经文研读
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 — Why Saul Died: Judgment for Unfaithfulness
The Chronicler explains Saul's death as divine judgment for two named offenses: failing to keep the word of Jehovah and seeking guidance from a familiar spirit instead of inquiring of Jehovah, resulting in the transfer of the kingdom to David.
经文
- 13.這 樣 ， 掃 羅 死 了 。 因 為 他 干 犯 耶 和 華 ， 沒 有 遵 守 耶 和 華 的 命 ； 又 因 他 求 問 交 鬼 的 婦 人 ，So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against Jehovah, because of the word of Jehovah, which he kept not; and also for that he asked counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire thereby,
- 14.沒 有 求 問 耶 和 華 ， 所 以 耶 和 華 使 他 被 殺 ， 把 國 歸 於 耶 西 的 兒 子 大 衛 。and inquired not of Jehovah: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.
这段经文的意思
These two closing verses of 1 Chronicles 10 form a theological epilogue to the narrative of Saul's death on Mount Gilboa. Rather than narrating further events, the Chronicler interprets them, naming the reason Saul "died" — the Hebrew sense behind "Saul died" is causal, not merely chronological. The passage tells the reader that the death itself, not merely the timing, was a divine consequence. The chapter therefore closes the first phase of Israel's monarchy with a verdict, not just an obituary.
en
The verse identifies two specific trespasses. First, Saul committed "trespass" against Jehovah by failing to keep "the word of Jehovah" — the covenant instruction he had received as king. Second, he "asked counsel of one that had a familiar spirit" and "inquired not of Jehovah," seeking guidance from the forbidden dead instead of from God. Verse 14 binds these together with the verb "inquired," presenting the two acts as a single failure of orientation: Saul turned away from direct reliance on Jehovah and toward a prohibited source.
en
The concluding clause, "therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse," states the divine verdict and the consequence. The same Hebrew verb family used for "inquired" frames the result: because Saul did not inquire of Jehovah, Jehovah acted decisively — removing him from the throne and transferring the kingdom to David. This prepares the reader for the immediately following chapters, in which David is introduced as the king appointed over Israel.
背景
Verses 10-12 of the chapter immediately precede the target passage and supply the visible scene: the Philistines display Saul's armor in the house of Dagon and fasten his head in the temple of Dagon, and the men of Jabesh-gilead retrieve the bodies and bury them under an oak, fasting seven days. This is the narrative closure of the Philistine victory on Mount Gilboa, narrated already in 1 Samuel 31; the Chronicler reaches the same end but then adds the theological verdict in verses 13-14 that is absent from the Samuel account.
en
The chapter as a whole records the disaster at Gilboa (verses 1-7), the Philistine display of Saul's remains (verses 8-10), and the burial by the men of Jabesh (verses 11-12). The final verses then interpret the entire chapter as judgment. This shapes how the reader enters the David narrative that begins at chapter 11: the first king fell because of named unfaithfulness, and the throne passed to David in consequence.
常见问题
Why does the Chronicler add theological explanation that is not in 1 Samuel 31?
The provided material states only that Chronicles explains Saul's death as judgment for unfaithfulness and consulting a medium. The text itself does not state why Chronicles adds this explanation, and the provided chapter and cross references offer no further information beyond that interpretive note.
What are the two specific offenses named in 1 Chronicles 10:13?
The verse names two offenses: (1) Saul committed trespass against Jehovah by not keeping the word of Jehovah, and (2) he asked counsel of one that had a familiar spirit. The text presents both as reasons for his death, and verse 14 adds that he inquired not of Jehovah.
What is the result stated in verse 14?
The verse states the divine action and consequence: Jehovah slew Saul and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse. The text presents the transfer of kingship as the direct outcome of Saul's unfaithfulness described in verse 13.