Bible Strands
1 Samuel 31:11
When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The text reports that the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead receive news regarding the Philistines' treatment of Saul's body. This statement occurs immediately after the desecration described in 1 Samuel 31:10 and directly precedes the retrieval mission in 1 Samuel 31:12.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ (va.yishme'u) translates literally as "and they heard," taking the prepositional suffix אֵלָיו ('elayv) "concerning him." The construction pairs the act of hearing with the direct object marker אֵת ('et) and the relative particle אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) to frame the reported action of the Philistines.
The thread — The narrative recalls the initial siege of Jabesh-gilead in 1 Samuel 11:1 and points forward to the city's continued loyalty in 2 Samuel 2:4. The text links the city's past deliverance to its present response without introducing external theological commentary.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to note that factual report precedes physical action. It frames the city's subsequent movement as a direct consequence of confirmed information rather than spontaneous impulse.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And when the inhabitants of Jabesh–gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 11:1 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”
- 2 Samuel 2:4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”