The Death of Saul at Gilboa
On the eve of battle Saul gets no answer from God by any means, and — having himself banned the practice — goes in disguise to a medium at Endor and asks her to bring up Samuel. The scene is eerie and the message is bleak: tomorrow you and your sons will be with me.
The battle on Mount Gilboa goes against Israel. Jonathan and two of his brothers are killed, Saul is badly wounded by archers, and asks his armour-bearer to finish him rather than be taken. The man refuses, and Saul falls on his own sword. The Philistines fasten his body to the wall of Beth-shan, and the men of Jabesh-gilead march through the night to take it down.
David's lament for both men — how the mighty have fallen — is remarkable for its grief over the king who had hunted him.
Where in scripture
[3] Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. Saul had sent away those who had familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land. [4] The Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and encamped in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped in Gilboa. [5] When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. [6] When Saul inquired of Yahweh, Yahweh didn’t answer him by dreams, by Urim, or by prophets. [7] Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her.” His servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman who has a familiar spirit at Endor.” …
1 Samuel 28:3–25 — opening verses
[1] Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa. [2] The Philistines overtook Saul and on his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. [3] The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers. [4] Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me!” But his armor bearer would not; for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell on it. [5] When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him. …
1 Samuel 31:1–13 — opening verses
[17] David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son [18] (and he commanded them to teach the children of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar): [19] “Your glory, Israel, was slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! [20] Don’t tell it in Gath. Don’t publish it in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. [21] You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain on you, and no fields of offerings; For there the shield of the mighty was defiled and cast away, The shield of Saul was not anointed with oil. [22] From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, Jonathan’s bow didn’t turn back. Saul’s sword didn’t return empty. …
2 Samuel 1:17–27 — opening verses
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
