The men of Jabesh-Gilead showed profound gratitude and honor to their fallen king. Commentators note they buried Saul's bones under a specific, well-known tamarisk tree, perhaps because Saul himself loved trees. Their seven-day fast was a high honor, mirroring the mourning for the patriarch Jacob and possibly recalling the seven days Saul gave them when he rescued their city years earlier. This was an act of loyal remembrance for the king who had saved them.