DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links 2014 July 5
The Suicide of Saul (1562)
Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525 - 1569)
Dutch and Flemish Renaissance Style
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
Explanation: 1 Samuel 31 records the death of Saul. The Philistines put the Israelites to flight and killed many of them in Mount Gilboa. As they pursued Saul and his sons, they killed Saul's three sons -- Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua; and they grievously wounded Saul. To avoid abuse at the hands of the Philistines Saul asked his armorbearer to finish him off. But the armorbearer refused; so Saul fell on his own sword. The armorbearer did likewise. The Israelites in the nearby cities fled; and the Philistines came and possessed them. Thus Saul lost some of his territory (1-7). The next day the Philistines came to strip the slain; and when they found Saul they cut off his head and sent it around to their cities, took his armor and put it in the house of their idol Ashtaroth, and fastened his body (and the bodies of his sons) to the wall of Bethshan [see maps]. However, valiant men from the town of Jabeshgilead removed the bodies, burned them, and buried them under a tree near Jabesh. And they fasted for seven days (8-13).
At this point in the history of Israel we begin to see parallel accounts from the books of First and Second Chronicles. The parallel account to 1 Samuel 31 is 1 Chronicles 10. The accounts are worded almost identically, except that in 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 [see below] we have an evaluation of the life of Saul -- namely that he died for rebelling against the LORD and for seeking counsel of one who had a familiar Spirit. Also, in 2 Samuel 4:4, we find an additional vignette from the same time. This describes a serious injury to Jonathan's son Mephibosheth [see below]. When news came of Saul's death Mephibosheth was five; and his nurse carried him away but fell and injured the boy; and he became lame for the rest of his life.
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.
2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.
3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
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.
5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.
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.
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.
9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.
10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.
11 And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;
12 All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.
13 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
1 Chronicles 10:13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;
1 Chronicles 10:14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.
2 Samuel 4:4 And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
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