1 Chronicles 10 — MAS

See Hebrew/Greek in BSB →

10וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים נִלְחֲמ֣וּ בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיָּ֑נָס אִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיִּפְּל֥וּ חֲלָלִ֖ים בְּהַ֥ר גִּלְבֹּֽעַ׃^{Verse 2}וַיַּדְבְּק֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים אַחֲרֵ֥י שָׁא֖וּל וְאַחֲרֵ֣י בָנָ֑יו וַיַּכּ֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים אֶת־יֹונָתָ֧ן וְאֶת־אֲבִינָדָ֛ב וְאֶת־מַלְכִּי־שׁ֖וּעַ בְּנֵ֥י שָׁאֽוּל׃^{Verse 3}וַתִּכְבַּ֤ד הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ עַל־שָׁא֔וּל וַיִּמְצָאֻ֖הוּ הַמֹּורִ֣ים בַּקָּ֑שֶׁת וַיָּ֖חֶל מִן־הַיֹּורִֽים׃^{Verse 4}וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁאוּל֩ אֶל־נֹשֵׂ֨א כֵלָ֜יו שְׁלֹ֥ף חַרְבְּךָ֣ ׀ וְדָקְרֵ֣נִי בָ֗הּ פֶּן־יָבֹ֜אוּ הָעֲרֵלִ֤ים הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ וְהִתְעַלְּלוּ־בִ֔י וְלֹ֤א אָבָה֙ נֹשֵׂ֣א כֵלָ֔יו כִּ֥י יָרֵ֖א מְאֹ֑ד ס וַיִּקַּ֤ח שָׁאוּל֙ אֶת־הַחֶ֔רֶב וַיִּפֹּ֖ל עָלֶֽיהָ׃^{Verse 5}וַיַּ֥רְא נֹשֵֽׂא־כֵלָ֖יו כִּ֣י מֵ֣ת שָׁא֑וּל וַיִּפֹּ֥ל גַּם־ה֛וּא עַל־הַחֶ֖רֶב וַיָּמֹֽת׃ ס^{Verse 6}וַיָּ֤מָת שָׁאוּל֙ וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת בָּנָ֔יו וְכָל־בֵּיתֹ֖ו יַחְדָּ֥ו מֵֽתוּ׃^{Verse 7}וַ֠יִּרְאוּ כָּל־אִ֨ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־בָּעֵ֙מֶק֙ כִּ֣י נָ֔סוּ וְכִי־מֵ֖תוּ שָׁא֣וּל וּבָנָ֑יו וַיַּעַזְב֤וּ עָרֵיהֶם֙ וַיָּנֻ֔סוּ וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ בָּהֶֽם׃ ס^{Verse 8}וַיְהִי֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים לְפַשֵּׁ֖ט אֶת־הֽ͏ַחֲלָלִ֑ים וַֽיִּמְצְא֤וּ אֶת־שָׁאוּל֙ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֔יו נֹפְלִ֖ים בְּהַ֥ר גִּלְבֹּֽעַ׃^{Verse 9}וַיַּ֨פְשִׁיטֻ֔הוּ וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ אֶת־רֹאשֹׁ֖ו וְאֶת־כֵּלָ֑יו וַיְשַׁלְּח֨וּ בְאֶֽרֶץ־פְלִשְׁתִּ֜ים סָבִ֗יב לְבַשֵּׂ֛ר אֶת־עֲצַבֵּיהֶ֖ם וְאֶת־הָעָֽם׃^{Verse 10}וַיָּשִׂ֙ימוּ֙ אֶת־כֵּלָ֔יו בֵּ֖ית אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם וְאֶת־גֻּלְגָּלְתֹּ֥ו תָקְע֖וּ בֵּ֥ית דָּגֹֽון׃ ס^{Verse 11}וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֔וּ כֹּ֖ל יָבֵ֣ישׁ גִּלְעָ֑ד אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֥וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים לְשָׁאֽוּל׃^{Verse 12}וַיָּקוּמוּ֮ כָּל־אִ֣ישׁ חַיִל֒ וַיִּשְׂא֞וּ אֶת־גּוּפַ֣ת שָׁא֗וּל וְאֵת֙ גּוּפֹ֣ת בָּנָ֔יו וַיְבִיא֖וּם יָבֵ֑ישָׁה וַיִּקְבְּר֨וּ אֶת־עַצְמֹותֵיהֶ֜ם תַּ֤חַת הָאֵלָה֙ בְּיָבֵ֔שׁ וַיָּצ֖וּמוּ שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃^{Verse 13}וַיָּ֣מָת שָׁא֗וּל בְּמַֽעֲלֹו֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר מָעַ֣ל בַּֽיהוָ֔ה עַל־דְּבַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־שָׁמָ֑ר וְגַם־לִשְׁאֹ֥ול בָּאֹ֖וב לִדְרֹֽושׁ׃^{Verse 14}וְלֹֽא־דָרַ֥שׁ בַּֽיהוָ֖ה וַיְמִיתֵ֑הוּ וַיַּסֵּב֙ אֶת־הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה לְדָוִ֖יד בֶּן־יִשָֽׁי׃ פ

