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

7When the people of Israel on the other side of the valley and across the Jordan River saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities. So the Philistines came to live in these cities. 8The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons lying on Mount Gilboa. They cut off his head and stripped off his armor. Then they sent men throughout Philistine territory to tell the people this good news in their idols’ temples. 10They put his armor in the temple of their goddesses—the Asherahs—and fastened his corpse to the wall of Beth Shan. 11When the people living in Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

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 31:4Saul told his armorbearer, “Draw your sword! Stab me, or these godless men will come, stab me, and make fun of me.” But his armorbearer refused because he was terrified. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.
• 1 Samuel 17:51David ran and stood over the Philistine. He took Goliath’s sword, pulled it out of its sheath, and made certain the Philistine was dead by cutting off his head. When the Philistines saw their hero had been killed, they fled.
• 1 Chronicles 10:9They stripped him and took his head and his armor. Then they sent men throughout Philistine territory to tell their idols and the people this good news.
• Judges 16:23Now, the Philistine rulers gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon and to celebrate. They said, “Our god handed Samson, our enemy, over to us.”
• 2 Samuel 1:20Don’t tell the news in Gath. Don’t announce the victory in the streets of Ashkelon, or the daughters of the Philistines will be glad, and the daughters of godless men will celebrate.

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