1 Chronicles 10:6

1Ch 10:6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together.

Ver. 6. And all his house died together.] His courtiers and evil counsellors, who had sinned with him, perished with him.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ch 10:6. Saul died, and all his house — All his children then present with him, namely, his three sons; for Ish-bosheth and Mephibosheth were not slain.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10:6-12 Saul and his three sons died . . . bringing his dynasty to an end: The Chronicler does not mention Saul’s armor bearer or the rest of his troops (see 1 Sam 31:6), emphasizing God’s action in removing Saul and replacing him with David (1 Chr 10:14).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house--his sons and courtiers who were there engaged in the battle. But it appears that Ish-bosheth and Mephibosheth were kept at Gibeah on account of their youth.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 6. So Saul died - and all his house] Every branch of his family that had followed him to the war was cut off; his three sons are mentioned as being the chief. No doubt all his officers were slain.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(6) And all his house died together.—Instead of this Samuel reads “and his armour-bearer; also all his men on that day together.” The LXX. adds “on that day” here, while in Samuel it omits “all his men,” thus minimising the differences of text. It is mere pedantry to press the phrases “all his men,” “all his house.” The strength of these expressions indicates the completeness of the overthrow.

The chronicler was fully aware that some of Saul’s house were not engaged in this battle (1Ch_9:35). And in any case, the chief warriors of his household, and immediate followers, died with the king.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6. all his house] In Samuel “his armourbearer and all his men.” The reference is rather to Saul’s servants than to his family.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

All his house died together - Not the whole of his family, nor even “all his sons” (see 2Sa 2:8-15; 2Sa 3:6-15; 2Sa 4:1-12). The phrase is perhaps an abbreviation of the expression in the parallel passage of Samuel 1Sa 31:6.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Fell. Hebrew, "died." (Calmet) --- But, though the house of Saul was fallen from its former glory, on this fatal day, when so many of his courtiers perished; yet he left Isboseth to bewail his fate, (Haydock) and some others who were not of age to go to battle. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

All his house, i.e. all his children, to wit, then present with him, namely,

his three sons, as it is expressed, 1Sa 31:6. For it is evident that Ish-bosheth and Mephibosheth were not slain. But nothing is more common in Scripture and all authors, than to understand all of a great and most considerable part.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. All his house died together — Not every member of his family, for Ishbosheth, (2Sa_2:8,) and Ziba, and Mephibosheth (2Sa_9:1-6) survived him; but all his men that accompanied him to the war.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

All his house. In place of these words, the parallel (1Sa_31:6) has, "And his armour-bearer, and all his men, that same day together." This reading avoids the ambiguity referred to already (ver. 2). In either passage the moral is plain, that the end and ruin of Saul"s family as a whole had arrived, rather than literally that the whole, including every member, of that family had perished.

HOMILIES BY J.R. THOMSON Vers. 6, 13.

The mighty fallen!

The death of Saul and Jonathan, upon the heights of Gilboa, is one of the grandest and most awful episodes in Hebrew history. Behold the chosen of God, the hero and the idol of Israel, wounded by the archers, supplicating death from his armour-bearer, falling in despair upon his sword! Princes and warriors," swifter than eagles, stronger than lions; "Saul and Jonathan" are slain in the high places." The shields of the mighty are vilely cast away!" The king"s sons and his body-guards and the flower of his army perish with him on this awful day. "How are the mighty fallen!" But let us turn from the dramatic, the tragic side of this incident, to ponder its spiritual lessons.

I Saul"s appalling fate reminds us of GREAT POWERS MISUSED. The gigantic stature and amazing strength of the son of Kish naturally impressed all beholders, and conciliated almost commanded the respect and confidence of the people. But he was more than an athlete, he was a general who had delivered his country and gained many victories over his enemies. He appears to have possessed great qualities, not only of body, but of mind. All this gave Saul great advantages. If he had but used these aright, he would have retained the regard of his subjects and the allegiance of the brave, and he might have lived to old age, in possession of the dignity and power of kingship. But his moody, wilful spirit gave a wrong bias to his energies. His was a wonderful but a wasted life. The valour and skill which had defeated the Philistines in his early days might have defeated them now. But Saul was not the same man as of old. Even so many, whom God has richly endowed with gifts of body and of mind, have proved themselves unworthy of these gifts, have misused them in such manner that it had been better for them that they had never been born. To whom God has given much, of them he requires the more.

II We observe here A LOFTY VOCATION ILL UNDERSTOOD AND ILL FULFILLED. Saul was the first of Israel"s kings. Anointed by Samuel, chosen by lot, elected by the acclamation of the people, he entered upon the kingly office with every omen and every prospect of success. Called to be, not, like one of the judges, the chief of a tribe or a temporary deliverer, but the ruler of a nation and a king for life, Saul might have raised his people to independence and to power. But be was disobedient to the voice of the seer, he was unfaithful to the cause of the God who raised him to eminence and invested him with theocratic authority; and he reaped the bitter harvest of disobedience and unfaithfulness. To some position, with some vocation, the Author of our life has called each one of us. Not only kings and rulers, pastors and Church officers, but all Christians, in every station of life, have committed to them a peculiar and sacred trust. Let each ask How is this trust fulfilled?

III There is exemplified here the possibility of TRUE RELIGION BEING KNOWN AND YET FORSAKEN. In his early life, Saul had put within him another heart, and became another man. But there are signs that he came under heathen influences. Certainly one of the last acts of his life was indicative of superstition, when he sought unto the witch of Endor, instead of looking to Jehovah for counsel and encouragement. He "inquired not of the Lord." It was a grievous defection; he, whose religious life commenced so brightly under the guidance of Samuel, came to grovel before an ignorant necromancer! A lesson this of human instabilty, frailty, and fickleness. "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall!" Alas! how often has the bright promise of youth been clouded in maturer years, and the sun which rose in splendour sunk beneath the gloomy clouds! It is a solemn warning which none should disregard.

IV We are informed that THE FALL OF THIS FIRST KING OF ISRAEL WAS A DIVINE JUDGMENT. "Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord." We are seldom at liberty authoritatively and confidently to pronounce calamity a judgment from the Lord. But in the case before us we are expressly warranted in doing so. Saul had violated the Divine Law. He had directed sacrifice to be offered without the permission of the prophet. He had spared Agag, and appropriated the spoil. He had displayed, again and again, a rebellions and ungodly disposition; had given way to impulses of anger, envy, jealousy, and fear. He had too often despised God"s Word, persecuted God"s servants, trusted in himself, and forgotten that Jehovah had called him to be the leader of his people in righteousness. Now at length the long-delayed retribution came upon the guilty monarch. "The Lord slew him." A warning to the impenitent, this terrible fate of Saul should summon the sinner to repentance, and (thank God!) to repentance unto life. T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

His house - All his children, then present with him, namely, his three sons, for Ishbosheth and Mephiboshieth were not slain.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.