Shaul was not frightened that they would kill him, for he would choose death after having seen that his sons had already been killed in the battle. He was very frightened that they should wound him in a way that he would not die straight away, but would not be able to fight back, and they would mock him whilst they tortured him.

He therefore chose to die through people that loved him him.

We have found tha thtere are times when it is permissable for a person to kill themselves, in order not to sin in more grevious ways, especially through idolatory, immorality and murder.

The Talmud supports this with a story about Jewish girls who were captured on a ship in order to be sold as prostitutes, and once they realised this, they jumped overboard and drowned, rather than continuiing with their lives....

We find a similiar thing with King Saul in his last battle, so that he did not fall into the hands of the Phillistines, because he knew that they would afflict him, and through this the honour of Israel would become shamed.

(5) “How do you know,” David asked the young man who brought him the news, “that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” (6) The young man who brought him the news answered, “I happened to be at Mount Gilboa, and I saw Saul leaning on his spear, and the chariots and horsemen closing in on him. (7) He looked around, saw me, and called me. When I responded, ‘At your service,’ (8) he asked me, ‘Who are you?’ And I told him that I was an Amalekite. (9) Then he said to me, ‘Stand over me and finish me off, meaning of Heb. uncertain. for I am in agony and am barely alive.’ -a (10) So I stood over him and finished him off, for I knew that meaning of Heb. uncertain. he would never rise from where he was lying.-a Then I took the crown from his head and the armlet from his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.” (11) David took hold of his clothes and rent them, and so did all the men with him. (12) They lamented and wept, and they fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the soldiers of the LORDbSeptuagint reads “Judah.” and the House of Israel who had fallen by the sword. (13) David said to the young man who had brought him the news, “Where are you from?” He replied, “I am the son of a resident alien, an Amalekite.” (14) “How did you dare,” David said to him, “to lift your hand and kill the LORD’s anointed?” (15) Thereupon David called one of the attendants and said to him, “Come over and strike him!” He struck him down and he died.

How could David have ordered the death of this man? After all, he was acting on King Saul's orders.

Someone who tells his friend to damage/hurt him is still obligated to pay for the damage done to the person who requested it; how much more would this be the case with a king? There is no reason to follow the commandment of the King because we listen to G-d (the Master) rather than listening to the student. Even though there were no witnesses, David could still kill the Edomite because it was showing the honour due to a king. Thus, even when David was in the cave and could have killed Saul, he did not.....

(1) One who commits suicide wilfully is not attended to at all;1Lit. ‘in every respect.’ For it is written: ‘And surely your blood of your lives will I require’ (Gen. IX, 5), regarding which R. Eleazar remarked that it means, ‘I will require your blood if shed by yourselves’ (B.K. 91b). RaShBA writes that although the law is that we do not attend to one who commits suicide, nevertheless, this does not apply to burial and shrouds, but only to rending of garments and baring the shoulder in mourning — ShaK. and one does not mourn for him and no lamentation is made for him, nor does one rend [garments] or bare [the shoulder in mourning for him], but one stands for him in the line [of comforters], and one recites over him the mourners' blessing, and whatever [brings] honour [only] to the living [may be done].2Sem(H). II, Thus also Yad, Ebel I, 1 N holds that garments are rent for a suicide and that the passage in Sem. from which our ruling is derived refers to strangers only but not to near-of-kin — ShaK. In a case where the surviving members of the family of a suicide would suffer shame and humiliation, it is permitted to allow them to observe mourning rites — P.Tesh. If no doubts are entertained as to the commision of suicide, the law is that where there are other mourners present at the Synagogue services, the children of a suicidal case should not recite the Kaddish. But if any doubts exist as to whether the person really committed suicide, the children should recite the Kaddish — P.Tesh.

