Philistines

31:1 the Philistines were fighting against Israel Resumes the narrative from 29:11.

Battles of Saul and David Table

31:3 he was badly wounded Saul receives a mortal wound.

31:4 these uncircumcised A pejorative title that Israel used to refer to the Philistines. Compare 14:6 and note; 17:26, 36.

make a fool of me In the ancient Near East, enemies often tortured captured royalty or high-ranking military officials as a display of superiority.

31:5 he also fell on his sword Perhaps he also feared being tortured and saw escape as unattainable.

31:6 Saul died, and his three sons Fulfills 28:19. For a parallel account, see 1 Chr 10:1–6.

31:8 they found Saul Armies usually promptly removed their slain dignitaries from the battlefield, but here, no one was left to take care of the bodies.

31:9 they cut off his head According to 1 Chr 10:10, the Philistines fastened Saul’s head to the temple of Dagon. Ironically, they replaced the head of their decapitated god with that of the king whose God decapitated Dagon (see 1 Sam 5:4).

31:10 the temple of the Ashtoreth Spoils of war were often deposited in the victor’s temple, as in 5:2. The Philistines do to Saul what David had done to Goliath (21:9).

his corpse Saul’s body is decapitated and likely naked—the ultimate condition of shame.

31:11 the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead Saul delivered these inhabitants in his only crowning achievement as king (see 11:1–11). As a Benjaminite, he may have been linked genealogically with them (compare Judg 21:10–14).

31:12 burned them there This is not a normal Israelite custom. They may have done this to prevent further shame or desecration to the corpses.