1 Chronicles · Chapter 10

V. 1. The men of Israel fled, &c.-Thus princes sin and the people suffer for it. No doubt there was enough in them to deserve it. But that which divine justice had chiefly an eye to, was the sin of Saul. Great men should in an especial manner, take heed of provoking God’s wrath. For if they kindle that fire, they know not how many may be consumed by it for their sakes.

Verse 1. Now the Philistines fought against Israel] The reader will find the same history in almost the same words, in 1 Samuel 31:1-13, to the notes on which he is referred for every thing important in this.

Verse 1. The men of Israel fled — Thus princes sin, and the people suffer for it. No doubt there was enough in them to deserve it. But that which divine justice had chiefly an eye to, was the sin of Saul. Great men should, in an especial manner, take heed of provoking God’s wrath. For if they kindle that fire, they know not how many may be consumed by it for their sakes. See notes on 1 Samuel 31.

Verse 2. The Philistines followed hard after Saul. Here are no chronicles from Samuel to Saul’s death, about fifty years.

V. 6. His house-All his children, then present with him, namely, his three sons, for Ishbosheth and Mephibosheth were not slain.

Verse 6. So Saul died-and all his house] Every branch of his family that had followed him to the war was cut off; his three sons are mentioned as being the chief. No doubt all his officers were slain.

Verse 6. Saul died, and all his house — All his children then present with him, namely, his three sons; for Ish-bosheth and Mephibosheth were not slain.

6. All his house died together — Not every member of his family, for Ishbosheth, (2 Samuel 2:8,) and Ziba, and Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:1-6) survived him; but all his men that accompanied him to the war.

V. 10. Temple of Dagon-If we give not God the glory of our successes, even Philistines will rise up in judgment with us and condemn us. Shall Dagon have so great a place in their triumphs, and the true God be forgotten in ours?

Verse 10. In the temple of Dagon — If we give not God the glory of our successes, even Philistines will rise up in judgment with us, and condemn us. Shall Dagon have so great a place in their triumphs, and the true God be forgotten in ours?

10. They… fastened his head in the temple of Dagon — In Samuel we are merely told that “they cut off his head,” but no account is there given of what they did with it. This act of the Philistines was, perhaps, a retaliation for the disposition made of the head of Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:54.

Verse 11. When all Jabesh-gilead heard] For a general account of the principles of heroism and gratitude from which this action of the men of Jabesh-gilead proceeded, see the note on 1 Samuel 31:11, 12. By the kindness of a literary friend, I am enabled to lay a farther illustration of this noble act before the reader, which he will find at the conclusion of the chapter. See Clarke “1 Chronicles 10:14”.

V. 12. Seven days-Every day ‘till evening, after the manner of the Jewish fasts.

Verse 12. And fasted seven days — Every day till evening, after the manner of the Jewish fasts.

12. Buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh — Samuel has, “under a tree,” or rather, under the tree, (lcah), that is, some well-known tree which this writer designates as hlah, the oak, or terebinth.

V. 13. The word-Against God’s express command: which is a great aggravation of any sin. Familiar spirit-Which also was contrary to a manifest command, Leviticus 19:31.

Verse 13. Saul died for his transgression] See the concluding observations on the first book of Samuel. See Clarke “1 Samuel 31:13”.

Verse 13. So Saul died for his transgression — The sense is, wonder not that Saul fell by the hands of the Philistines, who were armed against him by his own sin, and by God’s vengeance for it. Against the word of the Lord — Against God’s express, and plain, and positive command; which is a great aggravation of any sin. For asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit — Which also was contrary to a manifest command, (Leviticus 19:31,) and moreover contrary to his own conscience, which was so fully convinced of the evil of such practices, that he had endeavoured the utter extirpation of all such persons, in pursuance of God’s law, 1 Samuel 28:9. To inquire of it — Concerning the event of the approaching battle.

13. So Saul died for his transgression… and also for asking counsel of… a familiar spirit — These reflections on the death of Saul, and the causes of his fall, show that the writer is merely preparing the way to the history of David. Saul’s ruin is attributed particularly to two great sins: 1) in not observing Jehovah’s word, which enjoined upon him the destruction of Amalek, (see 1 Samuel 15, and 28:17, 18, and notes there;) 2) in seeking for help and counsel of the witch of Endor. See 1 Samuel 28:3-20, notes.

