1 Chronicles 10 Study Notes: The Death of Saul
The Philistines defeat Israel on Mount Gilboa, killing Saul’s sons, and the wounded Saul takes his own life. The Philistines spread the news through their idol temples, and brave fighters from Jabesh-gilead bury Saul. The chapter explains that the LORD judged Saul’s unfaithfulness and gave the kingdom to David.
General
What happened when the Philistines fought Israel on Mount Gilboa (1 Chronicles 10:1-2)?
Answer: Israel fled, and Jonathan and two brothers were killed
The Philistines, Israel’s long-time enemies on the coast, fought Israel, and Israel’s men ran from them, with many killed on Mount Gilboa (10:1). The Philistines pressed hard after the king and his sons, killing three of them, Jonathan among them (10:2). This is the same battle recorded at the end of 1 Samuel (1 Samuel 31:1-2). Samuel had already told Saul, the night before, that the LORD would hand Israel over to the Philistines and that Saul would die and his sons with him (1 Samuel 28:19).
- 1 Chronicles 10:1-2 (BSB)“Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.”Israel flees before the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, and three of Saul’s sons are killed.
- 1 Samuel 31:1-2 (BSB)“Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines hotly pursued Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.”The same defeat and the deaths of the three sons are recorded in 1 Samuel.
- 1 Samuel 28:19 (BSB)“Moreover, the LORD will deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And the LORD will deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.””Samuel had foretold that Israel would be handed to the Philistines and Saul and his sons would die.
Theological
What was the outcome of the Philistine battle against Israel on Mount Gilboa (1 Chronicles 10:1-2)?
Answer: Israel fled, and Jonathan and two brothers were killed
Chronicles opens its narrative with Israel’s rout by the Philistines on Mount Gilboa (10:1) and the deaths of three of Saul’s sons, Jonathan among them (10:2), the same battle as 1 Samuel 31:1-2. The defeat comes as the LORD had announced through Samuel the night before: Israel delivered to the Philistines, and the king and his sons dead by the next day (1 Samuel 28:19).
- 1 Chronicles 10:1-2 (BSB)“Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.”Israel flees before the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, and three of Saul’s sons are killed.
- 1 Samuel 31:1-2 (BSB)“Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines hotly pursued Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.”The same defeat and the deaths of the three sons are recorded in 1 Samuel.
- 1 Samuel 28:19 (BSB)“Moreover, the LORD will deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And the LORD will deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.””Samuel had foretold that Israel would be handed to the Philistines and Saul and his sons would die.
General
True or False: When the Israelites living in the valley learned of the army’s flight and the deaths of the king and his sons, they left their towns, and the Philistines took them over (1 Chronicles 10:7).
Answer: True
This is true. Saul died along with three sons and his whole household (10:6). Once the Israelites living in the valley realized the army had run and their king was dead, they left their cities and fled, and the Philistines moved in (10:7). The people had once demanded a king to lead them out and fight their wars (1 Samuel 8:19-20), and Samuel had warned that if they kept doing evil, both they and their king would be swept away (1 Samuel 12:25). Now the king was gone and the land lay open to the enemy.
- 1 Chronicles 10:6-7 (BSB)“So Saul died together with his three sons and all his house. When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and ran away. So the Philistines came and occupied their cities.”Saul and his house die, and the Israelites in the valley abandon their cities to the Philistines.
- 1 Samuel 8:19-20 (BSB)“Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.””The people had demanded a king to lead them and fight their battles.
- 1 Samuel 12:25 (BSB)“But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.””Samuel warned that persistent evil would sweep away both the people and their king.
Theological
True or False: Following the rout and the deaths of the king and his sons, the valley’s Israelites deserted their towns, which the Philistines then occupied (1 Chronicles 10:7).
Answer: True
This is true. With Saul, three sons and his household dead together (10:6), the Israelites of the valley abandon their cities to Philistine occupation (10:7). The king demanded to fight Israel’s battles (1 Samuel 8:19-20) falls in battle, and the warning of 1 Samuel 12:25, that persistent evil would sweep away both people and king, takes visible shape.
- 1 Chronicles 10:6-7 (BSB)“So Saul died together with his three sons and all his house. When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and ran away. So the Philistines came and occupied their cities.”Saul and his house die, and the Israelites in the valley abandon their cities to the Philistines.
