1 Samuel 31:10

1 Samuel 31:10

And they put his armour in the house of Ashtoroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.

a. NLT: They placed his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his body to the wall of the city of Beth-shan.

b. NIV: They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

c. Young’s Literal Translation: and they place his weapons in the house of Ashtaroth, and his body they have fixed on the wall of Beth-Shan.

d. Amplified Bible: And they put Saul’s armor in the house of the Ashtaroth [the idols representing the female deities Ashtoreth and Asherah], and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

e. Septuagint: And they set up his armour at the temple of Astarte, and they fastened his body on the wall of Baethsam.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: They placed his gear in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they hung up his remains upon the wall of Beth-shan.

1. “And they put his armour in the house of Ashtoroth…”

a. And they put [7760 * suwm; or siym] [Strong: a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down, ((over-))turn, X wholly, work.]

b. his armour [3627 * kliy] [Strong: something prepared, i.e. any apparatus (as an implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon):--armour ((-bearer)), artillery, bag, carriage, + furnish, furniture, instrument, jewel, that is made of, X one from another, that which pertaineth, pot, + psaltery, sack, stuff, thing, tool, vessel, ware, weapon, + whatsoever.]

c. in the house [1004 * bayith] [a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court, daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet, temple, web, + within(-out).]

1). Obviously this is referring to the temple or house of worship for Ashtoroth.

d. of Ashstoroth [6252 * Ashtarowth][Strong: a Sidonian god.]

e. [1045 * Beyth `Ashtarowth bayth ash-taw-roth': from 1004 and 6252; house of Ashtoreths; Beth-Ashtaroth, a place in Palestine:--house of Ashtaroth.]

1). Looking at both passages in 1 Samuel and 1 Chronicles, we see the body and head and armour of Saul all went to different locations.

a). 1 Samuel 31:10 says his armour went to the house of Ashtoroth. (See above).

b). According to 1 Samuel 31:10, his body went to Bethshan. (See below).

c). 1 Chronicles 10:10 says his head went to the temple of Dagon.

(2)     Dagon [1712 * Dagown][Strong’s: the fish god of the Philistines.]

2). Looking at the previous verse it seems that these three items went throughout the Philistine nation and then were permanently fixed to these three locations. 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.

3). The bodies of his sons were included.

a). 1 Samuel 31:12 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 Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.

2. “…and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.”

a. and they fastened [8628 * taqa’] [Strong: a primitive root; to clatter, i.e. slap (the hands together), clang (an instrument); by analogy, to drive (a nail or tent-pin, a dart, etc.); by implication, to become bondsman by handclasping):--blow ((a trumpet)), cast, clap, fasten, pitch (tent), smite, sound, strike, X suretiship, thrust.]

b. his body [1472 * gviyah] [Strong: a body, whether alive or dead:--(dead) body, carcase, corpse.]

c. to the wall [2346 * chowmah] [Strong: feminine active participle of an unused root apparently meaning to join; a wall of protection:--wall, walled.]

d. of Bethshan [1052 * house of ease; Beth-Shean or Beth-Shan, a place in Palestine:--Beth- shean, Beth-Shan.]

1). Under the Old Covenant bodily members were weapons because they fought mainly physical battles and wars. Under the New Covenant our battles and wars are mainly spiritual but it is also true that our bodily members are weapons also.

a). Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive unto from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

(1) yield [3936 * paristano] [Vine: to present, is translated to yield.]

(2) The Greek word for “yield” is the same word used in Romans 12:1 for “present”. In light of that, as we are obedient to God’s word, we are presenting our bodily members to God, as “weapons”, Romans 6:13; as “servants”, Romans 6:16; and as “sacrifices”, Romans 12:1. 

(3) instruments [3696 * hoplon][Zodhiates: in the plural, standing for weapons of warfare.]

(4) Every physical member of our body can be used as a weapon or instrument of righteousness or unrighteousness, depending on our obedience or disobedience to the will of God. Whether it be our legs, our arms, our eyes or mouth, they can all be used a weapons.

2). Even our mind is a weapon, it being the door to the human spirit. Generally speaking, with its ability to allow in and embrace truth or deception, the mind has the ability to shut the door in a manner of speaking, to truth that will set the person free or cause them to be brought into bondage to sin when it embraces deception.

a). 2 Corinthians 10:3-6  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

10: 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

b). 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

(1) Notice in these passages how the devil, the god of this world blinds the minds of people by keeping them in unbelief, preventing them from seeing and understanding the gospel by building strongholds, imaginations, philosophies that prevent the gospel from shinning into their hearts.

3). Because of Christ’s victory and our repentance and making him Lord of our lives, he leads us in victory.

a). 2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

b). [Amplified Bible] But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph as trophies of Christ’s victory and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere.

4). Under this glorious Covenant, we by the grace of God can walk in obedience and allow God to use our bodily members as weapons of righteousness for His glory! Hallelujah!

5). NOTE: Companion passage 1 Chronicles 10:10.

a). 1 Chronicles 10:10 And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.