1 Crônicas 10
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
1 Crônicas 10
NJB (LXX versing) Defeat and Death of Saul and His Sons Tragic End of Saul and His Sons Saul, the Unfaithful Predecessor of David The Death of King Saul Death of Saul 10:1-6 10:1-7 10:1-7 10:1-7 10:1-7 10:7 10:8-10 10:8-10 10:8-12 10:8-12 10:8-10 Jabesh-gilead's Tribute to Saul 10:11-12 10:11-12 10:11-12 10:13-14 10:13-14 10:13-14 10:13-14 10:13-14 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS The book of 1 Samuel tells of Saul in twenty chapters, but Chronicles uses only one chapter. It is possible to begin this context in 1 Chronicles 9:35 (i.e., the lineage of Benjamin, Saul's tribe). The focus of the Chronicler is David (i.e., 1 Chronicles 10-29). This chapter gives the theological reasons for YHWH removing Saul as king (1 Chr. 10:13-14). The new king is YHWH's choice! The Chronicler assumes that his readers/hearers know the full story from Samuel. His purpose is the transfer of kingship! David did not take it, YHWH took it and then gave it to David (cf. 1 Chr. 10:14; 11:1-3; 12:38-40).
1 Crônicas 10:1-6
10:1 "the Philistines" The Philistines were apparently Greeks from the Aegean Islands. They were the only group of people in this part of the world who were uncircumcised. They were apparently a mercenary force who tried to attack Egypt in the twelfth century B.C. but were defeated. They then settled on the southern coast of Palestine. They had five major cities which are delineated in Jos.13:3: Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. They were a major military problem throughout the period of the judges and even throughout the reign of Saul and David. The name "Palestine" comes from the word "Philistine." For further information see NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 1048-1052. ▣ "Mount Gilboa" This (BDB 162) location is just south of Mt. Tabor, overlooking the Valley of Jezreel. This chapter parallels 1 Sam. 28:1-7 and 31:1-13. 10:2 "Saul and his sons" In 1 Sam. 14:49, Saul's sons are named: Jonathan Ishvi Malchi-shua but here #2 is named Abinadab. See note at Contextual Insights, 1 Chronicles 6, D. It is unknown why the Chronicler omits "Ish-bosheth" (2 Samuel 2-4) from this list, nor why he does not mention Michal (cf. 1 Chr. 10:6) or Mephibosheth. Josephus, Antiq. 6.14.7-9, is highly positive about Saul's valor in this event. 10:3 "wounded" This VERB (BDB 296, KB 297, Qal IMPERFECT with waw) has two different connotations. to whirl in a dance, Exod. 15:20; Jdgs. 11:34; 21:21 to writhe in pain (i.e., like child birth), Deut. 2:25; Isa. 13:8; Jer. 4:19; Ezek. 30:16; Joel 2:6; Zech. 9:5; the parallel in 1 Sam. 31:3 has "badly wounded" 10:4 "armor bearer" This is a personal assistant to chief military leaders in pre-exilic times. servant of Abimelech ‒ Jdgs. 9:54 servant of Jonathan ‒ 1 Sam. 14:7,12,13,14,17 servant of Saul David ‒ 1 Sam. 16:21 unnamed ‒ 1 Sam. 31:4-6; 1 Chr. 10:4-5 servant of Joab ‒ 2 Sam. 18:15; 23:37; 1 Chr. 11:39 ▣ "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it" These are two Qal IMPERATIVES. BDB 1025, KB 1543 BDB 201, KB 230 ▣ "these uncircumcised" The only people group of this region who did not practice circumcision were the Philistines. Most western ANE cultures used it as a rite of adulthood. Only Israel did it to infants. It had spiritual significance (cf. Gen. 17:9-14). The practice may have first developed in northeastern Africa and spread to Egypt. Possibly this is where Israel first encountered the rite. 10:4 NASB, NKJV "abuse" LXX, NRSV, JPSOA, REB "make sport of" "gloating over" "make fun of" "torture" "torment" This VERB (BDB 759 I, KB 834, Hithpael PERFECT with waw) is used several times. mock ‒ Exod. 10:2; Num. 22:29 treat severely ‒ 1 Sam. 6:6; Lam. 1:12 make sport ‒ 1 Sam. 31:4; 1 Chr. 10:4; Jer. 38:19 sexual abuse ‒ Jdgs. 19:25 ▣ "Saul took his sword and fell on it" This is an obvious case of suicide. The theological implications of this act have been confused by Roman Catholic doctrine linking it to Judas Iscariot. However, there are several OT examples mentioned without negative comment. SPECIAL TOPIC: SUICIDE
