Bible Characters · United Kingdom

Saul

Israel's first king, tall and promising at his anointing, who lost the kingdom by disobedience and died on Mount Gilboa.

United Kingdom327 references in 6 booksIn theological review

The facts, as Scripture gives them

Lived
Dates not given in Scripture.
Region
Gibeah in Benjamin, his home town. (1 Samuel 10:26)
Work
The first king of Israel, anointed by Samuel. (1 Samuel 10:1)

Key verses

But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.

1 Samuel 13:14 (BSB)

For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.

1 Samuel 15:23 (BSB)

What they did

  • Came to Samuel looking for his father's lost donkeys, and was anointed king of Israel. (1 Samuel 9:15-20; 1 Samuel 10:1)
  • Rescued Jabesh-gilead from Nahash the Ammonite, and was confirmed as king at Gilgal. (1 Samuel 11:1-15)
  • Offered the burnt offering himself at Gilgal rather than wait for Samuel, and heard that his kingdom would not endure. (1 Samuel 13:8-14)
  • Spared Agag and the best of Amalek's spoil against God's command, and was rejected as king: obedience is better than sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15:9; 1 Samuel 15:22-23)
  • Hunted David across the wilderness for years, though David twice spared his life. (1 Samuel 24:1-7; 1 Samuel 26:9-11)
  • Consulted the medium at Endor the night before his last battle. (1 Samuel 28:7-19)
  • Was wounded on Mount Gilboa and fell on his own sword; Jonathan died with him. (1 Samuel 31:2-6)

Family

Father
Kish (1 Samuel 9:1-2)
Spouse
Ahinoam (1 Samuel 14:50); Rizpah (concubine) (2 Samuel 3:7)
Children
Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:49); Abinadab (1 Samuel 31:2); Malchi-shua (1 Samuel 14:49); Ish-bosheth (2 Samuel 2:8); Armoni (2 Samuel 21:8); Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 21:8); Merab (1 Samuel 14:49); Michal (1 Samuel 14:49)

Connected to

  • Samuel: The prophet who anointed him and announced his rejection (1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 15:23)
  • David: His armour-bearer and successor, whom he hunted (1 Samuel 16:21-23; 1 Samuel 18:8-11)
  • Jonathan: His son, who loved David and died with him at Gilboa (1 Samuel 14:1; 1 Samuel 31:2)

Mentioned in

1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, Psalm, Isaiah, Acts.

Every reference (327)