V. 14. Enquired not-He did in some sort, but not in a right manner, not humbly and penitently, not diligently and importunately, not patiently and perseveringly. Nor ‘till he was brought to the last extremity. And then it was too late.

Verse 14. Inquired not of the Lord] On these two last verses the Targum speaks thus: “And Saul died for the transgression by which he transgressed against the WORD of the Lord, and because he did not keep the commandment of the Lord when he warred against the house of Amalek; and because he consulted Pythons, and sought oracular answers from them. Neither did he ask counsel from before the Lord by Urim and Thummim, for he had slain the priests that were in Nob; therefore the Lord slew him, and transferred the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.” A LITERARY friend furnishes the following remarks:—

“The sacred writer, in the first book of Samuel, 1 Samuel 31:11-13, and 1 Chronicles 10:11, 12, after relating the defeat and death of Saul, and the ignominious treatment of his remains, thus concludes:— “‘And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there; and they took the bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.’ “Often has this account been read with admiration of the bravery and devotedness of the men of Jabesh-gilead, but without considering that these men had any greater cause than others for honouring the remains of their sovereign; but, on reflection, it will be perceived that the strong impulse of gratitude prompted them to this honourable exertion. They remembered their preservation from destruction, and, which to brave men is more galling, from bearing marks of having been defeated, and being deprived of the honourable hope of wiping off disgrace, or defending their country at future seasons.

“Reading these verses in conjunction with the attack of Nahash, we perceive the natural feelings of humanity, of honourable respect, prompting the men of Jabesh to act as they did in rescuing the bones of Saul and his family.

“The father of Grecian poetry relates in how great a degree the warriors of ancient days honoured the remains of their leaders; how severe were the contests for the body of the fallen chief, more determined oftentimes than the struggle for victory: this point of military honour was possibly excited or heightened by the religious idea so prevalent in his age, and after times, respecting the fate of the spirits of those who were unburied. “Homer wrote of events passing at no distant period from those recorded in the first volume of Samuel; and these accounts mutually corroborate each other, being in unison, not only with the feelings of humanity, but with the customs of ancient nations. These may be farther illustrated by comparing the conduct of the Philistines with regard to Saul and his sons, with that of the hero of the Iliad towards Hector, the most finished character of the poem. Saul had been a severe scourge to the Philistines throughout a long series of years; the illustrious chief of Troy had long warded off the ruin of his country, and destroyed the flower of her foes, independently of his last victory over Patroclus, which drew on his remains that dishonour which, however, fell only on his destroyer. “Should the siege of Troy be considered a fable, it may then be concluded that Homer introduced into his poems the customs and manners known to those for whose perusal he wrote, if these customs were not prevalent among his readers; but anxiety for the body of the illustrious dead, or regret for his death, has often caused success when all exertions prior to this powerful stimulus have not availed; and this even in our days. “The Philistines had long been confined to the southwest angle of the promised land, and in the earlier part of Saul’s reign had suffered many and severe losses; yet it appears by this chapter that, alone or in conjunction with allies, they had been able to penetrate nearly to the banks of the Jordan, to fight the battle on Mount Gilboa. This could only have been effected by a march through great part of the kingdom of Israel. “Doubtless the attention of Saul in its defence might have been greatly distracted by his pursuit and fear of David, which appeared to have absorbed his whole mind; and it may account for the defenceless or weakened state of his forces.

“These circumstances appear to corroborate the authenticity of these books, independently of the many private transactions therein recorded; particularly the interesting and singular friendship of Jonathan and David, a transaction not likely to occur to a forger of a narrative. J.W.” I CHRONICLES

Verse 14. Inquired not of the Lord — He did in some sort, but not in a right manner; not humbly and penitently, not diligently and importunately, not patiently and perseveringly; nor till he was brought to the last extremity, and then it was too late.

14. Inquired not of the Lord — 1 Samuel 28:6 clearly implies that he did inquire of the Lord, but received no answer. His inquiring of Jehovah, however, seems to have been fitful, superstitious, and prompted by a sense of terror, and also with a conviction that he was forsaken of God, (1 Samuel 28:15;) and being followed so speedily by a resolution to inquire of a necromancer, it is treated by the chronicler as no true, earnest, and worthy inquiring of Jehovah. He slew him — Hebrews caused him to die; that is, gave him over to destruction, as a vessel of wrath already fitted to that end. Romans 9:22, note.