Commentary

Introduction

A fatal battle between the Israelites and Philistines in Gilboa, in which Saul is mortally wounded, and has three sons slain, Ch1 10:1-6. The Israelites being totally routed, the Philistines, coming to strip the dead, find Saul and has three sons among the slain; they cut off Saul's head, and send it and his armor about the country to the idol temples; and then fix them up in the house of Dagon, Ch1 10:7-10. The men of Jabesh-gilead come by night, and take away the bodies of Saul and has three sons, and bury them in Jabesh, Ch1 10:11, Ch1 10:12. The reason of Saul's tragical death; the kingdom is transferred to David, Ch1 10:13, Ch1 10:14.

Now the Philistines fought against Israel - The reader will find the same history in almost the same words, in Sa1 31:1-13, to the notes on which he is referred for every thing important in this.

So Saul died - and all his house - Every branch of his family that had followed him to the war was cut off; his three sons are mentioned as being the chief. No doubt all his officers were slain.

When all Jabesh-gilead heard - For a general account of the principles of heroism and gratitude from which this action of the men of Jabesh-gilead proceeded, see the note on Sa1 31:11, Sa1 31:12. By the kindness of a literary friend, I am enabled to lay a farther illustration of this noble act before the reader, which he will find at the conclusion of the chapter.

Saul died for his transgression - See the concluding observations on the first book of Samuel (Sa1 31:13 (note)).

Inquired not of the Lord - On these two last verses the Targum speaks thus: "And Saul died for the transgression by which he transgressed against the Word of the Lord, and because he did not keep the commandment of the Lord when he warred against the house of Amalek; and because he consulted Pythons, and sought oracular answers from them. Neither did he ask counsel from before the Lord by Urim and Thummim, for he had slain the priests that were in Nob; therefore the Lord slew him, and transferred the kingdom to David the son of Jesse." A Literary friend furnishes the following remarks: - "The sacred writer, in the first book of Samuel, Sa1 31:11-13, and Ch1 10:11, Ch1 10:12, after relating the defeat and death of Saul, and the ignominious treatment of his remains, thus concludes: - "'And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there; and they took the bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.' "Often has this account been read with admiration of the bravery and devotedness of the men of Jabesh-gilead, but without considering that these men had any greater cause than others for honoring the remains of their sovereign; but, on reflection, it will be perceived that the strong impulse of gratitude prompted them to this honorable exertion. They remembered their preservation from destruction, and, which to brave men is more galling, from bearing marks of having been defeated, and being deprived of the honorable hope of wiping off disgrace, or defending their country at future seasons. "Reading these verses in conjunction with the attack of Nahash, we perceive the natural feelings of humanity, of honorable respect, prompting the men of Jabesh to act as they did in rescuing the bones of Saul and his family. "The father of Grecian poetry relates in how great a degree the warriors of ancient days honored the remains of their leaders; how severe were the contests for the body of the fallen chief, more determined oftentimes than the struggle for victory: this point of military honor was possibly excited or heightened by the religious idea so prevalent in his age, and after times, respecting the fate of the spirits of those who were unburied. "Homer wrote of events passing at no distant period from those recorded in the first volume of Samuel; and these accounts mutually corroborate each other, being in unison, not only with the feelings of humanity, but with the customs of ancient nations. These may be farther illustrated by comparing the conduct of the Philistines with regard to Saul and his sons, with that of the hero of the Iliad towards Hector, the most finished character of the poem. Saul had been a severe scourge to the Philistines throughout a long series of years; the illustrious chief of Troy had long warded off the ruin of his country, and destroyed the flower of her foes, independently of his last victory over Patroclus, which drew on his remains that dishonor which, however, fell only on his destroyer. "Should the siege of Troy be considered a fable, it may then be concluded that Homer introduced into his poems the customs and manners known to those for whose perusal he wrote, if these customs were not prevalent among his readers; but anxiety for the body of the illustrious dead, or regret for his death, has often caused success when all exertions prior to this powerful stimulus have not availed; and this even in our days. "The Philistines had long been confined to the southwest angle of the promised land, and in the earlier part of Saul's reign had suffered many and severe losses; yet it appears by this chapter that, alone or in conjunction with allies, they had been able to penetrate nearly to the banks of the Jordan, to fight the battle on Mount Gilboa. This could only have been effected by a march through great part of the kingdom of Israel. "Doubtless the attention of Saul in its defense might have been greatly distracted by his pursuit and fear of David, which appeared to have absorbed his whole mind; and it may account for the defenceless or weakened state of his forces. "These circumstances appear to corroborate the authenticity of these books, independently of the many private transactions therein recorded; particularly the interesting and singular friendship of Jonathan and David, a transaction not likely to occur to a forger of a narrative. J.W."

Open full in Library

Bible

Translations

Pentateuch

History

Wisdom

Major Prophets

Minor Prophets

Keyboard shortcuts