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Read the Bible

New King James Version

1 Samuel 31:3

The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Archery;   Arrow;   Gilboa;   Jezreel;   Scofield Reference Index - Saul;   Thompson Chain Reference - Archers;   Defeats;   Israel;   Israel-The Jews;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Bow, the;   Philistines, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Philistines;   Saul;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - David;   Philistia, philistines;   Saul, king of israel;   War;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Death, Mortality;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Archer;   Gilboa;   Jezreel, Valley of;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - David;   Samuel, the Books of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Achish;   Arms and Armor;   Esdraelon;   Jonathan;   Lo-Debar;   Philistines, the;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Esdraelon;   Samuel, Books of;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Armageddon;   Jezreel (2);   Saul;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Philis'tines;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Achish;   Army;   Chronicles, Books of;   Esdraelon, Plain of;   Jabesh-Gilead;   Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Chronicles, Books of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers found him and severely wounded him.
Hebrew Names Version
The battle went sore against Sha'ul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.
King James Version
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
Lexham English Bible
Saul was in the thick of the battle, and the archers spotted him, and he was badly wounded by the archers.
English Standard Version
The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers.
New Century Version
The fighting was heavy around Saul. The archers shot him, and he was badly wounded.
New English Translation
Saul himself was in the thick of the battle; the archers spotted him and wounded him severely.
Amplified Bible
The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was severely wounded by the archers.
New American Standard Bible
The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers found him; and he was gravely wounded by the archers.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when the battel went sore against Saul, the archers and bowmen hit him, and hee was sore wounded of the archers.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the battle became heavy against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was badly wounded by the archers.
Contemporary English Version
The fighting was fierce around Saul, and he was badly wounded by enemy arrows.
Complete Jewish Bible
The fighting went hard against Sha'ul; then the archers overtook and wounded him, so that he was in agony.
Darby Translation
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers came up with him; and he was much terrified by the archers.
Easy-to-Read Version
The battle grew even more intense around Saul. The archers closed in on Saul and wounded him with many arrows.
George Lamsa Translation
And the battle was intense against Saul, and the archers overtook him with bows, and he was exceedingly afraid of the archers.
Good News Translation
The fighting was heavy around Saul, and he himself was hit by enemy arrows and badly wounded.
Literal Translation
And the battle went hard against Saul. And the archers, men with the bow, found him and he was sorely wounded by the archers.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the battayll was sore agaynst Saul, & the archers fell vpon him with bowes, and he was sore wounded of the archers.
American Standard Version
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.
Bible in Basic English
And the fight was going badly for Saul, and the archers came across him, and he was wounded by the archers.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when the battaile went sore against Saul, the archers with bowes found him, and he was fore afrayde of the archers.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the battle went sore against Saul, an the archers overtook him; and he was in great anguish by reason of the archers.
King James Version (1611)
And the battell went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was sore wounded of the archers.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the battle prevails against Saul, and the shooters with arrows, even the archers find him, and he was wounded under the ribs.
English Revised Version
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.
Berean Standard Bible
When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And al the weiyte of batel was turned `in to Saul; and men archeris pursueden hym, and he was woundid greetli of the archeris.
Young's Literal Translation
And the battle is hard against Saul, and the archers find him -- men with bow -- and he is pained greatly by the archers;
Update Bible Version
And the battle went intensely against Saul, and the archers, men with the bow, overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the battle was severe against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was severely wounded by the archers.
World English Bible
The battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.
New Living Translation
The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely.
New Life Bible
The battle went against Saul. The men who used the bow hit him with arrows and hurt him very much.
New Revised Standard
The battle pressed hard upon Saul; the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers discovered him, - and he was terrified at the archers.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the whole weight of the battle was turned upon Saul: and the archers overtook him, and he was grievously wounded by the archers.
Revised Standard Version
The battle pressed hard upon Saul, and the archers found him; and he was badly wounded by the archers.
THE MESSAGE
The battle was hot and heavy around Saul. The archers got his range and wounded him badly. Saul said to his weapon bearer, "Draw your sword and put me out of my misery, lest these pagan pigs come and make a game out of killing me." But his weapon bearer wouldn't do it. He was terrified. So Saul took the sword himself and fell on it. When the weapon bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul, his three sons, and his weapon bearer—the men closest to him—died together that day. When the Israelites in the valley opposite and those on the other side of the Jordan saw that their army was in full retreat and that Saul and his sons were dead, they left their cities and ran for their lives. The Philistines moved in and occupied the sites. The next day, when the Philistines came to rob the dead, they found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount Gilboa. They cut off Saul's head and stripped off his armor. Then they spread the good news all through Philistine country in the shrines of their idols and among the people. They displayed his armor in the shrine of the Ashtoreth. They nailed his corpse to the wall at Beth Shan. The people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul. Their valiant men sprang into action. They traveled all night, took the corpses of Saul and his three sons from the wall at Beth Shan, and carried them back to Jabesh and burned off the flesh. They then buried the bones under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted in mourning for seven days.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was badly wounded by the archers.

Contextual Overview

1 1 Chronicles 10:1-14">[xr] Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons. 3 The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armorbearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me." But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. 5 And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him. 6 So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that same day. 7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

went sore: 2 Samuel 1:4, Amos 2:14

archers hit him: Heb. shooters, men with bows, found him, Genesis 49:23, 1 Kings 22:34

Reciprocal: Judges 8:21 - Rise thou 1 Chronicles 10:3 - went Psalms 7:16 - General Psalms 21:8 - General Psalms 64:8 - all that Proverbs 17:13 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 13:15
for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants [fn] forever.
Genesis 21:22
And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do.
Genesis 26:24
And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake."
Genesis 28:4
And give you the blessing of Abraham, To you and your descendants with you, That you may inherit the land In which you are a stranger, Which God gave to Abraham."
Genesis 28:13
And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.
Genesis 30:25
And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country.
Genesis 31:2
And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before.
Genesis 31:3
Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you."
Genesis 31:5
and said to them, "I see your father's countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.
Genesis 31:13
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family."'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the battle went sore against Saul,.... Pressed heavy upon him; he was the butt of the Philistines, they aimed at his person and life:

and the archers hit him; or "found him" a; the place where was, and directed their arrows at him:

and he was sore wounded of the archers; or rather "he was afraid" of them, as the Targum, for as yet he was not wounded; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, and is the sense Kimchi and Ben Melech give of the word: he was not afraid of death, as Abarbinel observes, he chose to die; but he was afraid he should be hit by the archers in such a way that he should not die immediately, and should be taken alive and ill used; the Philistines, especially the Cherethites, were famous for archery; :-.

a וימצאהו "et inveserust cum", Pagninus, Montanus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He was sore wounded - Better, “he was sore afraid” (compare Deuteronomy 2:25). Saul’s fear is explained in 1 Samuel 31:4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 31:3. He was sore wounded of the archers. — It is likely that Saul's sons were slain by the archers, and that Saul was now mortally wounded by the same. Houbigant translates, The archers rushed upon him, from whom he received a grievous wound. He farther remarks that had not Saul been grievously wounded, and beyond hope of recovery, he would not have wished his armour-bearer to despatch him; as he might have continued still to fight, or have made his escape from this most disastrous battle. Some of the versions render it, He FEARED the archers greatly; but this is by no means likely.


 
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