1 Samuel 31:4 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Fearing capture and mockery, Saul asks his armorbearer to kill him; when the man refuses out of fear, Saul falls on his own sword.
What Does 1 Samuel 31:4 Mean?
Wounded and cornered, Saul dreads what the Philistines will do to a captured king. He calls his armorbearer to strike him down, that the uncircumcised enemy might not seize and abuse him. The young man, gripped by fear and reverence, will not lift his hand against the LORD's anointed, and Saul turns his own sword against himself.
The word uncircumcised marks the Philistines as outside the covenant, and Saul's horror at their mockery shows that he still felt the weight of his office even as his life collapsed. His end is bound up with a life that had stopped trusting God in its darkest turns. Scripture records it without applause and without cruelty, leaving the reader to mourn a calling unkept and to cling the more tightly to the God who alone holds life and death.
1 Samuel 31:4 in the Original Language
arelim (עֲרֵלִים), 'uncircumcised' -- those outside the covenant sign given to Israel.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 31:4
What does 1 Samuel 31:4 mean?
Fearing capture and mockery, Saul asks his armorbearer to kill him; when the man refuses out of fear, Saul falls on his own sword.