Saul (; , ; ; , ) was a monarch of ancient Israel and Judah and the first king of the United Monarchy according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. His reign, traditionally placed in the late eleventh century BC, marked the transition of the Israelites from a scattered tribal society ruled by various judges to organized statehood.
The historicity of Saul and the United Kingdom of Israel is debated, as what is known of both comes largely from the Hebrew Bible. According to the text, he was anointed as king of the Israelites by Samuel, and reigned from Gibeah. Saul is said to have committed suicide when he fell on his sword during a battle with the Philistines at Mount Gilboa, in which three of his sons were also killed. Saul's son Ish-bosheth succeeded him to the throne, reigning for only two years before being murdered by his own military leaders. Saul's son-in-law David then became king.
The biblical narrative of Saul's rise to kingship and his death contains several textual inconsistencies and plays on words that scholars have discussed. These issues include conflicting accounts of Saul's anointing and death, changes in the portrayal of Saul from positive to negative following David's introduction, and etymological discrepancies in the birth narrative of Samuel, which some scholars believe originally described Saul's birth.
Biblical account The biblical accounts of Saul's life are found in the Books of Samuel:
House of King Saul According to the Hebrew text of the Bible, Saul reigned for two years, but Biblical scholars generally agree that the text is faulty and that a reign of 20 or 22 years is more probable. In the New Testament book of Acts 13:21, the Apostle Paul indicates that Saul's reign lasted for forty years.
According to the Hebrew Bible, Saul was the son of Kish, of the family of the Matrites, and a member of the tribe of Benjamin, one of the twelve Tribes of Israel. It appears that he came from Gibeah.
Saul married Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz, with whom he sired at least five sons (Jonathan, Abinadab, Malchishua, Ishvi and Ish-bosheth) and two daughters (Merab and Michal). lists three sons – Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchi-shua – and the two daughters. But see also and
Saul also had a concubine named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, who bore him two sons, Armoni and Mephibosheth.
Saul died at the Battle of Mount Gilboa,; and was buried in Zelah, in the region of Benjamin. Three of Saul's sons – Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua – died with him at Mount Gilboa.; His surviving son Ish-bosheth became king of Israel, at the age of forty. At David's request, Abner had Michal returned to David. Ish-bosheth reigned for two years, but after the death of Abner, was killed by two of his own captains.
During a famine, God told King David that the famine happened because of how Saul treated the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites told David that only the death of seven sons of Saul would compensate them for losing their livelihood after the priests at Nob were killed under Saul's orders.2 Samuel 21:1-6 David then granted the Gibeonites the jurisdiction to individually execute Saul's surviving two sons and five of Saul's grandsons (the sons of Merab and Adriel). The Gibeonites killed all seven, and hung up their bodies at the sanctuary at Gibeah.2 Samuel 21:8-9 For five months their bodies were hung out in the elements, and the grieving Rizpah guarded them from being eaten by the beasts and birds of prey.2 Samuel 21:10 Finally, David had the bodies taken down and buried in the family grave at Zelah with the remains of Saul and their half-brother Jonathan.2 Samuel 21:13-14 Michal was childless.
The only male descendant of Saul to survive was Mephibosheth, Jonathan's lame son, who was five years old at the time of his father's and grandfather's deaths. In time, he came under the protection of David. Mephibosheth had a young son, Micah, who had four sons and descendants named until the ninth generation.
Anointed as king The First Book of Samuel gives three accounts of Saul's rise to the throne in three successive chapters: Saul was sent with a servant to look for his father's strayed donkeys. Leaving his home at Gibeah, they eventually arrived at the district of Zuph, at which point Saul suggested abandoning their search. Saul's servant told him that they happened to be near the town of Ramah, where a famous seer did dwell, and suggested that they should consult him first. The seer (later identified by the text as Samuel) offered hospitality to Saul and later anointed him in private.1 Samuel 9 A popular movement having arisen to establish a centralized monarchy like other nations, Samuel assembled the people at Mizpah in Benjamin to appoint a king, fulfilling his previous promise to do so.1 Samuel 8 Samuel organised the people by tribe and by clan. Using the Urim and Thummim,Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on 1 Samuel 10, accessed 1 May 2017. he selects the tribe of Benjamin, from within the tribe selecting the clan of Matri, and from them selecting Saul. After having been chosen as monarch, Saul returned to his home in Gibeah, along with a number of followers.1 Samuel 10:17-24 However, some of the people were openly unhappy with the selection of Saul. The Ammonites, led by Nahash, laid siege to Jabesh-Gilead. Under the terms of surrender, the occupants of the city were to be forced into slavery and have their right eyes removed. Instead they sent word of this to the other tribes of Israel, and the tribes west of the Jordan assembled an army under Saul. Saul led the army to victory over the Ammonites, and the people congregated at Gilgal where they acclaimed Saul as king and he was crowned.1 Samuel 11 Saul's first act was to forbid retribution against those who had previously contested his kingship.
