“Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. slain: or, wounded”
Now. Septuagint, “and.” (Haydock) — This has no connexion with what goes before. (Calmet) — This history is given more at large, 1 Kings xxxi., and 2 Kings i. (Menochius)
“And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers. and the archers: Heb. and the shooters with bows hit: Heb. found”
Reached: literally, “found.” (Haydock) — Hebrew, or “attacked him, and he feared the archers. He was not, at least, mortally wounded, when he took the desperate resolution to destroy himself, through fear and consternation. (Calmet) Yet the original will admit the sense of the Vulgate and Saul might have received some wounds. Septuagint, “Archers found him with bows, and in labours, and he laboured on account of (or to avoid) the bows.” (Haydock)
“Then said Saul to his armourbearer , Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. abuse me: or, mock me”
Fear and reverence for his master, (Calmet) as well as concern for his own safety. (Haydock)
“So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together.”
Fell. Hebrew, “died.” (Calmet) — But, though the house of Saul was fallen from its former glory, on this fatal day, when so many of his courtiers perished; yet he left Isboseth to bewail his fate, (Haydock) and some others who were not of age to go to battle. (Calmet)
“And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people.”
To be. Hebrew, “to carry tidings to their idols, (sorrows) and to the people.” They exposed the spoils in the temples, and gave thanks to their idols for the victory.
“And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.”
Head, while his body was hung on the walls of Bethsan, 1 Kings xxxi. 10. (Calmet) — The temple of Dagon was contiguous to the wall. (Du Hamel)
“They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.”
Oak, well known at Jabes. Elsewhere the word is translated, the grove. (Calmet)
“So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; committed: Heb. transgressed”
For. Septuagint, “in his iniquities.” (Haydock) — See 1 Kings xiii. 9., and xv. 23. Saul offered sacrifice unlawfully, and spared some of the Amalecites. (Worthington)