1 Crônicas 10:7
10:7 An example of repopulation by military intimidation. The "valley" is the Valley of Jezreel. The "they" could refer to Saul and his sons the Israeli army (best contextual option)
1 Crônicas 10:8-10
10:8 "to strip the slain" This was considered the "booty" of a victorious military campaign. They would have been looking for weapons clothing valuables souvenirs 10:9 "stripped him" This VERB (BDB 832, KB 980, Hiphil IMPERFECT with waw) is also used in 1 Sam. 31:9. The Piel stem is found in 1 Sam. 31:8; 2 Sam. 23:10; 1 Chr. 10:8. ▣ "to carry the good news to their idols" What a contrast! YHWH is active in history (cf. 1 Chr. 10:13- 14), but these pagan idols have to be told! What irony, they have no eyes to see or ears to hear! ▣ "their idols" Their main deity, "Dagon" (cf. Jdgs. 16:23; 1 Samuel 5), was a fertility god, especially associated with vegetation (male, Aegean sources) later fish (Dercet ‒ female half-fish goddess, "Da," means fish; later from Akkadian mythology it became a male figure) In Canaanite mythology, Dagon was one of the sons of Ei and father of Ba'al SPECIAL TOPIC: FERTILITY WORSHIP OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST 10:10 "Dagon" The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 369, tries to explain the change of deities (i.e., Dagon in 1 Chronicles; Ashtaroth in 1 Samuel) by suggesting Saul's head was hung in one and his body in the other. This seems unwise to me, but it may be based on the fact that archaeology has found two prominent temple ruins in Beth-shan (cf. 1 Sam. 31:10; NIDOTTE, vol. 4, p. 443).
1 Crônicas 10:11-12
10:11 "Jabesh-gilead" Saul's body was hung from the walls of Beth-shan (or Beth-shean), about five or six miles from where Saul died. The men of Jabesh-gilead, about thirteen miles to the southeast on the eastern side of the Jordan River, heard of this atrocity (i.e., improper burial) and came to give Saul and his sons a proper burial. Saul had earlier saved this city from the Ammonites (cf. 1 Samuel 11). SPECIAL TOPIC: BURIAL PRACTICES 10:12 "buried their bones" In the parallel of 1 Sam. 31:12, this is one of just a few references to cremation in the Bible. Obviously here it had no negative connotation. SPECIAL TOPIC: CREMATION ▣ "under the oak" The parallel in 1 Sam. 31:13, has "tamarisk tree." His royal burial was not in a palace courtyard or sacred area but under a desert tree! ▣ "fasted seven days" This was a ritual time of grief for a king. SPECIAL TOPIC: GRIEVING RITES SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE, #4.
1 Crônicas 10:13-14
10:13 "So Saul died for his trespass" There are several issues. Saul offering a sacrifice himself and not waiting for Samuel in 1 Sam. 13:13-14 Saul's disobedience about the total slaughter (i.e., herem) of the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15 Sauls' visit to the witch of En-dor in 1 Sam. 28:3-25 ▣ "he asked counsel of a medium" The VERB (BDB 981, KB 1371, Qal ACTIVE INFINITIVE refers to asking someone who claims to have knowledge of future events, i.e., idols in Deut. 18:10; Hos. 4:12. The NOUN "medium" (BDB 15) is a difficult term to define. Some see the term as it is used in Lev. 19:31; 20:6,27, as a pit or place of sacrifice form of "father," which refers to ancestor worship It is translated in the LXX in Isa. 8:19 as "ventriloquist." Because of this and Isa. 29:4, some think it means "to chirp" or "to mutter." This would imply "to talk with a different voice." However, from 1 Sam. 28:7-9, it is related to the ability to call or talk to someone in the ground or to communicate with the dead or spirits of the underworld (cf. Isa. 8:19; 19:3). 10:14 This first chapter of Historical Narrative shows why and how YHWH made the change from Saul to David. is in control of time-space-history. He has an eternal plan. SPECIAL TOPIC: OT HISTORICAL NARRATIVE SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN