Saul said to his arms-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, so that these uncircumcised may not come and make sport of me.” But his arms-bearer, out of great awe, refused; whereupon Saul grasped the sword and fell upon it.
And when everyone on Israel’s side in the valley saw that their armyctheir army Heb. “they.” had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled; the Philistines then came and occupied them.
They stripped him, and carried off his head and his armor, and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the news to their idols and among the people.
the stalwarts among them set out, removed the bodies of Saul and his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. They buried the bones under the oak tree in Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days.
וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים נִלְחֲמ֣וּ בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיָּ֤נׇס אִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיִּפְּל֥וּ חֲלָלִ֖ים בְּהַ֥ר גִּלְבֹּֽעַ׃
aCf. 1 Sam. 31.1–13. The Philistines attacked Israel, and Israel’s side fled before the Philistines—and [many] fell on Mount Gilboa.
וַיַּדְבְּק֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים אַחֲרֵ֥י שָׁא֖וּל וְאַחֲרֵ֣י בָנָ֑יו וַיַּכּ֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים אֶת־יוֹנָתָ֧ן וְאֶת־אֲבִינָדָ֛ב וְאֶת־מַלְכִּישׁ֖וּעַ בְּנֵ֥י שָׁאֽוּל׃
The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, sons of Saul.
וַתִּכְבַּ֤ד הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ עַל־שָׁא֔וּל וַיִּמְצָאֻ֖הוּ הַמּוֹרִ֣ים בַּקָּ֑שֶׁת וַיָּ֖חֶל מִן־הַיּוֹרִֽים׃
The battle raged around Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was woundedbwounded Meaning of Heb. uncertain. by the archers.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁאוּל֩ אֶל־נֹשֵׂ֨א כֵלָ֜יו שְׁלֹ֥ף חַרְבְּךָ֣ ׀ וְדׇקְרֵ֣נִי בָ֗הּ פֶּן־יָבֹ֜אוּ הָעֲרֵלִ֤ים הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ וְהִתְעַלְּלוּ־בִ֔י וְלֹ֤א אָבָה֙ נֹשֵׂ֣א כֵלָ֔יו כִּ֥י יָרֵ֖א מְאֹ֑ד {ס} וַיִּקַּ֤ח שָׁאוּל֙ אֶת־הַחֶ֔רֶב וַיִּפֹּ֖ל עָלֶֽיהָ׃
Saul said to his arms-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, so that these uncircumcised may not come and make sport of me.” But his arms-bearer, out of great awe, refused; whereupon Saul grasped the sword and fell upon it.
וַיַּ֥רְא נֹשֵֽׂא־כֵלָ֖יו כִּ֣י מֵ֣ת שָׁא֑וּל וַיִּפֹּ֥ל גַּם־ה֛וּא עַל־הַחֶ֖רֶב וַיָּמֹֽת׃ {ס}
When the arms-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died.
וַיָּ֤מׇת שָׁאוּל֙ וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת בָּנָ֔יו וְכׇל־בֵּית֖וֹ יַחְדָּ֥ו מֵֽתוּ׃
Thus Saul and his three sons and his entire house died together.
וַ֠יִּרְא֠וּ כׇּל־אִ֨ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־בָּעֵ֙מֶק֙ כִּ֣י נָ֔סוּ וְכִי־מֵ֖תוּ שָׁא֣וּל וּבָנָ֑יו וַיַּעַזְב֤וּ עָֽרֵיהֶם֙ וַיָּנֻ֔סוּ וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ בָּהֶֽם׃ {ס}
And when everyone on Israel’s side in the valley saw that their armyctheir army Heb. “they.” had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled; the Philistines then came and occupied them.
וַֽיְהִי֙ מִֽמׇּחֳרָ֔ת וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים לְפַשֵּׁ֖ט אֶת־הַחֲלָלִ֑ים וַֽיִּמְצְא֤וּ אֶת־שָׁאוּל֙ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֔יו נֹפְלִ֖ים בְּהַ֥ר גִּלְבֹּֽעַ׃
The next day the Philistines came to strip the slain, and they found Saul and his sons lying on Mount Gilboa.
וַיַּ֨פְשִׁיטֻ֔הוּ וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֖וֹ וְאֶת־כֵּלָ֑יו וַיְשַׁלְּח֨וּ בְאֶרֶץ־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֜ים סָבִ֗יב לְבַשֵּׂ֛ר אֶת־עֲצַבֵּיהֶ֖ם וְאֶת־הָעָֽם׃
They stripped him, and carried off his head and his armor, and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the news to their idols and among the people.
וַיָּשִׂ֙ימוּ֙ אֶת־כֵּלָ֔יו בֵּ֖ית אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם וְאֶת־גֻּלְגׇּלְתּ֥וֹ תָקְע֖וּ בֵּ֥ית דָּגֽוֹן׃ {ס}
They placed his armor in the temple of their god, and they impaled his head in the temple of Dagan.
וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֔וּ כֹּ֖ל יָבֵ֣ישׁ גִּלְעָ֑ד אֵ֛ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֥וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים לְשָׁאֽוּל׃
When all Jabesh-gilead heard everything that the Philistines had done to Saul,
וַיָּק֘וּמוּ֮ כׇּל־אִ֣ישׁ חַ֒יִל֒ וַיִּשְׂא֞וּ אֶת־גּוּפַ֣ת שָׁא֗וּל וְאֵת֙ גּוּפֹ֣ת בָּנָ֔יו וַיְבִיא֖וּם יָבֵ֑ישָׁה וַיִּקְבְּר֨וּ אֶת־עַצְמוֹתֵיהֶ֜ם תַּ֤חַת הָֽאֵלָה֙ בְּיָבֵ֔שׁ וַיָּצ֖וּמוּ שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃
the stalwarts among them set out, removed the bodies of Saul and his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. They buried the bones under the oak tree in Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days.
וַיָּ֣מׇת שָׁא֗וּל בְּמַֽעֲלוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר מָעַ֣ל בַּיהֹוָ֔ה עַל־דְּבַ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־שָׁמָ֑ר וְגַם־לִשְׁא֥וֹל בָּא֖וֹב לִדְרֽוֹשׁ׃
Saul died for the trespass that he had committed against GOD in not having fulfilled GOD’s command. Moreover, he had consulted a ghost to seek advice,
וְלֹא־דָרַ֥שׁ בַּיהֹוָ֖ה וַיְמִיתֵ֑הוּ וַיַּסֵּב֙ אֶת־הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה לְדָוִ֖יד בֶּן־יִשָֽׁי׃ {פ}
and did not seek advice of GOD, who had him slain—and had the kingdom transferred to David son of Jesse.