1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ

116 Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 2007 Editioninsubordination, which had characterized Saul's conduct before Yahweh, led Saul to takehis own life. 324"Isn't it interesting, he's very concerned about his image with the enemybut shows little concern for his relationship with God whom he is about tomeet?" 325Eli too died as a result of a battle with the Philistines. Some of his sons also died (4:17).Eli had served as Israel's high priest unfaithfully for 40 years when he died (4:18), andSaul had served as her king for about 40 years when he died (13:1). Eli fell off his seatand died (4:18), but Saul fell on his sword and died. 326 Both men were disappointments toGod and His people.Saul's armor-bearer also committed suicide in battle, probably because if he had outlivedthe one whom he should have protected with his life, he could have been executed fordereliction of duty. The soldiers who went into battle with Saul also perished. The kingnot only died, but he took many of his own men down with him.The aftermath of the battle 31:7-13The other Israelite soldiers retreated when they heard that Saul and his sons had died.This left towns in the region open for Philistine seizure. Instead of driving the nativeinhabitants out of the land Saul had made it possible for them to drive the Israelites outand to reestablish themselves in Galilee (cf. Josh. 1:2-9).The Philistines cut off Saul's head, as David had earlier cut off the head of Goliath, thePhilistine champion (17:51). They hung it as a trophy in the temple of Dagon (1 Chron.10:10). They circulated Saul's weapons and sent them on a tour of Philistine pagantemples before finally depositing them in the temple of Ashtaroth, their chief femaledeity. David had taken Goliath's head to Jerusalem, and he put his weapons in his owntent at least temporarily (17:54). The giant's sword was in the tabernacle at Nob whenDavid went there (21:9). This book began with scenes from God's temple, but it endswith scenes in the temples of Israel's pagan enemies. David's faith had brought Israelsuccess, but Saul's disobedience had lost it.The Philistines fastened Saul's decapitated corpse on the wall of their nearby town ofBeth-shan. In the ancient Near East the treatment of a corpse was very significant. Ifpeople honored a person, they treated his corpse with care and gave it an honorableburial, but if they did not respect him, they treated his dead body with contempt. ThePhilistines showed great disrespect for Saul by hanging his dead body on the wall ofBeth-shan. This town stood at the east end of the Jezreel Valley near where the battle hadtaken place. Contrast their respect for David in chapter 29.324 Other suicides that the Bible records are Ahithophel's (2 Sam. 17:23), Zimri's (1 Kings 16:18), andJudas' (Matt. 27:5).325 Swindoll, p. 122.326 Youngblood, "1, 2 Samuel," pp. 798-99.