from the hand of the Philistines and bravely yielded to the
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fate of war, died on the bed of honour; but Saul died as a fool dieth,
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as a coward dieth--a proud fool, a sneaking coward; he died as a man
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that had neither the fear of God nor hope in God, neither the reason of
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a man nor the religion of an Israelite, much less the dignity of a
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prince or the resolution of a soldier. Let us all pray, <I>Lord, lead
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us not into temptation,</I> this temptation. His armour-bearer would
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not run him through, and he did well to refuse it; for no man's servant
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ought to be a slave to his master's lusts or passions of any kind. The
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reason given is that <I>he was sorely afraid,</I> not of death, for he
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himself ran wilfully upon that immediately; but, having a profound
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reverence for the king his master, he could not conquer that so far as
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to do him any hurt; or perhaps he feared lest his trembling hand should
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give him but half a blow, and so put him to the greater misery.</P>
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<P>
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IV. His armour-bearer who refused to kill him refused not to die with
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him, but <I>fell likewise upon his sword,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:5"><I>v.</I> 5</A>.
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This was an aggravating circumstance of the death of Saul, that, by the
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example of his wickedness in murdering himself, he drew in his servant
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to be guilty of the same wickedness, and <I>perished not alone in his
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iniquity.</I> The Jews say that Saul's armour-bearer was Doeg, whom he
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preferred to that dignity for killing the priests, and, if so, justly
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does his <I>violent dealing return on his own head.</I> David had
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foretold concerning him that God would <I>destroy him for ever,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+52:5">Ps. lii. 5</A>.</P>
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<P>
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V. The country was put into such confusion by the rout of Saul's army
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that the inhabitants of the neighbouring cities (<I>on that side
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Jordan,</I> as it might be read) quitted them, and the Philistines, for
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a time, had possession of them, till things were settled in Israel
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:7"><I>v.</I> 7</A>),
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to such a sad pass had Saul by his wickedness brought his country,
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which might have remained in the hands of the uncircumcised if David
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had not been raised up to repair the breaches of it. See what a king he
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proved for whom they rejected God and Samuel. They had still done
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wickedly (it is to be feared) as well as he, and therefore <I>were
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consumed both they and their king,</I> as the prophet had foretold
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concerning them,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+12:25"><I>ch.</I> xii. 25</A>.
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And to this reference is had long after.
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ho+13:10,11">Hos. xiii. 10, 11</A>,
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"<I>Where are thy saviours in all thy cities, of whom thou saidst, Give
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me a king and princes? I gave thee a king in my anger, and took him
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away in my wrath;</I> that is, he was a plague to thee living and
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dying; thou couldst expect no other."</P>
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<A NAME="1Sa31_8"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa31_9"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa31_10"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa31_11"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa31_12"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa31_13"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Disposal of Saul's Body.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 1055.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came
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to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons
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fallen in mount Gilboa.
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9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and
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sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish <I>it
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in</I> the house of their idols, and among the people.
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10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they
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fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.
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11 And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which
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the Philistines had done to Saul;
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12 All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the
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body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of
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Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.
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13 And they took their bones, and buried <I>them</I> under a tree at
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Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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The scripture makes no mention of the souls of Saul and his sons, what
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became of them after they were dead (secret things belong not to us),
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but of their bodies only.</P>
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<P>
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I. How they were basely abused by the Philistines. The day after the
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battle, when they had recovered their fatigue, they came to strip the
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slain, and, among the rest, found the bodies of Saul and his three
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sons,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:8"><I>v.</I> 8</A>.
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Saul's armour-bearer perhaps intended to honour his master by following
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the example of his self-murder, and to show thereby how well he loved
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him; but, if he had consulted his reason more than his passions, he
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would have spared that foolish compliment, not only in justice to his
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own life, but in kindness to his master, to whom, by the opportunity of
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survivorship, he might have done all the service that could be done him
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by any man after he was dead; for he might, in the night, have conveyed
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away his body, and those of his sons, and buried them decently. But
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such false and foolish notions these vain men have (though they would
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be wise) of giving and receiving honour. Nay, it should seem, Saul
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might have saved himself the fatal thrust and have made his escape: for
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the pursuers (in fear of whom he slew himself) came not to the place
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where he was till the next day. But whom God will destroy he infatuates
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and utterly <I>consumes with his terrors.</I> See
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Job+18:5-21">Job xviii. 5</A>,
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&c. Finding Saul's body (which now that it lay extended on
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the bloody turf was distinguishable from the rest by its length, as it
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was, while erect, by its height, when he proudly overlooked the
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surrounding crowd), they will, in that, triumph over Israel's crown,
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and meanly gratify a barbarous and brutish revenge by insulting the
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deserted corpse, which, when alive, they had stood in awe of.
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1. They cut off his head. Had they designed in this to revenge the
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cutting off of Goliath's head they would rather have cut off the head
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of David, who did that execution, when he was in their country. They
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intended it, in general, for a reproach to Israel, who promised
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themselves that a crowned and an anointed head would save them from the
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Philistines, and a particular reproach to Saul, who was taller by the
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head than other men (which perhaps he was wont to boast of), but was
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now shorter by the head.
