1 Samuel 31:2
New International Version
The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua.

New Living Translation
The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua.

English Standard Version
And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.

Berean Standard Bible
The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

King James Bible
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

New King James Version
Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons.

New American Standard Bible
And the Philistines also overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.

NASB 1995
The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua the sons of Saul.

NASB 1977
And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua the sons of Saul.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the Philistines closely pursued Saul and his sons; and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.

Amplified Bible
The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and they killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, Saul’s sons.

Christian Standard Bible
The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons and killed his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons and killed his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

American Standard Version
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.

Contemporary English Version
The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

English Revised Version
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Philistines caught up to Saul and his sons. They killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

Good News Translation
But the Philistines caught up with them and killed three of Saul's sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

International Standard Version
The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons. The Philistines struck down Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.

Majority Standard Bible
The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

NET Bible
The Philistines stayed right on the heels of Saul and his sons. They struck down Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua.

New Heart English Bible
The Philistines followed hard on Saul and on his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malkishua, the sons of Saul.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.

World English Bible
The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the Philistines follow Saul and his sons, and the Philistines strike Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

Young's Literal Translation
and the Philistines follow Saul and his sons, and the Philistines smite Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, sons of Saul.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the rovers will stick fast to Saul and his sons; and the rovers will strike Jonathan and Abinadab and Melchisua, Saul's sons.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Philistines fell upon Saul, and upon his sons, and they slew Jonathan, and Abinadab and Melchisua the sons of Saul.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the Philistines rushed upon Saul, and upon his sons, and they struck down Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

New American Bible
The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons. When the Philistines had struck down Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, sons of Saul,

New Revised Standard Version
The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan and Jeshui and Melchishua, Saul's sons.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the Philistines overtook Shaul and his sons, and the Philistines murdered Jonathan and Yashui and Melkishua, the sons of Shaul
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Philistines press closely on Saul and his sons, and the Philistines smite Jonathan, and Aminadab, and Melchisa son of Saul.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul's Overthrow and Death
1Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. 3When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically.…

Cross References
1 Chronicles 10:2
The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

2 Samuel 1:6-10
“I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” he replied, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and the cavalry closing in on him. / When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I answered, ‘Here I am!’ / ‘Who are you?’ he asked. So I told him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ ...

2 Samuel 1:17-27
Then David took up this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan, / and he ordered that the sons of Judah be taught the Song of the Bow. It is written in the Book of Jashar: / “Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen! ...

2 Samuel 2:4-7
Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.” / So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead to tell them, “The LORD bless you, because you showed this kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him. / Now may the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness, and I will also show you the same favor because you have done this. ...

2 Samuel 21:12-14
he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies after they had struck down Saul at Gilboa. / So David had the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan brought from there, and they also gathered the bones of those who had been hanged. / And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. After they had done everything the king had commanded, God answered their prayers for the land.

1 Samuel 14:49
Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. His two daughters were named Merab (his firstborn) and Michal (his younger daughter).

1 Samuel 28:19
Moreover, the LORD will deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And the LORD will deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”

1 Samuel 18:12
So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.

1 Samuel 20:31
For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Now send for him and bring him to me, for he must surely die!”

1 Samuel 22:18
So the king ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests!” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests himself. On that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.

1 Samuel 25:44
But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Palti son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

1 Kings 2:33
Their blood will come back upon the heads of Joab and his descendants forever; but for David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, there shall be peace from the LORD forever.”

1 Chronicles 8:33
Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

1 Chronicles 9:39
Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

Matthew 1:6
and Jesse the father of David the king. Next: David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,


Treasury of Scripture

And the Philistines followed hard on Saul and on his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons.

followed

1 Samuel 14:22
Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.

2 Samuel 1:6
And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.

Jonathan

1 Samuel 13:2,16
Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent…

1 Samuel 14:1-14,49
Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father…

1 Samuel 18:1-4
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul…

Saul's sons

Exodus 20:5
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

2 Kings 25:7
And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.

Jump to Previous
Abinadab Abin'adab Death Follow Followed Hard Jonathan Killed Malchishua Mal'chishu'a Malchi-Shua Malki-Shua Melchishua Overtook Philistines Pressed Saul Saul's Slew Smite
Jump to Next
Abinadab Abin'adab Death Follow Followed Hard Jonathan Killed Malchishua Mal'chishu'a Malchi-Shua Malki-Shua Melchishua Overtook Philistines Pressed Saul Saul's Slew Smite
1 Samuel 31
1. Saul, having lost his army, and his sons slain,
4. he and his armor bearer kill themselves.
7. The Philistines possess the forsaken towns of the Israelites
8. They triumph over the dead bodies
11. They of Jabesh Gilead recovering the dead bodies by night,
12. burn them at Jabesh,
13. and mournfully bury their bodies.














