Gilboa

Mount Gilboa is where Saul’s story ends. The Philistines press hard, Saul’s sons, Jonathan among them, are killed, and the archers wound the king. Rather than be abused by “these uncircumcised,” Saul asks his armourbearer to run him through. When the man will not, Saul falls on his own sword, and the armourbearer dies with him. The next day the Philistines come to strip the slain and find the bodies “fallen in mount Gilboa.” The account stands twice, in 1 Samuel 31 and 1 Chronicles 10, nearly word for word. Read either one, then 2 Samuel 1 to see how David hears the news.

17 verses

1 Samuel

1 Samuel 28:4

And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.

1 Samuel 31:1

Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

1 Samuel 31:2

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

1 Samuel 31:3

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

1 Samuel 31:4

Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

1 Samuel 31:5

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

1 Samuel 31:6

So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

1 Samuel 31:7

And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

1 Samuel 31:8

And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 10:1

Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

1 Chronicles 10:2

And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

1 Chronicles 10:3

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

1 Chronicles 10:4

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.

1 Chronicles 10:5

And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on the sword, and died.

1 Chronicles 10:6

So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together.

1 Chronicles 10:7

And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they forsook their cities, and fled: and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

1 Chronicles 10:8

And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

Boiling spring, a mountain range, now Jebel Fukua’, memorable as the scene of Saul’s disastrous defeat by the Philistines. Here also his three sons were slain, and he himself died by his own hand (1 Sam. 28:4; 31:1-8; 2 Sam. 1:6-21; 21:12; 1 Chr. 10:1, 8). It was a low barren range of mountains bounding the valley of Esdraelon (Jezreel) on the east, between it and the Jordan valley. When the tidings of this defeat were conveyed to David, he gave utterance to those pathetic words in the “Song of the Bow” (2 Sam. 1:19-27).

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

(a bubbling spring) a mountain range on the eastern side of the plain of Esdraelon, rising over the city of Jezreel. Comp. (1 Samuel 28:4) with 1Sam 29:1 It is mentioned in Scripture only in connection with one event in Israelitish history, the defeat and death of Saul and Jonathan by the Philistines. (1 Samuel 31:11; 2 Samuel 1:6; 21:12; 1 Chronicles 10:1,8) Of the identity of Gilboa with the ridge which stretches eastward from the ruins of Jezreel no doubt can be entertained. The village is now called Jelbou .