1 Samuel 31:3-5

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

³The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers severely wounded him.

⁴Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword and thrust me through, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse and mock me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he was terrified. So ^[a]Saul took a sword and fell upon it.

⁵When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword and died with him.

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Footnotes

1 Samuel 31:4 This account of Saul’s death obviously contradicts that given by the Amalekite who came to David with Saul’s spear and crown, claiming to have killed him (II Sam. 1:9ff). His story was probably a fabrication. He found the king’s body on the battlefield, stripped it, and brought the spoil to David hoping for a reward, as The Cambridge Bible comments. However, it is possible that Saul was not entirely dead when the Amalekite found him, though his armor-bearer had thought him dead and had killed himself, in which case the Amalekite’s story may have been true.