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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)So they cut off Saul’s head and stripped off his armor. Then they proclaimed the good news of Saul’s death in their pagan temple and to the people throughout the land of Philistia.

Context of 1 Samuel 31:9

7When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them. 8The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 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. 10They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan. 11When the people of 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 said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.” But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
• 1 Samuel 17:51David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.
• 1 Chronicles 10:9They stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news among their idols and their people.
• Judges 16:23Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, “Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.”
• 2 Samuel 1:20“Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.

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