דברי הימים א, פרק י׳, פסוק ד׳

In his final moments on the battlefield, facing the imminent danger of being taken captive, the king chooses death over humiliation. He turns to his armor-bearer, the loyal companion who is always by his side, and commands him to draw his sword and pierce him [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The driving force behind this desperate request is the terror of being found alive by his enemies. The king dreads the mockery, disgrace, and physical torture they would surely inflict upon him [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. He reasons that a swift death is the only escape; even if the enemy eventually harms his lifeless body, he will at least be spared the agony of enduring their abuse while still breathing [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Despite the direct royal command, the armor-bearer refuses to act, paralyzed by a deep fear [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Commentators offer two perspectives on the nature of this hesitation. One approach suggests it stems from a profound religious awe; the armor-bearer was terrified of God and could not bring himself to harm God's anointed king [מצודת דוד]. Another perspective focuses on the powerful emotional bond between the two men. As the king's closest and most devoted companion, the armor-bearer was simply incapable of raising a weapon against the commander he had pledged his life to protect [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Realizing that his trusted aide will not deliver the fatal blow, the king takes the sword himself and falls upon it to end his own life [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, falling on a sword is a difficult act that does not guarantee an instant end. The king succeeds in inflicting mortal wounds upon himself, yet he remains partially conscious as he lies dying. This lingering state of agony aligns with another biblical account, which reveals that an Amalekite youth ultimately arrived to deliver the final strike [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].