Chapter Summary
Read 1 Samuel Chapter 31 in full above. This chapter is part of the book of 1 Samuel and continues the narrative, teachings, or poetry found throughout this biblical text.
1 Samuel Chapter 31
Chapter 31 of 1 Samuel from the Holy Bible
Verses
1 Samuel 31:1
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.
1 Samuel 31:2
The Philistines overtook Saul and on his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
1 Samuel 31:3
The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.
1 Samuel 31:4
Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me!” But his armor bearer would not; for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell on it.
1 Samuel 31:5
When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him.
1 Samuel 31:6
So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men, that same day together.
1 Samuel 31:7
When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.
1 Samuel 31:8
On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
1 Samuel 31:9
They cut off his head, stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines all around, to carry the news to the house of their idols, and to the people.
1 Samuel 31:10
They put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.
1 Samuel 31:11
When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
1 Samuel 31:12
all the valiant men arose, went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burned them there.
1 Samuel 31:13
They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
People Also Ask
What is 1 Samuel Chapter 31 about?
1 Samuel Chapter 31 is part of the book of 1 Samuel in the Historical Books. This chapter contains 13 verses. Read the full text above to study its message in context with the surrounding chapters.
How many verses are in 1 Samuel Chapter 31?
1 Samuel Chapter 31 contains 13 verses. You can use the Audio Reader to listen to this chapter read aloud, or use the font size controls above to adjust the text for comfortable reading. Bookmark individual verses by hovering over them and clicking the bookmark icon.
How can I study 1 Samuel Chapter 31 more deeply?
To study this chapter more deeply: (1) Read the surrounding chapters for context — start with Chapter 30. (2) Explore related themes in our Faith Discussions section. (3) Find verses that match your emotional needs in Verses by Emotion. (4) Use the bookmark feature to save key verses for later reflection.