1 Samuel 9:2 · 1 Samuel 9:3 · 1 Samuel 9:5 · 1 Samuel 9:7 · 1 Samuel 9:8 · 1 Samuel 9:10 · 1 Samuel 9:15 · 1 Samuel 9:17 · 1 Samuel 9:18 · 1 Samuel 9:19 · 1 Samuel 9:21 · 1 Samuel 9:22 · 1 Samuel 9:24 · 1 Samuel 9:25 · 1 Samuel 9:26 · 1 Samuel 9:27 · 1 Samuel 10:11 · 1 Samuel 10:12 · 1 Samuel 10:14 · 1 Samuel 10:15 · 1 Samuel 10:16 · 1 Samuel 10:21 · 1 Samuel 10:26 · 1 Samuel 11:4 · 1 Samuel 11:5 · 1 Samuel 11:6 · 1 Samuel 11:7 · 1 Samuel 11:11 · 1 Samuel 11:12 · 1 Samuel 11:13 · 1 Samuel 11:15 · 1 Samuel 13:1 · 1 Samuel 13:2 · 1 Samuel 13:3 · 1 Samuel 13:4 · 1 Samuel 13:7 · 1 Samuel 13:9 · 1 Samuel 13:10 · 1 Samuel 13:11 · 1 Samuel 13:13 · 1 Samuel 13:15 · 1 Samuel 13:16 · 1 Samuel 13:22 · 1 Samuel 14:1 · 1 Samuel 14:2 · 1 Samuel 14:16 · 1 Samuel 14:17 · 1 Samuel 14:18 · 1 Samuel 14:19 · 1 Samuel 14:20 · 1 Samuel 14:21 · 1 Samuel 14:24 · 1 Samuel 14:33 · 1 Samuel 14:34 · 1 Samuel 14:35 · 1 Samuel 14:36 · 1 Samuel 14:37 · 1 Samuel 14:38 · 1 Samuel 14:40 · 1 Samuel 14:41 · 1 Samuel 14:42 · 1 Samuel 14:43 · 1 Samuel 14:44 · 1 Samuel 14:45 · 1 Samuel 14:46 · 1 Samuel 14:47 · 1 Samuel 14:49 · 1 Samuel 14:50 · 1 Samuel 14:51 · 1 Samuel 14:52 · 1 Samuel 15:1 · 1 Samuel 15:4 · 1 Samuel 15:5 · 1 Samuel 15:6 · 1 Samuel 15:7 · 1 Samuel 15:9 · 1 Samuel 15:11 · 1 Samuel 15:12 · 1 Samuel 15:13 · 1 Samuel 15:15 · 1 Samuel 15:16 · 1 Samuel 15:20 · 1 Samuel 15:24 · 1 Samuel 15:26 · 1 Samuel 15:31 · 1 Samuel 15:34 · 1 Samuel 15:35 · 1 Samuel 16:1 · 1 Samuel 16:2 · 1 Samuel 16:14 · 1 Samuel 16:15 · 1 Samuel 16:17 · 1 Samuel 16:19 · 1 Samuel 16:20 · 1 Samuel 16:21 · 1 Samuel 16:22 · 1 Samuel 16:23 · 1 Samuel 17:2 · 1 Samuel 17:8 · 1 Samuel 17:11 · 1 Samuel 17:12 · 1 Samuel 17:13 · 1 Samuel 17:14 · 1 Samuel 17:15 · 1 Samuel 17:19 · 1 Samuel 17:31 · 1 Samuel 17:32 · 1 Samuel 17:33 · 1 Samuel 17:34 · 1 Samuel 17:37 · 1 Samuel 17:38 · 1 Samuel 17:39 · 1 Samuel 17:55 · 1 Samuel 17:57 · 1 Samuel 17:58 · 1 Samuel 18:1 · 1 Samuel 18:2 · 1 Samuel 18:5 · 1 Samuel 18:6 · 1 Samuel 18:7 · 1 Samuel 18:8 · 1 Samuel 18:9 · 1 Samuel 18:10 · 1 Samuel 18:11 · 1 Samuel 18:12 · 1 Samuel 18:13 · 1 Samuel 18:15 · 1 Samuel 18:17 · 1 Samuel 18:18 · 1 Samuel 18:19 · 1 Samuel 18:20 · 1 Samuel 18:21 · 1 Samuel 18:22 · 1 Samuel 18:23 · 1 Samuel 18:24 · 1 Samuel 18:25 · 1 Samuel 18:27 · 1 Samuel 18:28 · 1 Samuel 18:29 · 1 Samuel 18:30 · 1 Samuel 19:1 · 1 Samuel 19:2 · 1 Samuel 19:4 · 1 Samuel 19:6 · 1 Samuel 19:7 · 1 Samuel 19:9 · 1 Samuel 19:10 · 1 Samuel 19:11 · 1 Samuel 19:14 · 1 Samuel 19:15 · 1 Samuel 19:17 · 1 Samuel 19:18 · 1 Samuel 19:19 · 1 Samuel 19:20 · 1 Samuel 19:21 · 1 Samuel 19:24 · 1 Samuel 20:25 · 1 Samuel 20:26 · 1 Samuel 20:27 · 1 Samuel 20:28 · 1 Samuel 20:30 · 1 Samuel 20:32 · 1 Samuel 20:33 · 1 Samuel 21:7 · 1 Samuel 21:10 · 1 Samuel 21:11 · 1 Samuel 22:6 · 1 Samuel 22:7 · 1 Samuel 22:9 · 1 Samuel 22:12 · 1 Samuel 22:13 · 1 Samuel 22:21 · 1 Samuel 22:22 · 1 Samuel 23:7 · 1 Samuel 23:8 · 