Targum Jonathan on the Prophets 1 Samuel · chapter 31

Tap any Aramaic word to trace it to its Jastrow dictionary entry.

1. 1

   וּפְלִשְׁתָּאֵי מַגִיחִין קְרָבָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַפִּיכוּ אֱנָשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן קֳדָם פְלִשְׁתָּאֵי וּנְפַלוּ קְטִילִין בְּטוּרָא דְגִלְבּוֹעַ:

   Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

2. 2

   וְאַדְבִּיקוּ פְלִשְׁתָּאֵי יַת שָׁאוּל וְיַת בְּנוֹהִי וּקְטָלוּ פְלִשְׁתָּאֵי יַת יְהוֹנָתָן וְיַת אֲבִינָדָב וְיַת מַלְכִּי שׁוּע בְּנֵי שָׁאוּל:

   The Philistines hotly pursued Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

3. 3

   וְתַקִיפוּ עָבְדֵי קְרָבָא עַל שָׁאוּל וְאַשְׁכְּחוֹהִי קַשְׁתַּיָא גַבְרִין דְאוּמָנִין לְמֵיגַד בְּקַשְׁתָּא וּדְחִיל לַחֲדָא מִקַשְׁתַּיָא:

   When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically.

4. 4

   וַאֲמַר שָׁאוּל לְנָטֵל זְיָנֵיהּ שְׁלוֹף חַרְבָּךְ וְקַטְלַנִי בָהּ דִלְמָא יֵיתוּן עֲרֵלַיָא הָאִלֵין וְיִקְטְלוּנַנִי וְיִתְלַעֲבוּן בִּי וְלָא אָבָא נָטֵל זְיָנֵיהּ אֲרֵי דָחִיל לַחֲדָא וּנְסִיב שָׁאוּל יַת חַרְבָּא וּנְפַל עֲלָהּ:

   Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

5. 5

   וַחֲזָא נָטֵל זְיָנֵיהּ אֲרֵי מִית שָׁאוּל וּנְפַל אַף הוּא עַל חַרְבֵּיהּ וּמִית עִמֵיהּ:

   When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died with him.

6. 6

   וּמִית שָׁאוּל וּתְלָתָא בְּנוֹהִי וְנָטֵל זְיָנֵיהּ אַף כָּל גַבְרוֹהִי בְּיוֹמָא הַהוּא כַּחֲדָא:

   So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day.

7. 7

   וַחֲזוֹ אֱנָשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל דִבְּעִבְרָא דְמֵישְׁרָא וְדִבְּעִבְרָא דְיַרְדְנָא אֲרֵי אַפִיכוּ אֱנָשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַאֲרֵי מִיתוּ שָׁאוּל וּבְנוֹהִי וּשְׁבָקוּ יַת קִרְוַיָא וְאַפִּיכוּ וַאֲתוֹ פְלִשְׁתָּאֵי וִיתִיבוּ בְהוֹן:

   When the Israelites along the valley and those on the other side of the Jordan saw that the army of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and ran away. So the Philistines came and occupied their cities.

8. 8

   וַהֲוָה בְּיוֹמָא דְבַתְרוֹהִי וַאֲתוֹ פְלִשְׁתָּאֵי לְחַלָצָא קְטִילַיָא וְאַשְׁכָּחוּ יַת שָׁאוּל וְיַת תְּלָתָא בְּנוֹהִי קַטִילִין רְמָן בְּטוּרָא דְגִלְבּוֹעַ:

   The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

9. 9

   וּפְסַקוּ יַת רֵישֵׁיהּ וְחַלִיצוּ זְיָנֵיהּ וּשְׁלָחוּ בְּאַרְעָא דִפְלִשְׁתָּאֵי סְחוֹר סְחוֹר לְבַסָרָא בֵּית טַעֲוַתְהוֹן וְיַת עַמָא:

   They cut off Saul’s head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temples of their idols and among their people.

10. 10

    וְשַׁוִיאוּ יַת זְיָנֵיהּ בֵּית עַשְׁתְּרָתָא וְיַת גוּפֵיהּ צְלָבוּ בְּשׁוּרָא דְבֵית שָׁן:

    They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.

11. 11

    וּשְׁמָעוּ עֲלוֹהִי יַתְבֵי יָבֵשׁ גִלְעָד יַת דַעֲבַדוּ פְּלִשְׁתָּאֵי לְשָׁאוּל:

    When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

12. 12

    וְקָמוּ כָּל גְבַר גִבַּר וַאֲזַלוּ כָּל לֵילְיָא וּנְסִיבוּ יַת גוּפָא דְשָׁאוּל וְיַת גוּפֵי בְּנוֹהִי מִשׁוּרָא דְבֵית שָׁן וַאֲתוֹ לְיָבֵשׁ וּקְלוֹ עֲלֵיהוֹן כְּמָא דְקָלַן עַל מַלְכַיָא תַּמָן:

    all their men of valor set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.

13. 13

    וּנְסִיבוּ יַת גַרְמֵיהוֹן וּקְבָרוּ תְּחוֹת אֲשֵׁלָא בְּיָבֵשׁ וְצָמוּ שַׁבְעָא יוֹמִין:

    Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.