1 Samuel 31:3
New International Version
The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.

New Living Translation
The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely.

English Standard Version
The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers.

Berean Standard Bible
When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically.

King James Bible
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.

New King James Version
The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers.

New American Standard Bible
The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers found him; and he was gravely wounded by the archers.

NASB 1995
The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was badly wounded by the archers.

NASB 1977
And the battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was badly wounded by the archers.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the battle became heavy against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was badly wounded by the archers.

Amplified Bible
The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was severely wounded by the archers.

Christian Standard Bible
When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers found him and severely wounded him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers caught up with him and severely wounded him.

American Standard Version
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the battle prevailed against Shaul, and the Archers overtook him with bows, and he was very afraid of the Archers

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the battle prevails against Saul, and the shooters with arrows, even the archers find him, and he was wounded under the ribs.

Contemporary English Version
The fighting was fierce around Saul, and he was badly wounded by enemy arrows.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the whole weight of the battle was turned upon Saul: and the archers overtook him, and he was grievously wounded by the archers.

English Revised Version
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The heaviest fighting was against Saul. When the archers got him in their range, he was badly wounded by them.

Good News Translation
The fighting was heavy around Saul, and he himself was hit by enemy arrows and badly wounded.

International Standard Version
The heaviest fighting was directed toward Saul, and when the bowmen who were shooting located Saul, he was severely wounded by them.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the battle went sore against Saul, an the archers overtook him; and he was in great anguish by reason of the archers.

Literal Standard Version
And the battle is hard against Saul, and the archers find him—men with bow—and he is greatly pained by the archers;

Majority Standard Bible
When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically.

New American Bible
the fury of the battle converged on Saul. Then the archers hit him, and he was severely wounded.

NET Bible
Saul himself was in the thick of the battle; the archers spotted him and wounded him severely.

New Revised Standard Version
The battle pressed hard upon Saul; the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by them.

New Heart English Bible
The battle was fierce against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was wounded by the archers.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the battle was severe against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was severely wounded by the archers.

World English Bible
The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.

Young's Literal Translation
And the battle is hard against Saul, and the archers find him -- men with bow -- and he is pained greatly by the archers;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul's Overthrow and Death
2The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. 3When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically. 4Then 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.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 1:6
"I happened to be on Mount Gilboa," he replied, "and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and the cavalry closing in on him.

2 Samuel 21:12
he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies after they had struck down Saul at Gilboa.


Treasury of Scripture

And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.

went sore

2 Samuel 1:4
And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.

Amos 2:14
Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

Genesis 49:23
The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:

1 Kings 22:34
And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.

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Anguish Archers Badly Battle Bow Distressed Fierce Fight Fighting Find Found Great Greatly Grew Hard Heavily Hit Overtook Pained Pressed Reason Saul Severe Severely Sore Wounded
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Anguish Archers Badly Battle Bow Distressed Fierce Fight Fighting Find Found Great Greatly Grew Hard Heavily Hit Overtook Pained Pressed Reason Saul Severe Severely Sore Wounded
1 Samuel 31
1. Saul, having lost his army, and his sons slain,
4. he and his armor bearer kill themselves.
7. The Philistines possess the forsaken towns of the Israelites
8. They triumph over the dead bodies
11. They of Jabesh Gilead recovering the dead bodies by night,
12. burn them at Jabesh,
13. and mournfully bury their bodies.














(3) And the battle went sore against Saul.--That is, after the death of Jonathan and his brothers. The great warrior king no doubt fought like a lion, but one by one his brave defenders fell in harness by his side; and the enemy seems to have directed their principal attention, at this period of the fight, to killing or capturing the famous Saul.

And the archers hit him.--It would seem as though, in that deadly combat, none could strike down that giant kingly form, so the archers--literally, as in the margin of our Version, shooters, men with bows, skilful shots--were told off, and these, aiming at the warrior towering above the other combatants, with the crown on his head (2Samuel 1:10), hit him.

And he was sore wounded by the archers.--This is the usual rendering of the word, but the more accurate translation is, He was sore afraid (or was greatly alarmed at them): so Gesenius, Keil, Lange, &c. All seemed against him. His army was routed, his sons were dead, his faithful captains and companions were gone, and these bow-men were shooting at him from a distance where his strong arm could not reach them. Gradually weakened through loss of blood--perhaps with the words he had heard only a few hours before at En-dor from the dead prophet ringing in his ears, "To-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me"--the great undaunted courage at last failed him, and he turned to his armourbearer, who was still by his side.

Verses 3, 4. - The archers. Literally, as in the margin, "shooters, men with bows." As the first word would equally apply to men who threw javelins, the explanation is added to make the meaning clear. Hit him. Literally, "found him, i.e. found out his position, and came up to where he was. He was sore wounded. Rather, "he was sore distressed." In Deuteronomy 2:25 the verb is rendered "be in anguish." The meaning is that Saul, finding himself surrounded by these archers, and that he could neither escape nor come to close quarters with them, and die fighting, ordered his armour bearer to kill him, that he might be spared the degradation of being slain by "uncircumcised" heathen. Abuse me. This verb is translated mock in Jeremiah 38:19. "Maltreat" would be a better rendering in both places, and also in Judges 19:25, where, too, the word occurs. Its exact meaning is to practise upon another all that passion, lust, anger, or malice dictate. Probably Saul thought that they would treat him as they had previously treated Samson (Judges 16:21-25).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When the battle
הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ (ham·mil·ḥā·māh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4421: A battle, war

intensified
וַתִּכְבַּ֤ד (wat·tiḵ·baḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3513: To be heavy, weighty, or burdensome

against
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Saul,
שָׁא֔וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

the archers
הַמּוֹרִ֖ים (ham·mō·w·rîm)
Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 3384: To flow as water, to lay, throw, to point out, to teach

overtook him
וַיִּמְצָאֻ֥הוּ (way·yim·ṣā·’u·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

and wounded him
וַיָּ֥חֶל (way·yā·ḥel)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2342: To twist, whirl, to dance, to writhe in pain, fear, to wait, to pervert

critically.
מְאֹ֖ד (mə·’ōḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 3966: Vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily


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OT History: 1 Samuel 31:3 The battle went sore against Saul (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 31:2
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