How we cite our quotes:
Quote #10
And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa. And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people. And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan. (1 Samuel 31:8-10, KJV)
The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. They cut off his head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to the houses of their idols and to the people. They put his armor in the temple of Astarte; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. (1 Samuel 31:8-10, NRSV)
When people win victories in the sporting world, they raise a trophy for all the fans to see. In the ancient world, people took trophies from their battles. Oftentimes these trophies were the bodies of their enemies. Getting even more specific, the Philistines from this battle cut off Saul's head. They placed his armor in the temple of a goddess, and put his body on the wall of a city. Everyone who passed by could see what happened to a king who opposed the Philistines. However harsh this seems, remember that David took Goliath's head in chapter 17. Tit for tat?