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1 Samuel 31 · Grade 4

The End of a King

Name Date

Read and Think

First Samuel ends with Saul's final battle. As Samuel had said, Israel was delivered into the hand of the Philistines. The men of Israel fled, and Jonathan and two of his brothers were killed. The archers badly wounded Saul.

Saul asked his armor bearer to kill him, but the armor bearer was terrified and would not. So Saul took his own life by falling on his sword. Saul died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men that same day. Israelites in nearby towns fled, and Philistines moved in. The Philistines dishonored Saul's body.

One act of loyalty shines at the end. The men of Jabesh Gilead remembered how Saul had rescued them at the start of his reign. Their valiant men traveled all night to recover the bodies of Saul and his sons. They buried their bones under the tamarisk tree and fasted seven days. The book ends in grief, but the way is now open for David, God's chosen king.

Show What You Know

  1. What had Samuel said would happen?

  2. Why would the armor bearer not kill Saul?

  3. What did the men of Jabesh Gilead remember?

  4. For whom is the way now open?

Word Bank Fill-In

Use the word bank to fill in each blank.

tamariskJabeshvaliantJonathan
  1. The men of Israel fled, and and two of his brothers were killed.
  2. The men of Gilead remembered how Saul had rescued them at the start of his reign.
  3. Their men traveled all night to recover the bodies of Saul and his sons.
  4. They buried their bones under the tree and fasted seven days.

Think About It

  1. How does Saul's life show the importance of obeying God over a whole lifetime?

  2. How did the men of Jabesh show loyalty, and how can we show it too?

Memory Verse

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

1 Samuel 31:6 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for comforting me when I am sad. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • How did Saul's life end differently from how it began?
  • What helps someone stay faithful to God for a lifetime?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.