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2. They stripped him of his armour
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:9"><I>v.</I> 9</A>),
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and sent that to be set up as a trophy of their victory, in the house
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of Ashtaroth their goddess
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:10"><I>v.</I> 10</A>);
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and we are told,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Ch+10:10">1 Chron. x. 10</A>
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(though it is omitted here), that they fastened his head in the temple
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of Dagon. Thus did they ascribe the honour of their victory, not as
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they ought to have done to the real justice of the true God, but to the
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imaginary power of their false gods, and by this respect paid to
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pretended deities shame those who give not the praise of their
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achievements to the living God. Ashtaroth, the idol that Israel had
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many a time gone a whoring after, now triumphs over them.
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3. They sent expresses throughout their country, and ordered public
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notice to be given in the houses of their gods of the victory they had
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obtained
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:9"><I>v.</I> 9</A>),
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that public rejoicings might be made and thanks given to their gods.
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This David regretted sorely,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Sa+1:20">2 Sam. i. 20</A>.
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<I>Tell it not in Gath.</I>
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4. They fastened his body and the bodies of his sons (as appears,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:12"><I>v.</I> 12</A>)
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to the wall of <I>Beth-shan,</I> a city that lay not far from Gilboa and
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very near to the river Jordan. Hither the dead bodies were dragged and
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|
here hung up in chains, to be devoured by the birds of prey. Saul slew
|
|
himself to avoid being abused by the Philistines, and never was royal
|
|
corpse so abused as his was, perhaps the more if they understood that
|
|
he slew himself for that reason. He that thinks to save his honour by
|
|
sin will certainly lose it. See to what a height of insolence the
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|
Philistines had arrived just before David was raised up, who perfectly
|
|
subdued them. Now that they had slain Saul and his sons they thought
|
|
the land of Israel was their own for ever, but they soon found
|
|
themselves deceived. When God has accomplished his whole work by them
|
|
he will accomplish it upon them. See
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Isa+10:6,7">Isa. x. 6, 7</A>.</P>
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<P>
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II. How they were bravely rescued by the men of Jabesh-Gilead. Little
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more than the river Jordan lay between Beth-shan and Jabesh-Gilead, and
|
|
Jordan was in that place passable by its fords; a bold adventure was
|
|
therefore made by the valiant men of that city, who in the night passed
|
|
the river, took down the dead bodies, and gave them decent burial,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:11,13"><I>v.</I> 11, 13</A>.
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This they did,
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1. Out of a common concern for the honour of Israel, or the land of
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Israel, which ought not to be defiled by the exposing of any dead
|
|
bodies, and especially of the crown of Israel, which was thus profaned
|
|
by the uncircumcised.
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2. Out of a particular sense of gratitude to Saul, for his zeal and
|
|
forwardness to rescue them from the Ammonites when he first came to the
|
|
throne,
|
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+11:1-27"><I>ch.</I> xi.</A>
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It is an evidence of a generous spirit and an encouragement to
|
|
beneficence when the remembrance of kindnesses is thus retained, and
|
|
they are thus returned in an extremity. The men of Jabesh-Gilead would
|
|
have done Saul better service if they had sent their valiant men to him
|
|
sooner, to strengthen him against the Philistines. But his day had come
|
|
to fall, and now this is all the service they can do him, in honour to
|
|
his memory. We find not that any general mourning was made for the
|
|
death of Saul, as was for the death of Samuel
|
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+25:1"><I>ch.</I> xxv. 1</A>),
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only those Gileadites of Jabesh did him honour at his death; for,
|
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(1.) They made a burning for the bodies, to perfume them. So some
|
|
understand the burning of them. They burnt spices over them,
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+31:12"><I>v.</I> 12</A>.
|
|
|
|
And that it was usual thus to do honour to their deceased friends, at
|
|
least their princes, appears by the account of Asa's funeral
|
|
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:14">2 Chron. xvi. 14</A>),
|
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|
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that <I>they made a very great burning for him.</I> Or (as some think)
|
|
they burnt the flesh, because it began to putrefy.
|
|
|
|
(2.) They buried the bodies, when, by burning over them, they had
|
|
sweetened them (or, if they burnt them, they buried the bones and
|
|
ashes), under a tree, which served for a grave-stone and monument. And,
|
|
|
|
(3.) They <I>fasted seven days,</I> that is, each day of the seven they
|
|
fasted till the evening; thus they lamented the death of Saul and the
|
|
present distracted state of Israel, and perhaps joined prayers with
|
|
their fasting for the re-establishment of their shattered state.
|
|
Though, <I>when the wicked perish there is shouting</I> (that is, it is
|
|
to be hoped a better state of things will ensue, which will be matter
|
|
of joy), yet humanity obliges us to show a decent respect to dead
|
|
bodies, especially those of princes.</P>
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|
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<P>
|
|
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|
This book began with the birth of Samuel, but now it ends with the
|
|
burial of Saul, the comparing of which two together will teach us to
|
|
prefer the honour that comes from God before any of the honours which
|
|
this world pretends to have the disposal of.</P>
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