1 Samuel 31:9

1 Samuel 31:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.
• New International Version (NIV)They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines, to proclaim it in the temple of their idols and among the people.

Context of 1 Samuel 31:9

7The Israelites who lived in the Jezreel valley and on the other side of the Jordan River saw what happened. They saw that the Israelite army had run away from the Philistines. They saw that Saul and his sons were dead. So they left their towns and they ran away. Then the Philistines came to live in those towns. 8The day after the battle, the Philistines came to take all the valuable things from the dead soldiers. They found the dead bodies of Saul and his three sons on Gilboa mountain. They cut off Saul's head and they removed his armour. Then they sent men through all the country of the Philistines with the news of Saul's death. These men told the news everywhere that the Philistine people lived and in the temples of their idols. 10They put Saul's armour in the temple of their god Ashtoreth. Then they hung Saul's dead body on the wall of Beth Shan town. 11The Israelites who lived in Jabesh Gilead heard about what the Philistines had done to Saul's body.

1 Samuel 31:9 word by word

וַֽיִּכְרְתוּ֙ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֔וֹ וַיַּפְשִׁ֖יטוּ אֶת־כֵּלָ֑יו וַיְשַׁלְּח֨וּ בְאֶֽרֶץ־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֜ים סָבִ֗יב לְבַשֵּׂ֛ר בֵּ֥ית עֲצַבֵּיהֶ֖ם וְאֶת־הָעָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
• his headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• and stripped offפָּשַׁטpâshaţ · to stripH6584
• his armourכְּלִיkelîy · article/utensilH3627
• and sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• into the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• round aboutסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · around: wholeH5439
• to publishבָּשַׂרbâώar · to bear tidingsH1319
• the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• of their idolsעָצָב‛âtsâb · idolH6091
• and among the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 31:9

• 1 Samuel 31:4He 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 17:51David then ran and stood over Goliath. He pulled Goliath's sword out and he killed him. Then he used it to cut off Goliath's head. The Philistines saw that their best soldier was now dead. So they ran away.
• 1 Chronicles 10:9They removed everything from Saul's dead body. They took away his head and his weapons. Then they sent men through all the country of the Philistines with the news of Saul's death. These men told the news to all their people and to their idols as well.
• Judges 16:23One day, the rulers of the Philistines met together to have a big feast. They offered a great sacrifice to their god, Dagon. They said, ‘Dagon has put our enemy, Samson, under our power.’
• 2 Samuel 1:20Do not tell the people in Gath about it. Do not tell the news in the streets of Ashkelon. If you do, the daughters of the Philistines will sing with joy. Yes, those foreign people who do not worship God will be happy.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 31:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9And they cut off his head - It is possible that they cut off the heads of his three sons likewise; for although only his head is said to be cut off, and his body only to be fastened to the walls of Beth-shan, yet we find that the men of Jabesh-gilead found both his body and the bodies of his three sons, fastened to the walls, 1 Samuel 31:12. Perhaps they only took off Saul's head, which they sent about to their temples as a trophy of their victory, when…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-13Verses 8-13 The Scripture makes no mention what became of the souls of Saul and his sons, after they were dead; but of their bodies only: secret things belong not to us. It is of little consequence by what means we die, or what is done with our dead bodies. If our souls are saved, our bodies will be raised incorruptible and glorious; but not to fear His wrath, who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell, is the extreme of folly and wickedness. How…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9In the ancient world, people saw the death of an enemy king as good news. They believed it meant that the enemy’s god had been defeated. The Philistines did not realize that their victory would not last and would bring them no real gain. David, the Lord’s true anointed king, would soon come to power and defeat the Philistines. Instead of defeating Israel’s God, the Philistines were unknowingly carrying out his purpose.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-98-9. on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen--On discovering the corpses of the slaughtered princes on the battlefield, the enemy reserved them for special indignities. They consecrated the armor of the king and his sons to the temple of Ashtaroth fastened their bodies on the temple of Shen, while they fixed the royal heads ignominiously in the temple of Dagon (1Ch 10:10); thus dividing…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 31:9

• Trophies

In the dictionaries

• Philistines
• Hit
• Achish
• Chronicles, Books of
• Esdraelon, Plain of
• Jabesh-Gilead
• Samuel, Books of
• War; Warfare
• David
• Saul

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