1 Samuel 23:9 · 1 Samuel 23:10 · 1 Samuel 23:11 · 1 Samuel 23:12 · 1 Samuel 23:13 · 1 Samuel 23:14 · 1 Samuel 23:15 · 1 Samuel 23:16 · 1 Samuel 23:17 · 1 Samuel 23:19 · 1 Samuel 23:21 · 1 Samuel 23:24 · 1 Samuel 23:25 · 1 Samuel 23:26 · 1 Samuel 23:27 · 1 Samuel 23:28 · 1 Samuel 24:1 · 1 Samuel 24:2 · 1 Samuel 24:3 · 1 Samuel 24:4 · 1 Samuel 24:5 · 1 Samuel 24:7 · 1 Samuel 24:8 · 1 Samuel 24:9 · 1 Samuel 24:16 · 1 Samuel 24:22 · 1 Samuel 25:44 · 1 Samuel 26:1 · 1 Samuel 26:2 · 1 Samuel 26:3 · 1 Samuel 26:4 · 1 Samuel 26:5 · 1 Samuel 26:6 · 1 Samuel 26:7 · 1 Samuel 26:12 · 1 Samuel 26:17 · 1 Samuel 26:21 · 1 Samuel 26:25 · 1 Samuel 27:1 · 1 Samuel 27:4 · 1 Samuel 28:3 · 1 Samuel 28:4 · 1 Samuel 28:5 · 1 Samuel 28:6 · 1 Samuel 28:7 · 1 Samuel 28:8 · 1 Samuel 28:9 · 1 Samuel 28:10 · 1 Samuel 28:12 · 1 Samuel 28:13 · 1 Samuel 28:14 · 1 Samuel 28:15 · 1 Samuel 28:20 · 1 Samuel 28:21 · 1 Samuel 28:25 · 1 Samuel 29:3 · 1 Samuel 29:5 · 1 Samuel 31:2 · 1 Samuel 31:3 · 1 Samuel 31:4 · 1 Samuel 31:5 · 1 Samuel 31:6 · 1 Samuel 31:7 · 1 Samuel 31:8 · 1 Samuel 31:11 · 1 Samuel 31:12 · 2 Samuel 1:1 · 2 Samuel 1:2 · 2 Samuel 1:4 · 2 Samuel 1:5 · 2 Samuel 1:6 · 2 Samuel 1:12 · 2 Samuel 1:17 · 2 Samuel 1:21 · 2 Samuel 1:22 · 2 Samuel 1:23 · 2 Samuel 1:24 · 2 Samuel 2:4 · 2 Samuel 2:5 · 2 Samuel 2:7 · 2 Samuel 2:8 · 2 Samuel 2:10 · 2 Samuel 2:12 · 2 Samuel 2:15 · 2 Samuel 3:1 · 2 Samuel 3:6 · 2 Samuel 3:7 · 2 Samuel 3:8 · 2 Samuel 3:10 · 2 Samuel 3:13 · 2 Samuel 3:14 · 2 Samuel 4:1 · 2 Samuel 4:2 · 2 Samuel 4:4 · 2 Samuel 4:8 · 2 Samuel 4:10 · 2 Samuel 5:2 · 2 Samuel 6:16 · 2 Samuel 6:20 · 2 Samuel 6:23 · 2 Samuel 7:15 · 2 Samuel 9:1 · 2 Samuel 9:2 · 2 Samuel 9:3 · 2 Samuel 9:6 · 2 Samuel 9:7 · 2 Samuel 9:9 · 2 Samuel 12:7 · 2 Samuel 16:5 · 2 Samuel 16:8 · 2 Samuel 19:17 · 2 Samuel 19:24 · 2 Samuel 21:1 · 2 Samuel 21:2 · 2 Samuel 21:4 · 2 Samuel 21:6 · 2 Samuel 21:7 · 2 Samuel 21:8 · 2 Samuel 21:11 · 2 Samuel 21:12 · 2 Samuel 21:13 · 2 Samuel 21:14 · 2 Samuel 22:1 · 1 Chronicles 5:10 · 1 Chronicles 8:33 · 1 Chronicles 9:39 · 1 Chronicles 10:2 · 1 Chronicles 10:3 · 1 Chronicles 10:4 · 1 Chronicles 10:5 · 1 Chronicles 10:6 · 1 Chronicles 10:7 · 1 Chronicles 10:8 · 1 Chronicles 10:11 · 1 Chronicles 10:12 · 1 Chronicles 10:13 · 1 Chronicles 11:2 · 1 Chronicles 12:1 · 1 Chronicles 12:2 · 1 Chronicles 12:19 · 1 Chronicles 12:23 · 1 Chronicles 12:29 · 1 Chronicles 13:3 · 1 Chronicles 15:29 · 1 Chronicles 26:28 · Psalm 18:0 · Psalm 52:0 · Psalm 54:0 · Psalm 57:0 · Psalm 59:0 · Isaiah 10:29 · Acts 13:21

Review status: in-theological-review. Every Contend profile passes a human theological review against the Statement of Faith before it is published as approved teaching. This profile is in that queue. Sources: Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain), verified verse by verse. Name and reference data: STEP Bible (TIPNR), Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0.