Shmuel I Chapter 31 | The Death of Sha’ul

The account of the battle begins without leaving room to question the outcome. Already the first verse states that "they fled", describing the Israelites retreat. By verse 2, the Philistines have reached Sha’ul and his sons. The consequences of the battle are dire: "When the men of Israel on the other side of the valley, and on the other side of the Jordan, realized that the men of Israel had fled and that Sha’ul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled. And Philistines came and settled in them" (31:7).

Sha’ul’s end, as we’ve seen throughout the chapters, is profoundly tragic, marked by a steady decline. Yet the final chapter and the account of his death offer a measure of closure with a glimmer of redemption. One of Sha’ul’s significant weaknesses was his lack of leadership in times of severe crisis. Here, however, Sha’ul faces the most helpless situation of his life: he goes to war knowing it will end in failure — both for Israel and for himself. Nevertheless, Sha’ul leads his sons and his people into battle, fully aware he will not return.

The sages highlighted Sha’ul’s extraordinary bravery in this chapter: “Reish Lakish said: At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He summoned the ministering angels and said to them: ‘Come and see a creation that I created in My world. The way of the world is that a man goes to a house of feasting and does not take his sons with him due to the evil eye. This person is going out to war and knows that he will be killed, and he takes his sons with him and rejoices over the attribute of justice that will strike him’” (Vayikra Rabba 26:7).

Another significant closure comes through the actions of the men of Yavesh-Gilad. Recall that Sha’ul’s kingship was established through his devotion to the people of Yavesh-Gilad, who were under threat from the Amonite king. Sha’ul led all Israel to fight the Amonites and save them. In this chapter, the men of Yavesh-Gilad repay Sha’ul’s kindness. Risking their lives, they retrieve the bodies of Sha’ul and his sons to ensure their dignity in death. This act reminds us, as Sha’ul’s reign concludes, of his valor and his brighter days as king.

Dr. Neria Klein compares this chapter with its parallel account in the Book of Chronicles (see the link here to view the short video). He sharpens the contrast between Sha’ul’s kingship and David’s and draws conclusions about the role of this narrative as it appears in the Book of Chronicles. Pay attention to the differing accounts of the sin that sealed Sha’ul’s fate, highlighting distinctions between Shmuel and Chronicles.