1 Chronicles 10 3

1 Chronicles 10:3 kjv

And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers.

1 Chronicles 10:3 nkjv

The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was wounded by the archers.

1 Chronicles 10:3 niv

The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him.

1 Chronicles 10:3 esv

The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was wounded by the archers.

1 Chronicles 10:3 nlt

The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him.

1 Chronicles 10 verses

1 Chronicles 10 3 Meaning

This verse describes the escalating intensity of the battle for King Saul. It emphasizes that the fight pressed grievously against him, signifying a dire situation. Specifically, it highlights the Philistine archers as the direct instruments of his significant injury, detailing how their arrows found and severely wounded him. This physical defeat immediately precedes his final desperate acts and death, marking the end of his reign and the era of Israel's first king chosen apart from God's full counsel.

1 Chronicles 10 3 Context

First Chronicles chapter 10 recounts the climactic defeat and death of King Saul and his sons at the Battle of Mount Gilboa against the Philistines. This event serves as a pivotal moment, marking the decisive end of Saul's reign, which had been characterized by increasing disobedience and a diminishing relationship with God. The chronicler focuses intensely on Saul's final battle and demise, particularly his injuries and subsequent suicide, to explain why David became king and to establish the legitimacy and divine ordination of David's line. The severe wounds from the archers, as detailed in this verse, were not merely battlefield casualties but were perceived within the biblical narrative as the final physical manifestation of the divine judgment foretold against Saul for his failures, such as his incomplete obedience in the war against the Amalekites (1 Sam 15) and his consultation of a medium (1 Chr 10:13-14). This defeat highlights the fragility of human power when separated from God's favor and sets the stage for the rise of God's chosen king, David.

1 Chronicles 10 3 Word analysis

• And the battle: The conjunction "and" links this intense moment directly to the preceding events of the ongoing battle. "Battle" (מִלְחָמָה, milchamah) denotes the full-scale military conflict. It is not just a skirmish but a major engagement between nations.
• went sore against Saul: The Hebrew word for "sore" is כָּבֵד (kābēd), literally meaning "heavy" or "weighty." Here, it signifies the overwhelming and grievous nature of the fight, implying that the pressure and disadvantage were crushing Saul. The battle was not just against Israel but specifically against its king, who bore the responsibility for the outcome.
• and the archers: The Hebrew term for "archers" is מוֹרִים בַּקֶּשֶׁת (morim baqqeshet), literally "those shooting with the bow." Philistines were well-known for their superior military technology, which included effective archers. This highlights the particular type of deadly force used against Saul.
• hit him: The Hebrew verb is מָצָא (mātsāʾ), meaning "to find" or "to come upon." While translated as "hit," it can imply that the arrows successfully located and engaged him, penetrating his defenses, rather than just glancing blows. It suggests a decisive contact.
• and he was sore wounded: The term for "wounded" is חָלָל (ḥālāl), meaning "pierced" or "mortally wounded." The repetition of "sore" (kābēd) again emphasizes the severity and grievousness of his injuries, indicating they were deep and debilitating, leaving him incapacitated and near death. The wound was not trivial; it was severe enough to make him wish for immediate death.
• of the archers: This repetition serves to underscore the direct agency of the archers in causing Saul's fatal injuries. It reinforces their effectiveness and confirms the source of his crippling wounds.

• "the battle went sore against Saul": This phrase paints a picture of intense pressure and an insurmountable struggle. It communicates the military disadvantage and the personal distress of the king, implying the beginning of his end. The "heaviness" of the battle signifies an oppressive and losing fight.
• "and the archers hit him, and he was sore wounded of the archers": This double mention of archers and their impact emphasizes the immediate and devastating cause of Saul's collapse. It's specific and highlights a key vulnerability or tactic of the enemy. It shows that even a king in full armor was not impervious to God's ordained judgment via seemingly ordinary battlefield instruments.

1 Chronicles 10 3 Bonus section

The chronicler's account in 1 Chronicles differs slightly from 1 Samuel in its emphasis. While both confirm the battle and the archers' role in wounding Saul, 1 Chronicles foregrounds the theological reasons for Saul's death immediately following the battle description (1 Chr 10:13-14). The precision with which the archers are highlighted might also underscore a tactical disadvantage or a sign of divine targeting. The fact that he was "sore wounded" implies he wasn't immediately killed, leading to his desperate final act of suicide. This highlights Saul's complete loss of control, not only of the battle but also of his own death, as even his armor-bearer initially refused to strike him down. The use of archers points to a typical method of ancient warfare where missile weapons could bypass closer defenses, symbolizing perhaps the pervasive nature of the judgment against Saul, from which there was no escape.

1 Chronicles 10 3 Commentary

First Chronicles 10:3 vividly portrays the dramatic climax of King Saul's life on the battlefield. The relentless pressure of the "sore" or "heavy" battle against him signifies not merely military difficulty but also the oppressive weight of the consequences of his long-standing disobedience to God. The Philistine archers, though human agents, effectively became the instruments through which divine judgment was being carried out. Their arrows "finding" and grievously "wounding" Saul was not accidental; it marked the beginning of his end, a divinely permitted blow against a king whom God had previously rejected. This verse, therefore, is crucial for understanding the immediate historical reason for Saul's fall, paving the way for God's anointed, David, to take the throne, thus continuing the chronicler's narrative focus on the lineage and covenant through David. It powerfully illustrates the principle that departure from God's word inevitably leads to grave consequences, even for those in positions of power.