I Samuel 13
13
Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice
1Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 2Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in #Deut. 28:36Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with #1 Sam. 14:5, 31Jonathan in #1 Sam. 14:1Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent.
3And Jonathan attacked #1 Sam. 10:26the garrison of the Philistines that was in #1 Sam. 10:5Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4Now all Israel heard it said that Saul had attacked a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel had also become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal.
5Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people #2 Sam. 5:25as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of #Judg. 7:12Beth Aven. 6When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people #Josh. 7:2; 1 Sam. 14:23hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits. 7And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the #Judg. 6:2; 1 Sam. 14:11land of Gad and Gilead.
As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8#Num. 32:1–42Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.
11And Samuel said, “What have you done?”
Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, 12then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”
13And Samuel said to Saul, #1 Sam. 10:8“You have done foolishly. #2 Chr. 16:9You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14#1 Sam. 15:11, 22, 28But now your kingdom shall not continue. #1 Sam. 15:28; 31:6The Lord has sought for Himself a man #1 Sam. 16:1after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have #Ps. 89:20; Acts 7:46; 13:22not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
15Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people present with him, #1 Sam. 15:11, 19about six hundred men.
No Weapons for the Army
16Saul, Jonathan his son, and the people present with them remained in Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17Then raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned onto the road to #1 Sam. 13:2, 6, 7; 14:2Ophrah, to the land of Shual, 18another company turned to the road to #Josh. 18:23Beth Horon, and another company turned to the road of the border that overlooks the Valley of #Josh. 16:3; 18:13, 14Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19Now #Gen. 14:2; Neh. 11:34there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.” 20But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle; 21and the charge for a sharpening was a pim for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads. 22So it came about, on the day of battle, that #Judg. 5:8; 2 Kin. 24:14; Jer. 24:1; 29:2there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.
23#Judg. 5:8And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
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I Samuel 13: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
1 Samuel 13
13
Saul’s Failure
1Saul was 30 years # Some LXX mss; MT reads was one year old when he became king, and he reigned 42 years # Text emended; MT reads two years over Israel. # Some LXX mss omit v. 1 2He chose 3,000 men from Israel for himself: 2,000 were with Saul at Michmash # 1Sm 14:31 and in Bethel’s hill country, and 1,000 were with Jonathan in Gibeah # 1Sm 10:26 of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the troops away, each to his own tent.
3Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison # Or governor # 1Sm 10:5 that was in Geba, # 1Sm 13:16; 14:5 and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land # Jdg 3:27; 6:34 saying, “Let the Hebrews hear! ” # LXX reads The slaves have revolted # Nm 10:9; Jdg 3:27; 6:34 4And all Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, # Or governor and Israel is now repulsive to the Philistines.” Then the troops were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5The Philistines also gathered to fight against Israel: 3,000 # One LXX ms, Syr; MT reads 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. # Jos 11:4 They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven. # LXX reads Michmash, opposite Beth-horon to the south # 1Sm 14:23
6The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns. # Jdg 6:2 7Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear. 8He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, # 1Sm 10:8 but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him. 9So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering.
10Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him, 11and Samuel asked, “What have you done? ”
Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, 12I thought: The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the Lord’s favor. So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”
13Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. # 2Ch 16:9 You have not kept the command which the Lord your God gave you. # 1Sm 15:22,28 It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel, # 1Sm 1:22 14but now your reign will not endure. # 1Sm 15:28 The Lord has found a man loyal to Him, # Lit man according to His heart # 1Sm 16:7; Ac 13:22 and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not done what the Lord commanded.” 15Then Samuel went # LXX reads Samuel left Gilgal and went on his way, and the rest of the people followed Saul to join the people in his army. They went from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul registered the troops who were with him, about 600 men.
16Saul, his son Jonathan, and the troops who were with them were staying in Geba # 1Sm 13:2-3 of Benjamin, and the Philistines were camped at Michmash. 17Raiding parties # 1Sm 14:15 went out from the Philistine camp in three divisions. One division headed toward the Ophrah # Jos 18:23 road leading to the land of Shual. 18The next division headed toward the Beth-horon # Jos 18:13-14 road, and the last division headed down the border road that looks out over the Valley of Zeboim # Neh 11:34 toward the wilderness.
19No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, # Jdg 5:8; 2Kg 24:14 because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords or spears.” 20So all the Israelites went to the Philistines to sharpen their plows, mattocks, axes, and sickles. # LXX; MT reads plowshares 21The price was two-thirds of a shekel # Lit of a pim ; about 1/4 ounce of silver for plows and mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for pitchforks and axes, and for putting a point on an oxgoad. 22So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hand of any of the troops who were with Saul # Jdg 5:8 and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.
Jonathan’s Victory over the Philistines
23Now a Philistine garrison # 1Sm 14:1; 2Sm 23:14 took control of the pass at Michmash.
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