10:4 took a sword. This account of Saul’s death closely agrees with the account in I Samuel 31:3-6, and may even have been copied from it. However, it seems to conflict with the account given by the young Amalekite who told David that he had slain Saul (II Samuel 1:2-10). Apparently, the attempted suicide by Saul had not quite succeeded, so what his armor-bearer was afraid to do, the Amalekite did without hesitation. Or, perhaps, he merely told David he had slain Saul, thinking thereby to gain favor with David. In either case, his presumption cost him his own life (II Samuel 1:14-16).