SUMMARY
Saul falls on his own sword to avoid being taken captive by the Philistines.
ANALYSIS
Saul’s suicide has been praised as the courageous action of a tragic hero. There is some justification in this. He was a mighty warrior who inspired great loyalty among his troops. This is seen, above all, in the reaction of the warriors of Jabesh-gilead, whose city SaulThe first king of Israel. More had delivered at the beginning of his reign (1 SamuelThe judge who anointed the first two kings of Israel. More 11:1-15), who march all night long in order to recover Saul’s mutilated body and give it a decent burial. It is true that the Bible does not condemn suicide, explicitly. Other biblical suicides, however, are all people who have led tragic lives: Samson (Judges 16:28-30); Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23); Zimri (1 Kings 16:18); and Judas (MatthewA tax collector who became one of Jesus' 12 disciples. More 27:3-5). Saul’s story in 1 Samuel is equally tragic and suggests that his suicide, while entirely understandable, is an act of hopelessness, if not cowardice, for fear of being taken captive.
