1 Samuel 31:1
Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
Original Language Analysis
פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים
Now the Philistines
H6430
פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים
Now the Philistines
Strong's:
H6430
Word #:
1 of 12
a pelishtite or inhabitant of pelesheth
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙
against Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙
against Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
3 of 12
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
וַיָּנֻ֜סוּ
fled
H5127
וַיָּנֻ֜סוּ
fled
Strong's:
H5127
Word #:
4 of 12
to flit, i.e., vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)
אַנְשֵׁ֤י
H376
אַנְשֵׁ֤י
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
5 of 12
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙
against Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙
against Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
6 of 12
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
מִפְּנֵ֣י
from before
H6440
מִפְּנֵ֣י
from before
Strong's:
H6440
Word #:
7 of 12
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi
פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים
Now the Philistines
H6430
פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים
Now the Philistines
Strong's:
H6430
Word #:
8 of 12
a pelishtite or inhabitant of pelesheth
וַיִּפְּל֥וּ
and fell down
H5307
וַיִּפְּל֥וּ
and fell down
Strong's:
H5307
Word #:
9 of 12
to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
חֲלָלִ֖ים
slain
H2491
חֲלָלִ֖ים
slain
Strong's:
H2491
Word #:
10 of 12
pierced (especially to death); figuratively, polluted
Cross References
1 Samuel 28:4And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.2 Samuel 1:21Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.
Historical Context
The Battle of Gilboa (approximately 1010 BCE) marked the end of the first Israelite monarchy and Philistine domination of significant territory. The defeat's magnitude reshaped the political landscape of Canaan.
Questions for Reflection
- How do simultaneous events sometimes serve connected divine purposes?
- What does the timing of David's victory and Saul's defeat reveal about God's orchestration?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The final chapter of 1 Samuel brings the interwoven narratives to their tragic conclusion. While David recovered his families and distributed spoil, the battle at Gilboa decided Israel's immediate future. The Hebrew 'wayyanusu' (fled) and 'wayyippelu chalalim' (fell slain) describe military disaster. The contrast between David's victory and Israel's defeat could not be sharper. As David rises, Saul falls. God's sovereign ordering of events removes the barrier to David's succession while fulfilling Samuel's prophecy.