The Philistines pursued
The Philistines were a formidable sea-faring people, often at odds with Israel. Their pursuit of Saul signifies a relentless and aggressive military strategy. Historically, the Philistines were known for their advanced weaponry and chariots, which gave them a tactical advantage. The Hebrew root for "pursued" (רדף, radaph) implies a determined chase, reflecting the Philistines' intent to utterly defeat Israel's leadership.

Saul and his sons
Saul, the first king of Israel, was anointed by the prophet Samuel. His reign was marked by initial success but later marred by disobedience to God. The mention of "his sons" highlights the familial tragedy and the end of Saul's dynastic hopes. Saul's failure to fully obey God led to his downfall, a sobering reminder of the consequences of straying from divine commands.

and they killed
The act of killing here is not just a physical defeat but a symbolic one. The Hebrew word used for "killed" (מות, muth) often denotes a violent death. This reflects the brutal nature of ancient warfare and the Philistines' intent to decimate Israel's leadership. It also signifies the fulfillment of God's judgment on Saul's house, as prophesied by Samuel.

his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua
Jonathan, Saul's eldest son, was a noble and faithful friend to David, Israel's future king. His death marks the loss of a righteous and courageous leader. Abinadab and Malchishua, though less is known about them, represent the extinguishing of Saul's lineage. The mention of each son by name underscores the personal and national tragedy. Jonathan's loyalty to David and his tragic end serve as a poignant reminder of the cost of loyalty and the complexities of divine providence.

(2) And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons.--"The details of the battle are but seen in broken snatches, as in the short scene of a battle acted upon the stage, or beheld at remote glimpses by an accidental spectator. But amidst the showers of arrows from the Philistine archers, or pressed hard even on the mountain side by their charioteers, the figure of the king emerges from the darkness. His three sons have fallen before him; his armourbearer lies dead beside him."--Stanley: Jewish Church, Lect. 21

And the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchi-shua, Saul's sons.--But while, in his own record of the national disaster, the compiler or historian, in his stern sorrow, expunges every detail, and represses every expression of feeling, he gives us in the next chapter (2Samuel 1:1-27) the stately elegy, in the beautiful moving words which the successor to the throne wrote on the death of the first king and his heroic son. Without comment he copies into his record the hymn of David on Saul and Jonathan, just as he found it in the Book of Jashar (the collection of national odes celebrating the heroes of the Theocracy). "There David speaks of the Saul of earlier times--the mighty conqueror, the delight of his people, the father of his beloved and faithful friend--like him in life, united with him in death." (Stanley).

"Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives

And in their death they were not divided.

Than eagles they were swifter, than lions more strong."

(2Samuel 1:23.) From the lost Book of Jashar.

Nothing is known of the two younger princes who fell fighting here by their father's side, sword in hand against the enemies of their country.

The hero Jonathan and his two brave brothers, as far as we can gather from the scanty details of the battle after the army was routed in the valley of Jezreel, retreated (fighting all the while) to the hill of Gilboa. There, it seems, they made the last stand with the fideles of the royal house of Saul (1Samuel 31:6), and there, no doubt defending the king to the last, they fell. . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The Philistines
פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים (p̄ə·liš·tîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

followed hard after
וַיַּדְבְּק֣וּ (way·yaḏ·bə·qū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1692: To impinge, cling, adhere, to catch by pursuit

Saul
שָׁא֖וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

and his sons,
בָּנָ֑יו (bā·nāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

and they killed
וַיַּכּ֣וּ (way·yak·kū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5221: To strike

Saul’s
שָׁאֽוּל׃ (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

sons
בְּנֵ֥י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

Jonathan,
יְהוֹנָתָ֧ן (yə·hō·w·nā·ṯān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3083: Jonathan -- 'the LORD has given', the name of a number of Israelites

Abinadab,
אֲבִינָדָ֛ב (’ă·ḇî·nā·ḏāḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 41: Abinadab -- 'my father is noble', three Israelites

and Malchishua.
שׁ֖וּעַ (šū·a‘)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4444: Malchi-shua -- 'my king is wealth', a son of Saul


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OT History: 1 Samuel 31:2 The Philistines followed hard on Saul (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
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