📖 1 Samuel — Chapter 31 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
1 Samuel 31:1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and Rfell down Tslain in mount Gilboa.
1 Samuel 31:2 And the Philistines Rfollowed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul’s sons.
1 Samuel 31:3 And the battle Rwent sore against Saul, Tand the archers Thit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
1 Samuel 31:4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, RDraw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and Tabuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
1 Samuel 31:5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
1 Samuel 31:6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.
1 Samuel 31:7 And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, Rthey forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
1 Samuel 31:8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came Rto strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
1 Samuel 31:9 And they Rcut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.
1 Samuel 31:10 And Rthey put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.
1 Samuel 31:11 And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard Tof that which the Philistines had done to Saul;
1 Samuel 31:12 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 Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and Rburnt them there.
1 Samuel 31:13 And they took Rtheir bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
1 Samuel 31:1–6 — Saul and his sons fall at Gilboa
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Israel is defeated, three of Saul's sons die, and Saul is severely wounded. Fearing capture, he falls on his sword, followed by his armourbearer. The book reports these deaths as the tragic close of the reign, not as acts for readers to imitate.
Key Truth: The narrated ending fulfills the announced collapse of Saul's reign.
Check What You Remember
1. On which mountain did the battle occur? (1 Samuel 31:1)
Find it in 1 Samuel 31:1 (KJV).
2. Which son named first in verse 2 died? (1 Samuel 31:2)
Find it in 1 Samuel 31:2 (KJV).
3. What kind of attackers wounded Saul? (1 Samuel 31:3)
Find it in 1 Samuel 31:3 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
1 Samuel 31:7–10 — Israel's flight and Philistine display
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Israelites abandon towns, and the Philistines occupy them. Finding Saul's body, the victors display his armor in Ashtaroth's house and his body on Bethshan's wall. The triumph is spread among their idols and people, deepening the national humiliation.
Key Truth: The defeat affects Israel's towns as well as the royal household.
Check What You Remember
1. Who occupied the abandoned towns? (1 Samuel 31:7)
Find it in 1 Samuel 31:7 (KJV).
2. In whose house was Saul's armor placed? (1 Samuel 31:10)
Find it in 1 Samuel 31:10 (KJV).
3. On which town's wall was his body fastened? (1 Samuel 31:10)
Find it in 1 Samuel 31:10 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
1 Samuel 31:11–13 — Jabeshgilead honors the dead
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
The valiant men of Jabeshgilead travel by night to retrieve Saul and his sons. They bring the bodies back, burn them, bury the bones, and fast for seven days. Their action recalls the town Saul rescued early in his reign and closes the book with mourning rather than celebration.
Key Truth: The final act of care remembers Saul's earlier deliverance of Jabeshgilead.
Check What You Remember
1. Which town's men retrieved the bodies? (1 Samuel 31:11)
Find it in 1 Samuel 31:11 (KJV).
2. Under what were the bones buried? (1 Samuel 31:13)
Find it in 1 Samuel 31:13 (KJV).
3. How many days did they fast? (1 Samuel 31:13)
Find it in 1 Samuel 31:13 (KJV).
Related Scripture (KJV)
1 Samuel 11:11 — Saul's rescue of Jabeshgilead explains the significance of its people's final act of honor.
This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.
Reflect and Apply
How does the ending recall both the warning of judgment and Saul's early rescue of Jabeshgilead? Hold the tragedy and the remembered kindness together.
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. What happens to Saul’s sons before his own death?
2. Why does Saul ask his armourbearer to thrust him through?
3. How does Saul’s armourbearer respond after seeing him dead?
4. How does the defeat affect nearby Israelite settlements?
5. What does the response of Jabeshgilead contrast with the Philistine display?
Notes
Write what you want to remember, questions to explore, or Scriptures to look up later. Your saved notes are private to your account.
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