History has a funny way of smoothing out the edges of people. We like our heroes perfect and our villains irredeemable. But when you look at the actual records of what happens to King Saul, you don't find a cardboard cutout of a "bad guy." You find a man who started with everything—height, looks, and a divine calling—and ended up losing his mind, his family, and his life on a lonely mountainside.
It’s a messy story. Honestly, it’s one of the most human stories in the Bible because it’s about a guy who just couldn't get out of his own way.
The Long Walk to Mount Gilboa
By the time we get to the end of Saul's story, he's a shell of himself. You’ve got to imagine the scene: the Philistine army is pressing in, and Saul is desperate. He’s so desperate that the night before his final battle, he sneaks off to see a medium at Endor. This is the same guy who had previously banned all mediums and spiritists from the land.
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Talk about a 180.
He asks the woman to conjure up the spirit of Samuel, the prophet who had first anointed him king. Whether it was actually Samuel or a demonic deception is a debate theologians love to chew on, but the message Saul received was clear and brutal. Samuel (or the spirit) basically told him: "The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand. Tomorrow, you and your sons will be with me."
Imagine going into a high-stakes battle knowing you’ve already lost. That’s the headspace Saul was in when he climbed Mount Gilboa.
What Happens to King Saul at the Battle
The battle was a bloodbath. The Philistines were heavy hitters, and the Israelite lines crumbled almost immediately. Saul’s sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua—were cut down right in front of him. Losing three sons in a single afternoon is a level of trauma most people can't even fathom.
Then, the archers found Saul.
According to 1 Samuel 31, Saul was severely wounded. He knew the end was coming, and he was terrified of what the Philistines would do to him if they caught him alive. He didn't want to be a trophy. He asked his armor-bearer to kill him, to "run him through" before the "uncircumcised" enemies could mistreat him.
The armor-bearer was too terrified to do it. Who could blame him? Killing the king was a heavy, heavy thing back then.
So, Saul took matters into his own hands. He fell on his own sword.
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The Discrepancy: Who Really Killed Him?
Now, here is where things get a bit weird. If you read 2 Samuel 1, a young Amalekite runs to David with Saul’s crown and armband. He tells a totally different story. He says he happened to be on Mount Gilboa and found Saul leaning on his spear, still alive but in agony. According to this guy, Saul begged him to finish the job, and he did.
Most scholars, like those at GotQuestions or Bible Hub, believe the Amalekite was just an opportunist. He likely found Saul’s body after the suicide, took the royal jewelry, and made up a story he thought would get him a reward from David.
It backfired. David didn't celebrate. He had the man executed for claiming to have killed the Lord’s anointed king.
The Aftermath and the Wall of Beth Shan
The tragedy didn't end with Saul's last breath. The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found the bodies of the king and his sons. They weren't exactly gracious winners. They cut off Saul's head, stripped his armor to put in the temple of Ashtoreth, and fastened his headless corpse to the wall of the city of Beth Shan.
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It was meant to be the ultimate humiliation.
But there’s a small, honorable footnote to this dark chapter. The men of Jabesh-gilead remembered that Saul had saved their city years earlier. They didn't let him stay on that wall. They traveled all night, risked their lives to take the bodies down, and gave them a proper—if somber—burial under a tamarisk tree.
Why the Fall of Saul Still Matters
The reason we still talk about what happens to King Saul isn't just because of the gore or the drama. It’s because his downfall was entirely preventable. Saul didn't lose his kingdom because he was a bad general; he lost it because he was obsessed with what people thought of him.
He spared King Agag and the best livestock of the Amalekites because he wanted to please his troops. He offered sacrifices himself instead of waiting for Samuel because he saw his army deserting.
Basically, he tried to manage God like a PR firm.
Key Takeaways from Saul's Life
If you're looking for the "moral of the story," it’s not hidden. It’s right there in the wreckage of his reign.
- Insecurity is a silent killer. Saul was "a head taller" than everyone else, but he felt small. That insecurity turned into a jealousy of David that eventually consumed his mind.
- Obedience over performance. Saul thought he could make up for his disobedience with big, flashy sacrifices. Samuel’s famous response—"to obey is better than sacrifice"—is the core lesson here.
- Isolation is dangerous. By the end, Saul had driven away David, Samuel was dead, and he was even trying to kill his own son, Jonathan. He had no one left to tell him "no."
If you find yourself in a position of leadership or just trying to navigate your own "battles," the story of Saul is a reminder to keep your ego in check.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Knowledge
If you want to get the full, unvarnished picture of Saul's final days, you should sit down and read 1 Samuel chapters 28 through 31. It reads more like a tragedy by Shakespeare than a dry history book. Pay close attention to the contrast between Saul’s panic and David’s reaction in the following chapters. It highlights why one man’s legacy ended on a wall in Beth Shan while the other’s established a dynasty.