Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 10:8
And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
1Ch 10:8-10
And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul.
A good beginning with a bad ending
Many men begin with influential parentage, social station, ample education, pecuniary competence, yet they travel a downhill road, falling first into neglect and then into oblivion. Physical greatness, social security, public applause are being continually rebuked, humiliated, and put to shame. The proverb wisely says, Call no man happy until he is dead. The meaning is that at the very best a man may make a slip which will bring his whole life into degradation in every sense of the term. There is but a step between man and death–not physical death only, but the death of character, reputation, and influence. It remains with each man to say whether a good beginning shall have a good ending. This is a question of personal discipline, holy fellowship with God, and an acceptance of all processes which have been divinely established for the training and sanctification of man. The word comes with special urgency to young persons, to men of influence, to successful men, and to all who are plied by the temptations incident to high station and wide influence. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
[See comments on 1Sa 31:8]
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
On the following day the Philistines, in their search among the fallen, found and plundered the bodies of Saul and of his sons, and sent the head and the armour of Saul round about the land of the Philistines, to proclaim the news of their victory to their people and their gods. That for this purpose they cut off Saul’s head from the trunk, is, as being a matter of course, not specially mentioned. In regard to the other discrepancies between the two texts, both in 1Ch 10:8-10 and in the account of the burial of Saul and of his sons by valiant men of Jabesh, 1Ch 10:11, 1Ch 10:12, cf. the commentary on 1Sa 31:8-13. In the reflection on Saul’s death, 1Ch 10:13 and 1Ch 10:14, a double transgression against the Lord on Saul’s part is mentioned: first, the (on the meaning of this word, vide on Lev 5:15) of not observing the word of Jahve, which refers to the transgression of the divine command made known to him by the prophet Samuel, 1Sa 13:8. (cf. with 1Ch 10:8), and 1Sa 15:2-3, 1Sa 15:11, cf. 1Sa 28:18; and second, his inquiring of the , the summoner of the dead ( vide on Lev 19:31), , i.e., to receive an oracle (cf. in reference to both word and thing, 1Sa 28:7).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa. 9 And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people. 10 And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon. 11 And when all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days. 13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; 14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.
Here, I. From the triumph of the Philistines over the body of Saul we may learn, 1. That the greater dignity men are advanced to the greater disgrace they are in danger of falling into. Saul’s dead body, because he was king, was abused more than any other of the slain. Advancement makes men a mark for malice. 2. That, if we give not to God the glory of our successes, even the Philistines will rise up in judgment against us and condemn us; for, when they had obtained a victory over Saul, they sent tidings to their idols–poor idols, that knew not what was done a few miles off till the tidings were brought to them, nor then either! They also put Saul’s armour in the house of their gods, v. 10. Shall Dagon have so honourable a share in their triumphs and the true and living God be forgotten in ours?
II. From the triumph of the men of Jabesh-Gilead in the rescue of the bodies of Saul and his sons we learn that there is a respect due to the remains of the deceased, especially of deceased princes. We are not to enquire concerning the eternal state; that must be left to God: but we must treat the dead body as those who remember it has been united to an immortal soul and must be so again.
III. From the triumphs of divine Justice in the ruin of Saul we may learn, 1. That the sin of sinners will certainly find them out, sooner or later: Saul died for his transgression. 2. That no man’s greatness can exempt him from the judgments of God. 3. Disobedience is a killing thing. Saul died for not keeping the word of the Lord, by which he was ordered to destroy the Amalekites. 4. Consulting with witches is a sin that fills the measure of iniquity as soon as any thing. Saul enquired of one that had a familiar spirit, and enquired not of the Lord, therefore he slew him,1Ch 10:13; 1Ch 10:14. Saul slew himself, and yet it is said, God slew him. What is done by wicked hands is yet done by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. Those that abandon themselves to the devil shall be abandoned to him; so shall their doom be. It is said (1 Sam. xxviii. 6) that Saul did enquire of the Lord and he answered him not: but here it is said, Saul did not enquire of God; for he did not till he was brought to the last extremity, and then it was too late.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
(8) His sons.Samuel, his three sons. Otherwise the two verses are word for word the same.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
The Triumph of the Philistines
v. 8. And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, v. 9. v. 10. And they put his armor in the house of their gods, v. 11. And when all Jabesh-gilead, v. 12. they arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, v. 13. So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, v. 14. and enquired not of the Lord,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
What an humbling lesson is here read to great men! The body of Saul, the first king of Israel, and who had slain his thousands, as the Song of Israel proclaimed, to be thus made a spectacle of derision to men, and the subject of song himself to a contemptible dunghill god of the Philistines!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Ch 10:8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
Ver. 8. And it came to pass on the morrow. ] They flew not on the spoil, till they had secured the victory: for
“ Victorem a victo superari saepe videmus. ”
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
to strip: 1Sa 31:8, 2Ki 3:23, 2Ch 20:25
Reciprocal: 2Sa 1:21 – mountains 2Sa 21:12 – in Gilboa 1Ch 10:1 – mount