The wall of Beth-shan

The next day, the Philistines went out to strip the dead, and they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on the battlefield. (1) They cut off Saul’s head and stripped off his armor. (2) Saul’s death was “good news” for them. They brought the report to the idols and the people of Philistine. The victory of the Philistines was also a victory for their gods. (3) Saul’s head was displayed in the temple of Dagon (ref. 1 Chron. 10:10), and his armor was placed in the temple of Ashtoreth. (4) The rest of his body was fastened to the wall of Beth-shan, a city located about 3 miles west of the Jordan River.

Retrieving the body

The bodies of Saul’s three sons were also fastened to the wall of Beth-shan. (1) The inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead were the ones who retrieved these bodies. (2) The city of Jabesh-gilead had been saved from a dire situation by Saul 32 years earlier (ref. to 1 Sam. 11). The people of that city remembered this. (3) They walked the approximately 15 miles one way through the night, retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons, and carried them back across the Jordan River. (4) Afterwards, they cremated these bodies. Although cremation was not a custom among the Israelites, they probably did this to eliminate the risk of the bodies being further desecrated. (5) They buried the bones in their land and fasted for seven days, as an expression of their respect and mourning for Saul and his sons. It is not recorded what became of the souls of Saul and his sons after their death. It is not our role to make any speculation of this. What is important for us is to thoroughly consider what will become of our own souls after death. Jesus said, “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt.10:28). Blessed are those who believe in Jesus and have made peace with God the Father. Do you have peace with God?