(1) One in a dying condition is considered a living being in all respects.3He is considered a living being with respect to granting a divorce (provided he is able to speak, according to one opinion in E.H. § 121, 7) ; to giving gifts, and as to a Kohen entering the house of a person in a dying condition, some permit and others forbid. infra § 370. We may not tie up his jaws,4So that he does not open his mouth. nor may we annoint him with oil, nor wash him,5In order to remove filth. nor stop off his organs of the extremities,6This was done in order that the corpse should not swell on account of the air which enters through his open organs. nor may we remove the pillow from under him, nor may we place him on sand, clay-ground or earth, nor may we place on his stomach a dish, a shovel, a flask of water or a globule of salt,7These were ancient practices. nor may we summon the towns on his behalf, nor may we hire pipers and lamenting women, nor may we close his eyes8For all these hasten his death — TaZ. On closing the eyes, cf. Gen. XLVI, 4, ‘And Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.’ before his soul departs.9Tur citing T.H. who derives this from Sem. Cur. edd., however, do not contain all the items enumerated. W.G. a.l. and Sem(H). p. 233; also supra § 337, n. 2. Cf. further Shab. 151a-b, Mishna. And whosoever closes [the dying person's] eyes before death10Lit. ‘with the departure of the soul.’ is regarded as one who sheds blood.11One must make sure that he is dead, for it is quite possible that the patient has only fainted — Maim. The Talmud (ibid.) and Sem. (l.c.) compare this to a lamp that is going out. If one places his finger upon it, it is immediately extinguished — ShaK. One may not rend garments, nor bare the shoulder in mourning, nor make a lamentation for him, nor bring a coffin into the house in his presence before he dies,12A healthy person is, however, permitted to prepare shrouds for himself — T.H. according to Men. 41a. nor may we begin the recital of Ẓidduk Haddin1 Glos. before his soul departs.13T.H. Cf. W.G. a.l. Gloss: Some say that we may not dig out a grave for him. although it is not [done] in his presence, [i.e.,] in the house, — before he dies.14RIBaSh, Resp. 114. But if this is not done in the presence of the dying person and he would therefore not become aware of it, it is permissible — B.Yos. and BaḤ. However, on the eve of the Sabbath one must be very careful not to open a grave unless there would be sufficient time to bury the corpse. Cf. O.Ḥ. § 547, 9; BaḤ a.l. Mish. Le-Melek, Yad, Ebel IV, 5. It is [likewise] forbidden to dig out any grave to be [left] open until the next day, in which the corpse will not be buried the same day, and there is danger in this.15R. Yeruḥam on the authority of R. Yehudah the Ḥasid — G. It is likewise forbidden to cause [aught] to hasten the death of one who is in a dying condition, e.g., one who has been in a dying condition for a long time, and could not depart, — [the law is that] we may not remove the pillow or the mattress from under him [just] because some say that there are feathers from some fowl which cause this [prolongation of death].16Where there exists a possibility that if a certain cure or medicine is administered the patient may live or it may have the opposite effect of hastening his death, the law is that it is permissible to give the medicine or the like after consultation with medical experts — Resp. Binyan Ẓion. One may offer prayers that the suffering person die — RaN (Ned. 40a). He may likewise not be moved from his place. It is also forbidden to place the Synagogue keys under his head in order that he may depart.17These are all forbidden on account of moving the patient which may hasten his death — TaZ and ShaK. supra n. 7. However, if there is aught which causes a hindrance to the departure of the soul, e.g., [if] near that house there is a knocking sound, viz., a wood-cutter, or there is salt on his tongue, and these hinder the departure of the soul, it is permitted to remove it therefrom, for there is no [direct] act [involved] in this, since he merely removes the hindrance.18Hag. Alfasi (295b) to M.K. III — G. TaZ contra ShaK. forbids removing salt from his tongue, since in this case too, the patient has to be moved. A.H. agrees with ShaK.

​​​​​​​Blessed is Adonoy by day, Blessed is Adonoy by night, Blessed is Adonoy when we lie down, Blessed is Adonoy when we rise. For in Your hand are the souls of the living and the dead: [as it is written]: for in His hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of every human being.30Job 12:10. In Your hand, I commit my spirit; You have liberated me Adonoy, Almighty of truth.31Psalms 31:6. Our God in heaven, reveal the unity of Your Name, preserve Your kingdom always and reign over us forever and ever.