1Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa. 2The Philistines followed hard after Saul and after his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. 3The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was distressed by reason of the archers. 4Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me.”
But his armor bearer would not, for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it. 5When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword and died. 6So Saul died with his three sons; and all his house died together. 7When all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.
8On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9They stripped him and took his head and his armor, then sent into the land of the Philistines all around to carry the news to their idols and to the people. 10They put his armor in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the house of Dagon. 11When all Jabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
13So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against Yahweh, because of Yahweh’s word, which he didn’t keep, and also because he asked counsel of one who had a familiar spirit, to inquire, 14and didn’t inquire of Yahweh. Therefore he killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
David is a key figure in the Bible. He was the son of Jesse, the great-grandson of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:17, 22), and father of King Solomon. In the sovereign choice of God, David the shepherd became David the King and ancestor of the future Messiah, Jesus. He was born in Bethlehem in the land of Judah, being the son of Jesse and the great-grandson of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:17, 22). After the death of King Saul, this shepherd was chosen by God to be the chief shepherd of His people, Israel. He is notable for being the young man who stood up to the giant Goliath on behalf of the people of Israel. David had many flaws in his character, but was beloved by God.
In addition to David's various military and political achievements, he was also renowned as a musician and wrote several of the Psalms. Ruth 4.22; 1 Samuel 16.11-1 Kings 2.12, 32; 8.17-20; 9.4; 2 Kings 21.7; 1 Chronicles 2.15; 3.1-9; 6.31; 10.14-29.30; Psalms 3-9; 11-32; 34-41; 51-65; 68-70; 86; 89.3, 20, 35, 49; 101; 103; 108-110; 122.5; 124; 131; 132.1, 10, 11, 17; 138-145; Isaiah 29.1; Ezekiel 37.24, 25; Matthew 1.1, 6, 17; 12.3; Luke 3.31; 6.3; 20.41-44; John 71.42; Acts 2.25-31; 4.25,26; 7.45, 46; 13. 22, 23, 34, 36; Hebrews 4.7; 11.32; Revelation 3.7; 22.16.
Biographies of Bible Characters, People and Characters in the Bible