1 Samuel 31:4
Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
1 Samuel 31:4 in other translations
| BSB | Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run it through me, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. |
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| WEB | 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. |
| ASV | Then said Saul to his armorbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armorbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell upon it. |
| YLT | and Saul saith to the bearer of his weapons, ‘Draw thy sword, and pierce me with it, lest they come--these uncircumcised--and have pierced me, and rolled themselves on me;' and the bearer of his weapons hath not been willing, for he is greatly afraid, and Saul taketh the sword, and falleth upon it. |
| DARBY | Then said Saul to his armour-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armour-bearer would not; for he was much afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it. |
| BBE | Then Saul said to the servant who had the care of his arms, Take out your sword and put it through me, before these men without circumcision come and make sport of me. But his servant, full of fear, would not do so. Then Saul took out his sword, and falling on it, put an end to himself. |
| Webster | Then said Saul to his armor-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through with it; lest these uncircumcised should come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armor-bearer would not; for he was exceedingly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. |
What does 1 Samuel 31:4 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 31:3-5
3-5. the battle went sore against Saul, &c.--He seems to have bravely maintained his ground for some time longer; but exhausted with fatigue and loss of blood, and dreading that if he fell alive into the enemy's hands, they would insolently maltreat him (Jos 8:29; 10:24; Jud 8:21), he requested his armor bearer to despatch him. However, that officer refused to do so. Saul then falling on the point of his sword…
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 31:1-7
Saul's body rescued by the men of Jabesh-gilead. (8-13) Verses 1-7 We cannot judge of the spiritual or eternal state of any by the manner of their death; for in that, there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked. Saul, when sorely wounded, and unable to resist or to flee, expressed no concern about his never-dying soul; but only desired that the Philistines might not insult over him, or put him to pain, and…
1 Samuel 31:4 in the original Hebrew
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Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for 1 Samuel 31:4
- Judges 9:54
Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
- 2 Samuel 1:9-10
He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.
- 2 Samuel 1:6
And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
- 2 Samuel 17:23
And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
- 2 Samuel 1:20
Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
- 1 Kings 16:27
Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he shewed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
- 1 Chronicles 10:4
Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
- 2 Samuel 1:14
And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?
- 1 Samuel 14:6
And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.
- 1 Samuel 17:26
And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
- Judges 14:3
Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
- 1 Samuel 17:36
Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jud 9:54; 1Ch 10:4
uncircumcised.
14:6; 17:26,36; 2Sa 1:20; Jer 9:25,26; Eze 44:7-9
abuse me. or, mock me. he was sore.
2Sa 1:14
Saul.
2Sa 1:9,10; 17:23; 1Ki 16:27
a sword.{Eth hacherve,} rather, "the sword," i.e., his armour- bearer's, who, according to the Jews, was Doeg; and if so, then Saul and his executioner fell by the same sword with which they massacred the priests of God.
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- 1 Samuel 31:3
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
- 1 Samuel 31:4
Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
- 1 Samuel 31:5
And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
1 Samuel 31:4 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Entonces dijo Saúl á su escudero: Saca tu espada, y pásame con ella, porque no vengan estos incircuncisos, y me pasen, y me escarnezcan. Mas su escudero no quería, porque tenía gran temor. Entonces tomó Saúl la espada, y echóse sobre ella. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Et Saül dit à celui qui portait ses armes: Tire ton épée et perce-m’en, de peur que ces incirconcis ne viennent et ne me percent, et ne m’outragent. Et celui qui portait ses armes ne voulut pas le faire, car il avait très peur. Et Saül prit son épée et se jeta dessus. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Da sprach Saul zu seinem Waffenträger: Ziehe dein Schwert und durchbohre mich damit, daß nicht diese Unbeschnittenen kommen und mich durchbohren und mich mißhandeln! Sein Waffenträger aber wollte nicht, denn er fürchtete sich sehr. Da nahm Saul das Schwert und stürzte sich darein. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Dixitque Saul ad armigerum suum: Evagina gladium tuum, et percute me: ne forte veniant incircumcisi isti, et interficiant me, illudentes mihi. Et noluit armiger ejus: fuerat enim nimio terrore perterritus. Arripuit itaque Saul gladium, et irruit super eum. |