1 Samuel 11
11
Saul Defeats the Ammonites
1Now Nahash the #11:1 The Ammonites were descendants of Lot (Gen 19:36-38).Ammonite [king] went up and #11:1 This was a common military tactic used against a fortified (walled) city or garrison, to take it with a minimal loss of troops. All supplies and communication were cut off between the city and the outside world, in the hope of starving out the citizens or destroying their morale and will to resist.besieged Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty [of peace] with us and we will serve you.” 2But Nahash the Ammonite told them, “I will make a treaty with you on this condition, that I will #11:2 Partially blinding a man made him almost useless as an enemy combatant or archer because it hampered his depth perception and limited his peripheral vision.gouge out the right eye of every one of you, and make it a disgrace upon all Israel.” 3The elders of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Give us seven days so that we may send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out [and surrender] to you.” 4#11:4 Nahash granted the request, even though the Israelites’ offer to submit to slavery (v 1) clearly indicated that they were in essence already defeated. Nahash undoubtedly believed that there was no formidable person to save Israel, and he wanted to see them willingly submit to the painful and debilitating mutilation that he had planned for them.Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news to the people; and all the people raised their voices and wept aloud.
5Now Saul was coming out of the field behind the oxen, and he said, “What is the matter with the people that they are weeping?” So they told him about the report of the men of Jabesh. 6The Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and he became extremely angry. 7He took a team of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out to follow Saul and Samuel, the same shall be done to his oxen.” Then fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out [united] as one man [with one purpose]. 8He assembled and counted them at Bezek; and the sons of Israel numbered 300,000, and the men of Judah 30,000. 9They said to the messengers who had come, “You shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will have #11:9 Lit deliverance.help [against the Ammonites].’ ” So the messengers came and reported this to the men of Jabesh; and they were overjoyed. 10So the men of Jabesh said [to Nahash the Ammonite], “Tomorrow we will come out to you [to surrender], and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.” 11The next morning Saul put the men into three companies; and they entered the [Ammonites’] camp during the [darkness of the early] morning watch and killed the Ammonites until the heat of the day; and the survivors were scattered, and no two of them were left together.
12The people said to Samuel, “Who is the one who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, and we will put them to death.” 13But Saul said, “No man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has brought #11:13 Lit deliverance.victory to Israel.”
14Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there restore the kingdom.” 15So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they also sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
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Shemu’ĕl Aleph (1 Samuel) 11
11
1And Naḥash the Ammonite came up and camped against Yaḇĕsh Gil‛aḏ. And all the men of Yaḇĕsh said to Naḥash, “Make a covenant with us, and we shall serve you.”
2Then Naḥash the Ammonite answered them, “For this I make a covenant with you, that I dig out all your right eyes, and I shall bring reproach on all Yisra’ĕl.”
3And the elders of Yaḇĕsh said to him, “Leave us alone for seven days, so that we send messengers to all the borders of Yisra’ĕl. And then, if there is no one to save us, we shall come out to you.”
4And the messengers came to Giḇ‛ah of Sha’ul and spoke the words in the hearing of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept.
5And look, Sha’ul was coming behind the herd from the field. And Sha’ul said, “Why are the people weeping?” And they related to him the words of the men of Yaḇĕsh.
6And the Spirit of Elohim came upon Sha’ul mightily as he heard these words, and his displeasure burned greatly.
7And he took a yoke of cattle and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the border of Yisra’ĕl by the hands of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not go out with Sha’ul and Shemu’ĕl to battle, let this be done to his cattle.” And the fear of יהוה fell on the people, and they came out as one man.
8And he mustered them in Bezeq, and the children of Yisra’ĕl were three hundred thousand, and the men of Yehuḏah thirty thousand.
9And they said to the messengers who came, “Say this to the men of Yaḇĕsh Gil‛aḏ, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have help.’ ” Then the messengers came and informed the men of Yaḇĕsh, and they rejoiced.
10So the men of Yaḇĕsh said, “Tomorrow we come out to you, and you shall do to us whatever seems good to you.”
11And it came to be, on the next day, that Sha’ul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck Ammon until the heat of the day. And it came to be that those left were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
12And the people said to Shemu’ĕl, “Who said, ‘Shall Sha’ul reign over us?’ Bring the men, so that we put them to death.”
13But Sha’ul said, “No man is put to death this day, for today יהוה has wrought deliverance in Yisra’ĕl.”
14And Shemu’ĕl said to the people, “Come, and let us go to Gilgal and renew the reign there.”
15And all the people went to Gilgal, and there they set up Sha’ul to reign before יהוה in Gilgal, and there they slaughtered slaughterings of peace offerings before יהוה. And there Sha’ul rejoiced, and all the men of Yisra’ĕl, very greatly.
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