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. :-. THE PHILISTINES TRIUMPH OVER HIM. read more
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 ( :-). read more
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 [ :-], as well as in having consulted a pythoness [ :-]. Both of these acts were great sins—the first as a violation of God's express and positive command [ :-], and the second as contrary to a well-known statute of the kingdom (Leviticus 19:31). read more
14. And inquired not of the Lord—He had done so in form (1 Samuel 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 [1 Samuel 28:7]. read more
A. The Death of Saul ch. 10"Having established the remnant’s genealogical link with the Davidic and priestly lines, he [the writer] focused on the groundwork of the Davidic promises. His design was to show how the kingly and priestly concerns came together in David. David is then seen as a model for the postexilic community as they look forward to One like David." [Note: Townsend, p. 286.] Chapter 10 is an almost verbatim repetition of Saul’s defeat as the writer of Samuel recorded it in 1... read more
II. THE REIGN OF DAVID CHS. 10-29In all of Chronicles the writer assumed his readers’ acquaintance with the other Old Testament historical books. This is especially true regarding what Samuel and Kings contain. These books, or at least the information in them, appears to have been well known by the returning exiles."The reigns of Saul, David and Solomon over a united Israel are central to the concerns of the Chronicler, about half his narrative material being devoted to these three kings alone.... read more
Saul’s Overthrow and DeathThis chapter is abbreviated from 1 Samuel 31:1-13, but supplements it by statements that Saul’s head was fastened in the temple of Dagon, and by a brief explanation of the causes of his overthrow.6. All his house] This cannot mean ’all his family,’ since Ish-bosheth and others of his children survived him (2 Samuel 2:8; 2 Samuel 21:8), but must refer to those of his household who attended him at Gilboa. 13. His transgression] The writer refers to what is related in 1... read more
1 Chronicles 10-29—The history of King David, who made Jerusalem the political and religious centre of Israel, organised the Levitical ministry in its permanent shape, and amassed great stores of wealth and material for the Temple, which his son and successor was to build.X.A BRIEF NARRATIVE OF THE OVERTHROW AND DEATH OF SAUL, BY WAY OF PRELUDE TO THE REIGN OF DAVID.1 Chronicles 10:1-12 are parallel to 1 Samuel 31:1-13. The general coincidence of the two texts is so exact as to preclude the... read more
(2) The Philistines followed hard after Saul.—Literally, clave to Saul, that is, hotly pursued him. (Comp. 1 Kings 22:31.) The destruction of the king and his sons would make their triumph complete.The sons of Saul.—Omit the. Eshbaal, Saul’s fourth son, was not in the battle (2 Samuel 2:8. Comp. 1 Chronicles 8:33). Like Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, Saul may have witnessed the death of his sons (2 Kings 25:7). Jonathan, at least, would not be far from him in the last struggle. “In their... read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Chronicles 10:4
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. read more