1 Samuel 31:2

1 Samuel 31:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi–shua, Saul’s sons.
• New International Version (NIV)The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons.

Context of 1 Samuel 31:2

1The Philistines fought against the Israelites. The Israelites ran away, and the Philistines killed many of them on Gilboa mountain. The Philistines chased after Saul and his sons to catch them. They killed Saul's sons, Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. 3The Philistines were fighting the battle all around Saul. Some of their soldiers saw Saul and they shot their arrows at him. The arrows hurt Saul very much and he was nearly dead. 4He said to the young man who carried his armour, ‘Kill me now with your sword. I do not want these foreign men to be cruel to me as they kill me.’ But the young man would not agree to kill Saul because he was too afraid. So Saul took his own sword and he threw himself onto it so that he died.

1 Samuel 31:2 word by word

וַיַּדְבְּק֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים אֶת־שָׁא֖וּל וְאֶת־בָּנָ֑יו וַיַּכּ֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים אֶת־יְהוֹנָתָ֧ן וְאֶת־אֲבִינָדָ֛ב וְאֶת־מַלְכִּי־שׁ֖וּעַ בְּנֵ֥י שָׁאֽוּל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• followed hardדָּבַקdâbaq · to cleaveH1692
• upon Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• and upon his sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• slewנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• Jonathanיְהוֹנָתָןyehônâthân · JonathanH3083
• and Abinadabאֲבִינָדָב'ăbîynâdâb · AbinadabH41
• and Malchi–shuaמַלְכִּישׁוּעַmalkîyshûa‛ · Malchi-shuaH4444

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 31:2

• 1 Samuel 14:22The Israelite soldiers who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim also heard the news. When they knew that the Philistine soldiers were running away, they chased after them as well.
• 2 Samuel 1:6The young man said, ‘I was on Gilboa mountain. I saw Saul there. He had to use his spear like a stick to help him to stand. The enemy army with its horses and chariots were getting very near to him.
• 1 Samuel 13:2He chose 3,000 men from Israel's army to be with him. 2,000 of those men stayed with him at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel. Then 1,000 men were with his son Jonathan at Gibeah, in the land of Benjamin's tribe. Saul sent all the other men of the army back to their homes.
• 1 Samuel 14:1A young man carried the armour of Saul's son Jonathan. One day, Jonathan said to the young man, ‘Come with me. We will go over to the place where the Philistine soldiers have their camp.’ But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.
• 1 Samuel 18:1David finished talking with Saul. After that, Saul's son Jonathan became a very good friend of David. Jonathan loved David as much as he loved his own life.
• 1 Samuel 23:17Jonathan said to David, ‘Do not be afraid. My father will never be able to hurt you. You will be the next king to rule over Israel. I will be your most important officer. My father Saul also knows that is true.’
• 1 Chronicles 8:33Ner became the father of Kish. Kish became the father of Saul. Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal.
• 1 Chronicles 9:39Ner became the father of Kish. Kish became the father of Saul. Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal.
• Exodus 20:5You must not bend down your head to any idol or worship it. I am the Lord your God and I want you to belong to me alone. I will punish children because of the bad things that their fathers have done. I will also punish their children and their grandchildren too. That is how I will punish everyone who turns against me.
• 2 Kings 25:7They killed all Zedekiah's sons as their punishment, while Zedekiah watched. Then they cut out Zedekiah's eyes to make him blind. They tied him with chains and they took him to Babylon.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 31:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons - They, seeing the discomfiture of their troops, were determined to sell their lives as dear as possible, and therefore maintained the battle till the three brothers were slain.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Jonathan … Malkishua: See 1 Samuel 14:49. This is the first mention of Saul’s son Abinadab (compare 1 Chronicles 8:33; 9:39).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-71Sa 31:1-7. Saul Having Lost His Army at Gilboa, and His Sons Being Slain, He and His Armor-bearer Kill Themselves. 1. Now the Philistines fought against Israel--In a regular engagement, in which the two armies met (1Sa 28:1-4), the Israelites were forced to give way, being annoyed by the arrows of the enemy, which, destroying them at a distance before they came to close combat, threw them into panic and disorder. Taking advantage of the heights of Mount…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 31:2

• Abinadab
• Archery
• Gilboa
• Jezreel
• Jonathan
• Melchishua

In the dictionaries

• Jonathan
• Philistines
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Malchi-Shua
• Abinadab
• Gilboa
• Hit
• Jezreel, Valley of
• Malchishua

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings