1 Samuel 31:7-10 King James Version (KJV)
7 And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.
10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.
Easy English Bible
7 Israelites lived in the Jezreel valley and across the river Jordan. They saw that the Israelite army had run away. Then people told them that Saul and his sons were dead. So these Israelites left their towns and they ran away. Then the Philistines came and they lived there.
8 The next day, the Philistines came to take all the valuable things from the dead soldiers. They found the dead bodies of Saul and his three sons on the mountain of Gilboa. 9 They cut off Saul’s head and they took off his armour. Then they sent men through all the country of the Philistines with the news. These men took the message into the temples of their idols and to the Philistine people. 10 They put Saul’s armour in the temple of the female god called Ashtoreth. Then they hung Saul’s dead body on the wall of Beth-shan.
© Wycliffe Associates (UK), 1997-2008
These are my thoughts, please share yours.
7 The Jordan River lays within a valley they were on the other side of this river within this valley. Israel ran because they were losing the war and were without the leadership they were looking to, Saul. They deserted the cities and gave them to the Philistines. They freely gave up their lands; David by following God would later regain this land.
8 They found the bodies of Saul and his sons, part of the reason Saul wanted to die was so he would not become a disgrace, this was going to happen with his body. They came to take what they wanted to because they won the battle, they were going to take whatever they found useful.
9 To cut off his head was to prove that he was dead, David did this to Goliath. They took his things for themselves, this was proud that they had killed the king of Israel. They went to houses of their worship, they gave their gods praise.
10 The put his things in their temples as trophies to their god, we see also in 1 Chr 10 that his head was put in another temple to another one of their gods. Tying his body to a wall showed Israel that they lost the battle and was to warn them that they should not let it happen again.
7 And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.
10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.
Easy English Bible
7 Israelites lived in the Jezreel valley and across the river Jordan. They saw that the Israelite army had run away. Then people told them that Saul and his sons were dead. So these Israelites left their towns and they ran away. Then the Philistines came and they lived there.
8 The next day, the Philistines came to take all the valuable things from the dead soldiers. They found the dead bodies of Saul and his three sons on the mountain of Gilboa. 9 They cut off Saul’s head and they took off his armour. Then they sent men through all the country of the Philistines with the news. These men took the message into the temples of their idols and to the Philistine people. 10 They put Saul’s armour in the temple of the female god called Ashtoreth. Then they hung Saul’s dead body on the wall of Beth-shan.
© Wycliffe Associates (UK), 1997-2008
These are my thoughts, please share yours.
7 The Jordan River lays within a valley they were on the other side of this river within this valley. Israel ran because they were losing the war and were without the leadership they were looking to, Saul. They deserted the cities and gave them to the Philistines. They freely gave up their lands; David by following God would later regain this land.
8 They found the bodies of Saul and his sons, part of the reason Saul wanted to die was so he would not become a disgrace, this was going to happen with his body. They came to take what they wanted to because they won the battle, they were going to take whatever they found useful.
9 To cut off his head was to prove that he was dead, David did this to Goliath. They took his things for themselves, this was proud that they had killed the king of Israel. They went to houses of their worship, they gave their gods praise.
10 The put his things in their temples as trophies to their god, we see also in 1 Chr 10 that his head was put in another temple to another one of their gods. Tying his body to a wall showed Israel that they lost the battle and was to warn them that they should not let it happen again.