1 Samuel 31:5
◄  1 Samuel 31:5  ►
New International Version (©2011)
When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.

New Living Translation (©2007)
When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king.

English Standard Version (©2001)
And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him.

International Standard Version (©2012)
When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him.

NET Bible (©2006)
When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
When the armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

American King James Version
And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on his sword, and died with him.

American Standard Version
And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword, and died with him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when his armourbearer saw this, to wit, that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him.

Darby Bible Translation
And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on his sword, and died with him.

English Revised Version
And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword, and died with him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

World English Bible
When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him.

Young's Literal Translation
And the bearer of his weapons seeth that Saul is dead, and he falleth -- he also -- on his sword, and dieth with him;

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

31:1-7 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 he became his own murderer. As it is the grand deceit of the devil, to persuade sinners, under great difficulties, to fly to this last act of desperation, it is well to fortify the mind against it, by a serious consideration of its sinfulness before God, and its miserable consequences in society. But our security is not in ourselves. Let us seek protection from Him who keepeth Israel. Let us watch and pray; and take unto us the whole armour of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 5, 6. - His armour bearer. The Jewish tradition says that he was Doeg the Edomite, and that the sword on which Saul fell was that with which he had massacred the priests. This is not very probable; but whoever he was, his horror on being asked to slay his master, and his devotion to him, are deserving of admiration. All his men. In 1 Chronicles 10:6" all his house." But Ishbosheth and Abner survived, and the meaning probably is not that his whole army, but that his personal attendants, all those posted round him, fell to a man, fighting bravely for their king, as the Scots fought round King James V. at Flodden Field. As suicide was very rare among the Israelites, the death of Saul is made more intensely tragic by the anguish which drove him thus to die by his own hand. POLITICAL RESULT OF THE BATTLE (ver. 7).

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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 probably by the same sword with which the priests of the Lord were murdered at Nob, 1 Samuel 22:18; and it is observed by an historian (d), that the murderers of Julius Caesar slew themselves with the same dagger they destroyed him.

(d) Sucton. Vit. Caesar. c. 89.

1 Samuel 31:5 Parallel Commentaries

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Saul's Overthrow and Death
…4Then said Saul to his armor bearer, Draw your sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armor bearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell on it. 5And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on his sword, and died with him. 6So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men, that same day together.

Judges 9:54 Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can't say, 'A woman killed him.'" So his servant ran him through, and he died.
1 Samuel 31:4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me." But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
1 Samuel 31:6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.
1 Kings 16:18 When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died,