1 Samuel 31:9

1 Samuel 31:9

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.

a. NLT: So they cut off Saul’s head and stripped off his armor. Then they proclaimed the good news of Saul’s death in their pagan temple and to the people throughout the land of Philistia.

b. NIV: They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people.

c. Young’s Literal Translation: and they cut off his head, and strip off his weapons, and send into the land of the Philistines round about, to proclaim tidings in the house of their idols, and among the people;

d. Amplified Bible: They cut off Saul’s head and stripped off his armor and sent them round about the land of the Philistines to publish it in the house of their idols and among the people.

e. Septuagint: And they turned him, and stripped off his armour, and sent it into the land of the Philistines, sending round glad tidings to their idols and to the people.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/prophets: They severed his head and stripped off his gear, and sent heralds all about the land of the Phillistines to inform [those in] the temple of their idols and the poeple

1. “And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour…”

a. they cut off [3772 * karath] [Strong: a primitive root; to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces):--be chewed, be con-(feder-)ate, covenant, cut (down, off), destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hew (down), make a league ((covenant)), X lose, perish, X utterly, X want.]

b. his head [7218 * ro’sh] [Strong: from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.):--band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, X every (man), excellent, first, forefront, ((be-))head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), X lead, X poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.]

1). This was typical behavior for the victor to do to his beaten enemy. When David fought Goliath, he first knocked him down and out with a slingshot to the head, then killed by cutting off his head.

a). 1 Samuel 17:50, 51 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
17:51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

2). David then brought the head of Goliath to Jerusalem.

a). 1 Samuel 17:54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

c. and stripped off [6584 * pashat] [Strong: a primitive root; to spread out (i.e. deploy in hostile array); by analogy, to strip (i.e. unclothe, plunder, flay, etc.):--fall upon, flay, invade, make an invasion, pull off, put off, make a road, run upon, rush, set, spoil, spread selves (abroad), strip (off, self).]

d. 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.]

1). Goliath’s sword ended up in Nob, the city of the priests.

a). 1 Samuel 21:1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why [art] thou alone, and no man with thee?
21:8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.
21:9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.

2). These were trophies of war.

2. “…and sent into the land of the Philistines round about…”

a. and sent [7971 * shalach] [Strong: a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications):--X any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, X earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out).]

b. into the land [776 * ‘erets] [Strong: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.]

c. of the Philistines [6430 * Pelishtiy] [Strong: a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth:--Philistine.]

d. round about [5439 * cabiyb] [Strong: (as noun) a circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with or without preposition) around:--(place, round) about, circuit, compass, on every side.]

1). The body and head and armour of Saul all went to different locations within the land of the Philistines, perhaps they even rotated them all around the nation.

a). His body went to Bethshan:

(1) 1 Samuel 31:10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.

(2) Bethshan [1052 * Beyth Shean][Strong’s: house of ease.]

b). His armour went to the house of Ashtoroth:

(1) 1 Samuel 31:10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.

(2)  Ashstoroth [6252 * Ashtarowth] [Strong’s: a Sidonian god.]

c). His head went to the temple of Dagon:

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

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

3. “…to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.”

a. to publish it [1319 * basar] [Strong’s: to announce, preach, shew forth good tidings] [AMG, Complete Old Testament Word Study Dictionary: A verb meaning to bring news or to bear tidings.]

b. 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).]

c. of their idols [6091* ‘atsab] [Strong: an (idolatrous) image:--idol, image.]

1). These people were very religious. They were preaching, announcing, or showing of the good tidings that Saul their enemy was dead and his body and armour and that of his sons could be seen in their temples, all this was being accomplished in their houses of worship, where they worshipped their devils. Check out 1 Corinthians 10:20.

a). 1 Corinthians 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship  with devils.

b). As they were praising their god they were worshipping the devil.

d. and among the people [5971 * `am] [Strong: from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation, people.]

1). At the news of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, David wrote a song and in the song he implored the news not be published in Gath or Askelon because it would cause the Philistines to rejoice.

a). 2 Samuel 1:20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

b). triumph [5937 * alaz][Strong’s; to jump for joy.]

2). No doubt the rejoicing would be similar to the rejoicing of the Philistines because of the capture of Samson.

a). Judges 16:23, 24 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.
16:24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.

3). Saul ended up being a trophy of the enemies of God’s people. After they were slain, Saul and his son’s bodily members, were treated as spiritual trophies in the houses of their gods. When we sin against God and fall in front of the world, we become trophies of the enemy or occasions of the enemy to blaspheme God.

a). Romans 2:23, 24 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
2:24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

a). 2 Samuel 12:7-14 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
12:8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
12:9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
12:10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
12:11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12:12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

4). NOTE: Companion passage 1 Chronicles 10:9.

a). 1 Chronicles 10:9 And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people.