- 1 Samuel 8:19-20 (BSB)“Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.””The people had demanded a king to lead them and fight their battles.
- 1 Samuel 12:25 (BSB)“But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.””Samuel warned that persistent evil would sweep away both the people and their king.
General
When the town of Jabesh-gilead learned how the Philistines had treated Saul, what did its fighting men do (1 Chronicles 10:11-12)?
Answer: Recovered the bodies, buried them, and fasted a week
When Jabesh-gilead heard how Saul had been treated, all its brave men went out, carried the bodies of the king and his sons home to Jabesh, buried their remains beneath the oak tree there, and fasted for seven days (10:11-12). In the middle of national defeat, these men showed courage and honor toward their fallen king. David later sent them a message blessing them for showing such kindness to their lord (2 Samuel 2:5) and praying that the LORD would show them loving devotion (faithful, covenant kindness) and faithfulness (2 Samuel 2:6).
- 1 Chronicles 10:11-12 (BSB)“When all the people of Jabesh-gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul, all their men of valor set out and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.”The men of Jabesh-gilead recover and bury Saul and his sons and fast seven days.
- 2 Samuel 2:5 (BSB)“So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead to tell them, “The LORD bless you, because you showed this kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him.”David blesses the men of Jabesh-gilead for their kindness in burying Saul.
- 2 Samuel 2:6 (BSB)“Now may the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness, and I will also show you the same favor because you have done this.”David prays that the LORD will show them loving devotion and faithfulness for what they did.
Theological
How did the valiant fighters of Jabesh-gilead respond to the Philistines’ treatment of Saul (1 Chronicles 10:11-12)?
Answer: Recovered the bodies, buried them, and fasted a week
The men of valor of Jabesh-gilead recover the bodies of the king and his sons, bury the remains beneath the oak tree at Jabesh, and fast seven days (10:11-12), an act of courage and loyalty amid Israel’s collapse. David, the LORD’s chosen successor, commends it, blessing them for their kindness to Saul (2 Samuel 2:5) and praying that the LORD would deal with them in loving devotion and in faithfulness (2 Samuel 2:6).
- 1 Chronicles 10:11-12 (BSB)“When all the people of Jabesh-gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul, all their men of valor set out and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.”The men of Jabesh-gilead recover and bury Saul and his sons and fast seven days.
- 2 Samuel 2:5 (BSB)“So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead to tell them, “The LORD bless you, because you showed this kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him.”David blesses the men of Jabesh-gilead for their kindness in burying Saul.
- 2 Samuel 2:6 (BSB)“Now may the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness, and I will also show you the same favor because you have done this.”David prays that the LORD will show them loving devotion and faithfulness for what they did.
General
After finding Saul’s body, where did the Philistines send news of his death and place his armor (1 Chronicles 10:9-10)?
Answer: In the temples of their own idols and gods
The day after the battle, the Philistines returned to plunder the fallen and discovered the bodies of the king and his sons (10:8). They took Saul’s armor, sent word across their land to announce the news in their idol temples and to their people, laid the armor in a shrine to their gods, and displayed Saul’s head in Dagon’s temple, Dagon being a Philistine god (10:9-10). They carried both the news and the trophies of the battle to the houses of their gods. Yet the chapter ends by saying it was the LORD who put Saul to death (10:14). Long before, Dagon’s statue had toppled face down in front of the ark, the sacred chest of God’s covenant (1 Samuel 5:2-4), and Scripture declares that every god the nations worship is an idol, while the LORD is the Maker of the heavens (1 Chronicles 16:26).
- 1 Chronicles 10:8 (BSB)“The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.”The Philistines return the next day to strip the slain and find Saul and his sons.
- 1 Chronicles 10:14 (BSB)“and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”The chapter assigns Saul’s death to the LORD, not to the Philistine gods.
- 1 Samuel 5:2-4 (BSB)“carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue. When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD, with his head and his hands broken off and lying on the threshold. Only the torso remained.”Dagon’s statue fell before the ark of the LORD, showing the LORD’s supremacy over the Philistine god.
- 1 Chronicles 16:26 (BSB)“For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is the LORD who made the heavens.”The gods of the nations are called idols, while the LORD made the heavens.
Theological
Where did the Philistines proclaim Saul’s death and deposit his armor (1 Chronicles 10:9-10)?
