1 Samuel 31:8-13
31:8 a The victorious army would strip the dead to search for anything valuable (such as clothing, weapons, or jewelry) on the corpses.31:9 b In the ancient world, the death of an enemy king was good news, for it meant that the enemy’s god had been defeated. However, little did the Philistines know that their victory would be short-lived and hollow. David, the Lord’s true anointed king, would soon come to power and pay back the Philistines mightily. Far from defeating Israel’s God, the Philistines were simply fulfilling his purpose.
31:10 c the Ashtoreths: See 7:3 d.
• fastened his body: This practice further degraded the executed person by depriving him of proper burial. It also served as a deterrent to other potential enemies (see also Gen 40:19 e; Deut 21:21-22 f; Josh 10:26 g; Esth 9:6-14 h).
• Beth-shan was a short distance east of Mount Gilboa.
31:11 i The people of Jabesh-gilead were returning the favor Saul had done for them when he saved them from the Ammonites and their king Nahash (11:1-13 j). Jabesh-gilead was about twelve miles southeast of Beth-shan and across the Jordan River.
31:12 k burned the bodies: Cremation was rare. It is possible the bodies were burned because decomposition had already set in.
31:13 l bones ... Jabesh: This was not the final resting place of Saul’s remains (see 2 Sam 21:12-14 m).
• The ending of 1 Samuel brings Israel’s history back to the situation at the end of Judges, when “Israel had no king.” Once again, the Philistines were in control. David had God’s anointing but no crown. He had wives but no sons. His affiliation with the hated Philistines might jeopardize his standing among his own people. David’s future path would be challenging, but God was clearly with him.
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