1 Samuel 31:12
in 1 Samuel 31all their men of valor set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.
KJV
All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth–shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 31
Commentary
11 notes on this verseAnd burnt them there - It has been denied that the Hebrews burnt the bodies of the dead, but that they buried them in the earth, or embalmed them, and often burnt spices around them, etc. These no doubt were the common forms of sepulture, but neither of these could be conveniently practiced in the present case. They could not have buried them about Beth-shan without being discovered; and as to embalming, that was most likely out of all question, as doubtless the bodies were now too putrid to bear it.
This site's exposition
heard of that which the Philistines had done
on 1 Samuel 31:11-13
Jabesh-gilead is the one city in the book with a debt to Saul, delivered from Nahash the Ammonite and the threat of a gouged right eye in the first act of his reign, and it becomes the one place that pays a kindness back in full. Its valiant men march all night to take Saul and his sons down from the wall of Beth-shan, an open defiance of the army now settled in the land, then burn the bodies already corrupted by the heat and the days on the wall, bury the bones under a tamarisk, and fast seven days, the length Israel had once kept for Jacob. Samuel's history opens with Saul's finest hour, delivering a besieged city; it closes with that city delivering him, the one unbroken act of gratitude the book records.
This site's exposition
all their men of valor set out
Burning was an unusual way for Hebrews to treat the dead. Albert Barnes thinks the men of Jabesh did it to hide the mutilation of the headless bodies and keep them from further insult. Matthew Henry notes that Saul fell on his sword to escape abuse by the Philistines, and his body suffered it anyway.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
And they walked all night, etc. When the inhabitants of the city of Christ situated on the mountain, Judea, from which they recollected heralds and ministers of salvation had come to them in patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, were treated with contempt and ridicule by the …
They came to Jabesh and burned them there, etc. The corpses, carnal or fleshly bones, signify the strongest and the works of virtues. Therefore, they burned the corpses of Saul and his sons, who left the weaknesses of the downfall of the Jews to divine …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The day of recompence has now come, in which Saul must account for the blood of the Amalekites which he had sinfully spared, and that of the priests which he had more sinfully spilt; that of David too, which he would have spilt, must come into the account.
Saul slew himself to avoid being abused by the Philistines, and never was royal corpse so abused as his was, perhaps the more if they understood that he slew himself for that reason. He that thinks to save his honour by sin will certainly lose it. See to what a height of insolence the Philistines had arrived just before David was raised up, who perfectly subdued them.
All the valiant men arose,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Though, when the wicked perish there is shouting (that is, it is to be hoped a better state of things will ensue, which will be matter of joy), yet humanity obliges us to show a decent respect to dead bodies, especially those of princes.
Out of a particular sense of gratitude to Saul, for his zeal and forwardness to rescue them from the Ammonites when he first came to the throne, ch. xi. It is an evidence of a generous spirit and an encouragement to beneficence when the remembrance of kindnesses is thus retained, and they are thus returned in an extremity.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
burnt them - Burning was not the usual mode of sepulture among the Hebrews. But in this case from a pious desire to disguise the mutilation of the headless corpses, and exempt them from any possible future insult, the men of Jabesh burned the bodies, yet so as to preserve the bones 1Sa 31:13; 2Sa 21:12.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And burned them there. [Targum renders,] "And they burned for them. I.e., they burned incense to cover the odor and prevent the decay of the bodies.—Radak as they burn for the kings there.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
About him. Meaning the same as עָלָיו [about him], i.e., about Shaul.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּק֜וּמוּ | vaiyakumu | and they arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| חַיִל֮ | chayil | strength | H2428 → | 246 times |
| וַיֵּלְכ֣וּ | vaiyelekhu | and they went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| כָל־ | khol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַלַּיְלָה֒ | halaylah | the night | H3915 → | 233 times |
| וַיִּקְח֞וּ | vaiyikchu | and they took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| גְּוִיַּ֣ת | geviyat | [the] corpse of | H1472 → | 13 times |
| שָׁא֗וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| וְאֵת֙ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| גְּוִיֹּ֣ת | geviyot | [the] corpses of | H1472 → | 13 times |
| בָּנָ֔יו | banav | sons his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| מֵחוֹמַ֖ת | mechomat | from [the] wall of | H2346 → | 133 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | Beth | H1052 → | 18 times |
| שָׁ֑ן | shan | Shan | H1052 → | 18 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ | vaiyavou | and they went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| יָבֵ֔שָׁה | yaveshah | Jabesh towards | H3003 → | 24 times |
| וַיִּשְׂרְפ֥וּ | vaiyisrefu | and they burned | H8313 → | 117 times |
| אֹתָ֖ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שָֽׁם׃ | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
וַיָּק֜וּמוּand they arose
vaiyakumuH6965 →628 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אִ֣ישׁman of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
חַיִל֮strength
chayilH2428 →246 times
וַיֵּלְכ֣וּand they went
vaiyelekhuH1980 →1546 times
כָל־all
khol-H3605 →5413 times
הַלַּיְלָה֒the night
halaylahH3915 →233 times
וַיִּקְח֞וּand they took
vaiyikchuH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
גְּוִיַּ֣ת[the] corpse of
geviyatH1472 →13 times
שָׁא֗וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
וְאֵת֙and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
גְּוִיֹּ֣ת[the] corpses of
geviyotH1472 →13 times
בָּנָ֔יוsons his
banavH1121 →4930 times
מֵחוֹמַ֖תfrom [the] wall of
mechomatH2346 →133 times
בֵּ֣יתBeth
beitH1052 →18 times
שָׁ֑ןShan
shanH1052 →18 times
וַיָּבֹ֣אוּand they went
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
יָבֵ֔שָׁהJabesh towards
yaveshahH3003 →24 times
וַיִּשְׂרְפ֥וּand they burned
vaiyisrefuH8313 →117 times
אֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
שָֽׁם׃there
shamH8033 →834 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Amos 6:10And when the relative who is to burn the bodies picks them up to remove them from the house, he will call to one inside, “Is anyone else with you?” “None,” that person will…
it leads to
- Amos 8:3
“In that day,” declares the Lord GOD, “the songs of the temple will turn to wailing. Many will be the corpses, strewn in silence everywhere!”
- Ezekiel 20:39
And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you…
- Amos 5:13
Therefore, the prudent keep silent in such times, for the days are evil.
- Amos 8:3
Through
Jeremiah 34:5you will die in peace. As spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so people will burn spices for you and lament, ‘Alas, O master!’ For I Myself have…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 22:18
Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: “They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’ They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas,…
- 2 Chronicles 16:14
And he was buried in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier that was full of spices and various blended perfumes;…
- Jeremiah 22:18
Through
2 Chronicles 16:14And he was buried in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier that was full of spices and various blended perfumes;…
it leads to
- Genesis 50:2
And Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So they embalmed him,
- 2 Chronicles 21:19
This continued day after day until two full years had passed. Finally, his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died in severe pain. And his people did not make a fire…
- Jeremiah 34:5
you will die in peace. As spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so people will burn spices for you and lament, ‘Alas, O master!’ For I Myself have…
- Genesis 50:2
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.