841 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it was [so] from that day forward,.... Or "upwards" (x), of old, formerly; and so may refer either to what was done at the war with Midian, Numbers 31:27; or in the times of Abraham, Genesis 14:23; and so Jarchi observes, it is not said, "henceforward", but "upwards", it being a statute and custom in the days of Abraham; the same he notes on...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when David came to Ziklag,.... Perhaps with an intention to rebuild it, and make it still the place of his residence; and it is possible there might be some houses that escaped flames, and if not, tents might be pitched until the city was rebuilt, and it appears that he continued there some time: he sent of the spoil to the elders of Judah: of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
To [them] which [were] in Bethel,.... One part of the spoil was sent to them; not to those in Bethel, in the tribe of Benjamin, but in Kirjathjearim, called Bethel, or the house of God, because the ark was there, see 1 Samuel 7:1; moreover, this place was also called Baalah, which some think is referred to here, see Joshua 15:9; and to [them]...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And to [them] which [were] in Aroer,.... Not Aroer in the tribe of Gad beyond Jordan, where David is never said to be, but some city of this name in the tribe of Judah; the Greek version of Jos 15:22, instead of Adadah, has Arouel: and to [them] which [were] in Siphmoth; which very probably was in the tribe of Judah, though nowhere else mentioned:...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And to [them] which [were] in Rachal,.... Another city of the tribe of Judah, but nowhere else spoken of: and to [them] which [were] in the cities of the Jerahmeelites: which lay to the south of Judah, 1 Samuel 27:10; and to [them] which [were] in the cities of the Kenites; who dwelt in the wilderness of Judah, in the south of Arad, Jude 1:16.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And to [them] which [were] in Hormah,.... This was a city also in the tribe of Judah; of which see Joshua 15:30; and to [them] which [were] in Chorashan; or the lake of Ashan, which was in the same tribe, see Joshua 15:42; and to [them] which [were] in Athach; nowhere else mentioned; the Greek version has Nombe instead of it, which some take to be...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And to [them] which [were] in Hebron,.... A noted city in the tribe of Judah, in the mountainous part of it, and a city of refuge, and where David was afterwards anointed, first king over Judah, and then over Israel, 2 Samuel 2:4; and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt; where they had their walks, and went to and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 31 This chapter gives an account of the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites, which had been preparing for, and the issue of it; in which Saul, his three sons, and his servants, were slain, upon which his army fled, and several of his cities were taken, 1 Samuel 31:1; what the Philistines did with his body...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now the Philistines fought against Israel,.... Being come to Jezreel where Israel pitched, 1 Samuel 29:1; they fell upon them, began the battle: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines; at the first onset, as it should seem: and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa; which was near, and whither fleeing they were pursued and slain, at...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul,.... Stuck to him, pushed him close, bore hard upon him in that part of the army where he was having a design upon his person: and upon his sons; who were with him: and the Philistines slew Jonathan; who is mentioned first, being the eldest son, and perhaps first slain; and this was so ordered by the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the battle went sore against Saul,.... Pressed heavy upon him; he was the butt of the Philistines, they aimed at his person and life: and the archers hit him; or "found him" (a); the place where was, and directed their arrows at him: and he was sore wounded of the archers; or rather "he was afraid" of them, as the Targum, for as yet he was not...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then said Saul unto his armourbearer,.... Who, the Jews (b) say, was Doeg the Edomite, promoted to this office for slaying the priests: draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; for if he was wounded, yet not mortally, and it is certain he did not so apprehend it. It is much the sword of the armourbearer should be sheathed in a battle; but...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead,.... By his own hands, and not by the hands of the Amalekite, which the armour bearer would scarcely have suffered: he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him; some think that Saul, and his armourbearer, died by the same sword, which was the armourbearer's; and if he was Doeg, they fell...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer,.... Only with this difference, his three sons died honourably in the field of battle, but he and his armourbearer destroyed themselves. Josephus says (e) he reigned eighteen years in the life of Samuel, and after his death twenty two years, which make the forty years the apostle ascribes to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And which the men of Israel that [were] on the other side of the valley,.... The valley of Jezreel; of which [See comments on Hosea 1:5]; and [they] that [were] on the other side Jordan; or rather "on that side"; for the phrase will bear to be rendered either way, and so may mean that side of Jordan on which the battle was fought; for as for the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass on the morrow,.... The day after the battle, which perhaps was fought till night came on: when the Philistines came to strip the slain; of their clothes, and take from them whatever was valuable, as their booty: that they found Saul and his sons fallen in Mount Gilboa; to which they had betaken themselves, when the battle went...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they cut off his head,.... And fastened it in the temple of Dagon, 1 Chronicles 10:10; perhaps that which was at Ashdod, one of the principalities of the Philistines, 1 Samuel 5:1; and stripped off his armour; or vessels (h), his clothes as well as his armour, and what he had about him; as for his crown on his head, and the bracelet on his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth,.... A temple dedicated to their deities, called by this name; of which [See comments on Judges 2:13]; Nothing was more common with the Gentiles than to place in their temples the arms they took from their enemies, as is strongly expressed by Homer (i) and Virgil (k); and indeed the Jews did the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead,.... Who lived on the other side Jordan, about eight miles from Bethshan, according to Fuller (p): heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul; not only that they had got the victory over him, and routed his army, but had abused his body, and hung it up by way of reproach and ignominy; which they could...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
All the valiant men arose,.... Of the city of Jabeshgilead, fired with indignation at the Philistines' ill usage of Saul and the bodies of his sons: and went all night; not only for secrecy, but for haste: and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh; brought them with them thither, the...