They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
All the brave men got up and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the oak tree in Jabesh and fasted for seven days.
The brave men of Jabesh-gilead honored their fallen king Saul by respectfully retrieving his body and those of his sons for proper burial, then mourning for seven days.
📚 Historical Context
This follows the tragic battle at Mount Gilboa where King Saul and his sons were killed by the Philistines. The men of Jabesh-gilead remembered how Saul had rescued their city early in his reign, so they courageously traveled to enemy territory to retrieve the bodies. In ancient times, leaving bodies unburied was considered a great dishonor, and the seven-day fast was a traditional period of mourning.
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