When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died with him.
Parallel translations
- WEB When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him.
- KJV And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
- NKJV And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him.
- NASB When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him.
- NLT When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Seeing Saul dead, the armor bearer also falls on his own sword. The loyal servant follows his master into death.
Overview
The armor bearer's death deepens the tragedy and underscores the totality of the disaster on Gilboa. His loyalty to Saul, even in death, stands in sober contrast to the hopelessness of the scene. The verse marks the complete ending of Saul's immediate house and command on the battlefield.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- 1 Chr 10:5When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died.
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 31:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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