Answer: In the temples of their own idols and gods
Stripping the slain the next day (10:8), the Philistines send the news of Saul’s death to the houses of their idols, deposit his armor in their gods’ temple, and display his head in Dagon’s shrine (10:9-10), bringing the news and the trophies of victory before their gods. Yet the chapter’s own verdict is that the LORD put Saul to death (10:14). Dagon had already been humbled before the ark (1 Samuel 5:2-4), and the nations’ gods are mere idols, whereas the LORD is the Maker of the heavens (1 Chronicles 16:26).
- 1 Chronicles 10:8 (BSB)“The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.”The Philistines return the next day to strip the slain and find Saul and his sons.
- 1 Chronicles 10:14 (BSB)“and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”The chapter assigns Saul’s death to the LORD, not to the Philistine gods.
- 1 Samuel 5:2-4 (BSB)“carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue. When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD, with his head and his hands broken off and lying on the threshold. Only the torso remained.”Dagon’s statue fell before the ark of the LORD, showing the LORD’s supremacy over the Philistine god.
- 1 Chronicles 16:26 (BSB)“For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is the LORD who made the heavens.”The gods of the nations are called idols, while the LORD made the heavens.
General
When the wounded Saul asked his armor-bearer to kill him, how did the armor-bearer respond (1 Chronicles 10:4)?
Answer: He was too afraid and would not do it
Archers caught up with Saul and wounded him (10:3). Afraid that the Philistines, whom he called uncircumcised (outside God’s covenant people), would abuse him, Saul asked his armor-bearer to kill him (10:4). The armor-bearer was too frightened and would not. Saul then took his own life with his sword, and once the armor-bearer saw the king had died, he did the same (10:4-5). 1 Samuel 31:4-5 records the same scene. Samuel had earlier told Saul that because he rejected the LORD’s word, the LORD had rejected him as king (1 Samuel 15:23).
- 1 Chronicles 10:4 (BSB)“Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.”Saul asks his armor-bearer to kill him; the armor-bearer refuses, and Saul takes his own life.
- 1 Samuel 31:4-5 (BSB)“Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died with him.”The same account of Saul and his armor-bearer is recorded in 1 Samuel.
- 1 Samuel 15:23 (BSB)“For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.””Samuel had declared that the LORD rejected Saul as king for rejecting His word.
Theological
How did Saul’s armor-bearer answer the king’s request to kill him (1 Chronicles 10:4)?
Answer: He was too afraid and would not do it
Wounded by the archers (10:3), Saul asks his armor-bearer to kill him rather than fall into the hands of the uncircumcised Philistines; the armor-bearer, terrified, refuses, so Saul takes his own life, and the armor-bearer follows (10:4-5; compare 1 Samuel 31:4-5). The verdict on Saul’s death follows in 10:13-14. The rejection pronounced in 1 Samuel 15:23, because Saul had rejected the LORD’s word, here reaches its end.
- 1 Chronicles 10:4 (BSB)“Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.”Saul asks his armor-bearer to kill him; the armor-bearer refuses, and Saul takes his own life.
- 1 Samuel 31:4-5 (BSB)“Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died with him.”The same account of Saul and his armor-bearer is recorded in 1 Samuel.
- 1 Samuel 15:23 (BSB)“For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.””Samuel had declared that the LORD rejected Saul as king for rejecting His word.
General
Saul ended his own life with his sword (10:4), yet 10:14 says it was the LORD who killed him. How do these fit together?
Answer: Both are true: Saul acted, and God ruled over it as judgment
Both statements are true at once. Saul really did take his own life in battle (10:4), and his sins were his own (10:13). Yet the text says it was the LORD who brought about his death and gave the kingdom to Jesse’s son David (10:14). Scripture often shows God ruling over what people do, while those people remain fully responsible: Joseph’s brothers meant evil, but God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20). God says that He alone brings death and gives life (Deuteronomy 32:39). God is never the author of sin, but nothing escapes His rule. Samuel had told Saul the kingdom would be given to someone better (1 Samuel 15:28), and Paul later said God removed Saul and raised up David (Acts 13:21-22).
- 1 Chronicles 10:14 (BSB)“and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”The LORD is said to have put Saul to death and given the kingdom to David.