André Lemaire finds the third account probably the most reliable tradition. The Pulpit Commentary distinguishes between a private and a public selection process.Pulpit Commentary on 1 Samuel 10, accessed 1 May 2017.
Military victories After relieving the siege of Jabesh-Gilead, Saul conducted military campaigns against the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Aram Rehob and the kings of Zobah, the Philistines, and the Amalekites. A biblical summary states that "wherever he turned, he was victorious".: New Living Translation; other translations vary
In the second year of his reign, King Saul, his son Jonathan, and a small force of a few thousand Israelite soldiers defeated a massive Philistine force of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and more than 30,000 infantry in the pass of Michmash. After the battle, Saul instructed his armies, by a rash oath, to fast. Methodist commentator Joseph Benson suggests that "Saul's intention in putting this oath was undoubtedly to save time, lest the Philistines should gain ground of them in their flight. But the event showed it was a false policy; for the people were so faint and weak for want of food, that they were less able to follow and slay the Philistines than if they had stopped to take a moderate refreshment".Benson Commentary on 1 Samuel 14, accessed 7 May 2017. Jonathan's party were not aware of the oath and ate honey resulting in Jonathan realizing that he had broken an oath of which he was not aware, but was nevertheless liable for its breach, until popular intervention allowed Jonathan to be saved from death on account of his victory over the Philistines.
Rejection During Saul's campaign against the Philistines, Samuel said that he would arrive in seven days to perform the requisite rites. When a week passed with no word of Samuel, and with the Israelites growing restless, Saul prepared for battle by offering sacrifices. Samuel arrived just as Saul had finished sacrificing and reprimanded Saul for not obeying his instructions.
Several years after Saul's victory against the Philistines at Michmash Pass, Samuel instructed Saul to make war on the Amalekites and to "utterly destroy" them including all their livestock in fulfilment of a mandate set out: When the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies on every hand, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; do not forget. Having forewarned the Kenites who were living among the Amalekites to leave, Saul went to war and defeated the Amalekites. Saul killed all the men, women, children and poor quality livestock, but left the king, Agag alive, and the best livestock. When Samuel heard that Saul had disobeyed and plundered the livestock for self-gain, he informed Saul that God had rejected him as king. As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized hold of his garments and had torn off a piece; Samuel prophesied that the kingdom would likewise be torn from Saul. Samuel then killed Agag by himself. Samuel and Saul each returned home and never met again after these events.
Saul and David After Samuel told Saul that God had rejected him as king, David, a son of Jesse, from the tribe of Judah, entered the story: from this point on Saul's story is largely the account of his increasingly troubled relationship with David. Samuel headed to Bethlehem, ostensibly to offer sacrifice and invited Jesse and his sons. Dining together, Jesse's sons were brought one by one to Samuel, each being rejected; at last, Jesse brought David, the youngest, who was tending sheep. When brought to Samuel, David was anointed by him in front of his other brothers. In , Saul was troubled by an evil spirit sent by God.Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on 1 Samuel 16, accessed 12 May 2017. He requested soothing music, and a servant recommends David the son of Jesse, who was renowned for his skills as a harpist and other talents: a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him When word of Saul's needs reached Jesse, he sent David, who had been looking after Jesse's flock, with gifts as a tribute,: a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat and David was appointed as Saul's armor bearer. With Jesse's permission he remained at the court, playing the harp to calm Saul during his troubled spells. suggests David only attended court periodically. The Philistines returned with an army to attack Israel, and the Philistine and Israelite forces gathered on opposite sides of a valley. The Philistine's champion Goliath issued a challenge for single combat, but none of the Israelite were brave to fight him. David is described as a young shepherd who was delivering food to his three eldest brothers in the army, and he heard Goliath's challenge. David spoke mockingly of the Philistines to some soldiers; his speech was overheard and reported to Saul, who summoned David and appointed him as his champion. David easily defeated Goliath with a single shot from a sling. At the end of the passage, Saul asked his general, Abner, who David is.
Saul offered his elder daughter Merab as a wife to the now popular David, after his victory over Goliath, but David demurred. David distinguished himself in the Philistine wars. Upon David's return from battle, the women praised him in song: Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands, recurring in and implying that David was the greater warrior. Saul feared David's growing popularity and henceforth viewed him as a rival to the throne.
Saul's son Jonathan and David became close friends. Jonathan recognized David as the rightful king, and "made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul." Jonathan even gave David his military clothes, symbolizing David's position as a successor to Saul.