1 Samuel 13

Saul Fails His Commission

1Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty-two years over Israel. # 13:1 Lit. “The son of a year was Saul in his ruling and two years he ruled over Israel.” Most translations supply Saul’s age and length of reign from Gk manuscripts, external evidence (e.g., Josephus), or from the New Testament (Luke mentions a forty-year reign for Saul in Ac 13:21).

2Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Mikmash # 1Sa 13:5 and in mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah # 1Sa 10:26 of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent each to his tent.

3Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines # 1Sa 10:5 that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, # Jdg 3:27 saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4All Israel heard that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel had become odious # Ge 34:30; Ex 5:21 to the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

5The Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, with people like the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. # Jos 11:4 And they came up and camped in Mikmash, east of Beth-aven. # 1Sa 14:23 6When Israel’s fighting men saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in hollows, among rocks, and in cellars and cisterns. # Jdg 6:2; Heb 11:38 7Some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.

But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling. 8He waited seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed. # 1Sa 10:8 But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him. 9Saul said, “Bring here to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering. # Dt 12:6; 1Ki 3:4 10When he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him to greet him. # 1Sa 15:13

11Samuel said, “What have you done?”

And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come to the appointed assembly days, and the Philistines are gathering themselves together at Mikmash, # 1Sa 13:2, 5 12therefore I said, ‘The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not yet appeased the face of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.”

13Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. # 2Ch 16:9 You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. # 1Sa 15:11 Truly now, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14But now your kingdom will not continue. # 1Sa 15:28 The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart # Ac 13:22 and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over His people, because you have not kept that which the Lord commanded you.”

15Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men. # 1Sa 13:2; 14:2

Israel Unarmed

16Now Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were with them, were staying in Gibeah of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Mikmash. 17Then raiders # 1Sa 14:15 came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, # Jos 18:23 to the land of Shual. 18And another company turned the way to Beth-horon. # Jos 18:13–14 And another company turned to the way of the border that looks to the Valley of Zeboyim # Ne 11:34 toward the wilderness.

19Now there was no blacksmith # 2Ki 24:14 found throughout all the land of Israel. For the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make for themselves swords or spears.” # Jdg 5:8 20So all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plow-point, his axe, his sickle and his hoe. 21The sharpening charge was two-thirds of a shekel # 13:21 About 1/4 ounce, or 8 grams. for plowshares, axes, pitchforks, and sickles, and to fix an ox goad.

22So on the day of battle neither sword nor spear were found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found in the hand of Saul and Jonathan his son.

23And the garrison of the Philistines had marched out to the ravine of Mikmash. # Isa 10:28

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1 Samuel 13: MEV

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1 Samuel 13

Saul Rules over Israel

1Saul was thirty#A few LXX manuscripts have “thirty,” but the number of years is missing from the Masoretic Hebrew text years old#Literally “a son of years” at the beginning of his reign, and he reigned forty-two years#The Masoretic Hebrew text reads “two years” here, but this number seems far too small; either it is not correct or part of the number is missing (the present translation supplies “forty”); other English versions differ as to Saul’s age at coronation and the total years of his reign over Israel. 2He chose for himself three thousand from Israel. Two thousand of these were with Saul at Micmash in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. He sent away the rest of the people, each to his tent. 3Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4And all Israel did hear, saying, “Saul has defeated the garrison of the Philistines; and also, Israel has become a stench among the Philistines!” So the people were called out after Saul at Gilgal.

Saul’s Blunder

5And the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and an army as numerous as sand which is on the seashore. And they came up and encamped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven.

6When the men of Israel saw that it was too difficult#Literally “too narrow” for them, because the army was hard pressed, the people hid themselves in the caves, in the thorn bushes, in the cliffs, in the vaults#Or “cellars” or “tombs” ‘ or “strongholds” and in the wells. 7Some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the army followed him trembling.#Literally “trembled after him” 8He waited seven days according to the appointed time Samuel determined, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the army started to slip away from him.#Literally “the people scattered away from him” 9So Saul said, “Bring here to me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered up the burnt offering. 10Just as#Literally “And it happened as” he finished offering the burnt sacrifice, Samuel was coming. So Saul went out to meet him and to bless him. 11But Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “Because I saw that the army was scattering#Literally “dispersed themselves” from me and you did not come at the appointed time#Literally “according to the appointed time of the days” and that the Philistines had gathered at Micmash, 12therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not yet implored the face of Yahweh.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.”

13Then Samuel said to Saul, “You have behaved foolishly! You have not kept the command of Yahweh your God which he commanded you. For then, Yahweh would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14But now, your kingdom will not endure. Yahweh has sought for himself a man according to his own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him as leader over his people, because you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you.”

15Then Samuel got up and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul mustered the people who were found with him, about six hundred men. 16Saul and Jonathan his son and the army that remained with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines encamped at Micmash. 17The raiders#Literally “destroyers” went out from the camp of the Philistines in three divisions. One division turned on the road#Or “way” to Ophrah toward the land of Shual. 18One division turned on the road#Or “way” to Beth Horon, and one turned on the road#Or “way” toward the border overlooking the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19Now no skilled craftsman could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, “So that the Hebrews cannot make swords or spears for themselves.” 20So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to have his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his iron plowshare#So the Masoretic Hebrew text; LXX reads “sickle” sharpened. 21The charge#Or “fee” was two-thirds of a shekel#Literally “a pim” (possibly a stone weight used as a measure) for the plowshare and for the mattock, and a third of a shekel for the pick#Literally “and for three, a pick” (uncertain; perhaps meaning “a third of a shekel,” or a three-pronged pick” and for the axe, and to set the goading sticks. 22So#Literally, “And it happened” on the day of battle, there was not a sword or a spear found in the hands of all the army that was with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and his son Jonathan had them.#Literally, “it could be found for Saul and for Jonathan his son” 23Now the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Micmash.

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