- Genesis 50:20 (BSB)“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.”God works through human actions for His purposes while people remain responsible for their intentions.
- Deuteronomy 32:39 (BSB)“See now that I am He; there is no God besides Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand.”God declares that He alone brings death and gives life.
- 1 Samuel 15:28 (BSB)“So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.”Samuel foretold that the kingdom would be torn from Saul and given to another.
- Acts 13:21-22 (BSB)“Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’”Paul attributes Saul’s removal and David’s rise to God.
Theological
How does 10:14’s statement that the LORD caused Saul’s death relate to Saul’s taking his own life in 10:4?
Answer: Both are true: Saul acted, and God ruled over it as judgment
The chapter holds together human agency and divine sovereignty without strain: Saul takes his own life (10:4) and is culpable for his unfaithfulness (10:13), yet the LORD brought about his death and transferred the kingdom to David (10:14). God governs human acts without being the author of sin, as in Genesis 50:20, and He claims sole authority over death and life (Deuteronomy 32:39). The transfer fulfills Samuel’s word that the kingdom would go to a better man (1 Samuel 15:28), and Paul summarizes it as God’s removal of Saul and raising up of David (Acts 13:21-22).
- 1 Chronicles 10:14 (BSB)“and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”The LORD is said to have put Saul to death and given the kingdom to David.
- Genesis 50:20 (BSB)“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.”God works through human actions for His purposes while people remain responsible for their intentions.
- Deuteronomy 32:39 (BSB)“See now that I am He; there is no God besides Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand.”God declares that He alone brings death and gives life.
- 1 Samuel 15:28 (BSB)“So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.”Samuel foretold that the kingdom would be torn from Saul and given to another.
- Acts 13:21-22 (BSB)“Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’”Paul attributes Saul’s removal and David’s rise to God.
General
What reasons does 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 give for Saul’s death?
Answer: He was unfaithful, sought a medium, and did not seek God
The text gives God’s verdict on Saul’s death. He died because he was unfaithful to the LORD: he failed to obey the LORD’s word, he even went to a medium (someone who claims to contact the dead) to seek direction, and he did not seek guidance from the LORD (10:13-14). Samuel had told Saul that because he rejected the LORD’s word, the LORD had rejected him as king (1 Samuel 15:23). God’s law forbade turning to mediums (Leviticus 19:31), yet Saul sought one out (1 Samuel 28:7). Seeking the LORD is a major theme of Chronicles: David later tells Solomon that those who seek God will find Him, but those who forsake Him will be rejected (1 Chronicles 28:9).
- 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (BSB)“So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”The narrator explains Saul’s death as the result of his unfaithfulness to the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 15:23 (BSB)“For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.””Samuel tells Saul that rejecting the LORD’s word has cost him the kingship.
- Leviticus 19:31 (BSB)“You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.”God’s law forbids turning to mediums, the sin Saul committed.
- 1 Samuel 28:7 (BSB)“Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” “There is a medium at Endor,” his servants replied.”Saul asks his servants to find him a medium to consult.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 (BSB)“As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”Seeking the LORD brings finding Him, while forsaking Him brings rejection.
Theological
On what grounds does 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 explain Saul’s death?
Answer: He was unfaithful, sought a medium, and did not seek God
The narrator states the cause of Saul’s death explicitly: unfaithfulness toward the LORD, expressed in failing to keep His word, consulting a medium, and not seeking the LORD (10:13-14). These charges reach back into Saul’s history: rejection of the LORD’s word brought his rejection as king (1 Samuel 15:23), and he sought out a medium (1 Samuel 28:7) in defiance of the law (Leviticus 19:31). Seeking the LORD, so central to Chronicles, is set out in David’s charge to Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:9); Saul is the negative example at the head of the narrative.
- 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (BSB)“So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”The narrator explains Saul’s death as the result of his unfaithfulness to the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 15:23 (BSB)“For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.””Samuel tells Saul that rejecting the LORD’s word has cost him the kingship.
- Leviticus 19:31 (BSB)“You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.”God’s law forbids turning to mediums, the sin Saul committed.
- 1 Samuel 28:7 (BSB)“Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” “There is a medium at Endor,” his servants replied.”Saul asks his servants to find him a medium to consult.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 (BSB)“As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”Seeking the LORD brings finding Him, while forsaking Him brings rejection.