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Sunday, December 21st, 2025
the Fourth Week of Advent
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

1 Samuel 31:2

The Philistines fought hard against Saul and his sons, killing his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abinadab;   Archery;   Gilboa;   Jezreel;   Jonathan;   Melchishua;   Thompson Chain Reference - Jonathan;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Bow, the;   Philistines, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Abinadab;   Philistines;   Saul;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - David;   Jonathan;   Philistia, philistines;   Saul, king of israel;   War;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Death, Mortality;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Gilboa;   Jezreel, Valley of;   Jonathan;   Malchi-Shua;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Abinadab;   Ishui;   Malchishua;   Melchishua;   Samuel, the Books of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abinadab;   Achish;   Esdraelon;   Jonathan;   Lo-Debar;   Malchishua;   Melchishua;   Philistines, the;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abinadab;   Esdraelon;   King;   Malchi-Shua;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Abinadab ;   Jonathan ;   Malchishua, Melchishua ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Malchisua;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Abinadab;   Armageddon;   Jezreel (2);   Saul;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Abin'adab;   Jon'athan,;   Mal'chi-Shu'a;   Mel'chi-Shu'a,;   Philis'tines;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Name;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abinadab;   Achish;   Chronicles, Books of;   Esdraelon, Plain of;   Jabesh-Gilead;   Malchi-Shua;   Samuel, Books of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Abinadab;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Chronicles, Books of;   Jonathan, Jehonathan;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons and killed his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
Hebrew Names Version
The Pelishtim followed hard on Sha'ul and on his sons; and the Pelishtim killed Yonatan, and Avinadav, and Malki-Shua, the sons of Sha'ul.
King James Version
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons.
Lexham English Bible
And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malki-Shua, the sons of Saul.
English Standard Version
And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
New English Translation
The Philistines stayed right on the heels of Saul and his sons. They struck down Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua.
Amplified Bible
The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and they killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.
New American Standard Bible
And the Philistines also overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Philistims preassed sore vpon Saul and his sonnes, and slewe Ionathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua Sauls sonnes.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the Philistines closely pursued Saul and his sons; and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
Contemporary English Version
The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
Complete Jewish Bible
The P'lishtim pursued and overtook Sha'ul and his sons; and the P'lishtim killed Y'honatan, Avinadav and Malkishua, the sons of Sha'ul.
Darby Translation
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines smote Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.
Easy-to-Read Version
The Philistines fought hard against Saul and his sons. They killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki Shua.
George Lamsa Translation
And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan and Jeshui and Melchishua, Sauls sons.
Good News Translation
But the Philistines caught up with them and killed three of Saul's sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
Literal Translation
And the Philistines followed Saul and his sons. And the Philistines struck Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the Philistynes preassed vpon Saul and his sonnes, and slewe Ionathas, & Abinadab and Malchisua the sonnes of Saul.
American Standard Version
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
Bible in Basic English
And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and they put to death Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Philistines preassed sore vpon Saul & his sonnes, & slue Ionathan, & Abinadab, & Melchisua, Sauls sonnes.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
King James Version (1611)
And the Philistines followed hard vpon Saul, and vpon his sonnes, and the Philistines slewe Ionathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Sauls sonnes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Philistines press closely on Saul and his sons, and the Philistines smite Jonathan, and Aminadab, and Melchisa son of Saul.
English Revised Version
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi–shua, the sons of Saul.
Berean Standard Bible
The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Filisteis hurliden on Saul, and on hise sones, and smytiden Jonathas, and Amynadab, and Melchisua, sones of Saul.
Young's Literal Translation
and the Philistines follow Saul and his sons, and the Philistines smite Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, sons of Saul.
Update Bible Version
And the Philistines followed hard on Saul and on his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.
World English Bible
The Philistines followed hard on Saul and on his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
New King James Version
Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.
New Living Translation
The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua.
New Life Bible
The Philistines came after Saul and his sons. They killed Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua.
New Revised Standard
The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons, - and the Philistines smote Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, sons of Saul.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Philistines fell upon Saul, and upon his sons, and they slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchisua, the sons of Saul.
Revised Standard Version
And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan and Abin'adab and Mal'chishu'a, the sons of Saul.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua the sons of Saul.

Contextual Overview

1 The Philistines fought against Israel, and the Israelites ran away from them. Many Israelites were killed on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines fought hard against Saul and his sons, killing his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua. 3 The fighting was heavy around Saul. The archers shot him, and he was badly wounded. 4 He said to the officer who carried his armor, "Pull out your sword and kill me. Then those uncircumcised men won't make fun of me and kill me." But Saul's officer refused, because he was afraid. So Saul took his own sword and threw himself on it. 5 When the officer saw that Saul was dead, he threw himself on his own sword, and he died with Saul. 6 So Saul, his three sons, and the officer who carried his armor died together that day. 7 When the Israelites who lived across the Jezreel Valley and those who lived across the Jordan River saw how the Israelite army had run away, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they left their cities and ran away. Then the Philistines came and lived there.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

followed: 1 Samuel 14:22, 2 Samuel 1:6

Jonathan: 1 Samuel 13:2, 1 Samuel 13:16, 1 Samuel 14:1-14, 1 Samuel 14:49, 1 Samuel 18:1-4, 1 Samuel 23:17, 1 Chronicles 8:33, 1 Chronicles 9:39

Saul's sons: Exodus 20:5, 2 Kings 25:7

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 20:16 - Let the Lord 1 Kings 14:1 - the son 1 Chronicles 10:1 - the Philistines fought Psalms 35:8 - into Proverbs 17:13 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 4:5
but he did not accept Cain and his gift. So Cain became very angry and felt rejected.
Genesis 30:27
Laban said to him, "If I have pleased you, please stay. I know the Lord has blessed me because of you.
Genesis 31:9
So God has taken the animals away from your father and has given them to me.
Genesis 31:11
The angel of God spoke to me in that dream and said, ‘Jacob!' I answered, ‘Yes!'
Exodus 4:10
But Moses said to the Lord , "Please, Lord, I have never been a skilled speaker. Even now, after talking to you, I cannot speak well. I speak slowly and can't find the best words."
Deuteronomy 19:4
This is the rule for someone who kills another person and runs to one of these cities in order to save his life. But the person must have killed a neighbor without meaning to, not out of hatred.
Deuteronomy 28:54
Even the most gentle and kind man among you will become cruel to his brother, his wife whom he loves, and his children who are still alive.
1 Samuel 19:7
So Jonathan called to David and told him everything that had been said. He brought David to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.
Daniel 3:19
Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and he changed his mind. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul,.... Stuck to him, pushed him close, bore hard upon him in that part of the army where he was having a design upon his person:

and upon his sons; who were with him:

and the Philistines slew Jonathan; who is mentioned first, being the eldest son, and perhaps first slain; and this was so ordered by the providence of God, that David's way to the throne might be more clear and easy; for though Jonathan would not have opposed him himself, yet the people, fond of him, would, at least many of them, been for setting him on the throne; and though he would have refused it, knowing David was the Lord's anointed, and have made interest for him, this would have looked as if he had made him king, and not the Lord:

and Abinadab and Malchishua, Saul's sons; these also were slain; former of these is called Ishui, 1 Samuel 14:49; Ishbosheth either was not in the battle, being left at home, as unfit for war, or to take care of the kingdom; or else he fled with Abner, and others, and escaped, and who was to be a trial to David.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 31:2. Followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons — They, seeing the discomfiture of their troops, were determined to sell their lives as dear as possible, and therefore maintained the battle till the three brothers were slain.


 
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