Saul Slain
Meanwhile, unknown to David and his men, the final tragedy of Saul’s wild life had come. The Philistine army attacked the king and his still loyal troops by Mount Gilboa. The dejected Israelites soon fled, nor can we find that there was any fierce battling, expect with the little group of Saul’s personal attendants. His sons stood by him devotedly. Jonathan, fighting at their head, was slain.
“And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.” Doubtless the hosts of the Philistines surrounded the desperate little circle of those noted warriors, assailing them from afar. For Saul the last scene of all was come. Too enfeebled to fight further, he dreaded lest he be made prisoner and insulted, perchance tortured, by the enemy. He bade his armor bearer slay him; and when the man refused, Saul took his own sword and fell upon it so that he died. “And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise, upon his sword and died with him.”
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