1 Samuel 13
13
Saul’s Failure
1Saul was thirty years#13:1 Some LXX mss; MT reads was one year old when he became king, and he reigned forty-two years#13:1 Text emended; MT reads two years over Israel.#13:1 Some LXX mss omit v. 1 2He chose three thousand men from Israel for himself: two thousand were with Saul at Michmash#1Sm 14:31 and in Bethel’s hill country, and one thousand 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#13:3 Or governor, also in v. 4#1Sm 10:5 in Gibeah,#13:3 LXX; MT reads Geba 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!” #13:3 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, 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: three thousand#13:5 One LXX ms, Syr; MT reads 30,000 chariots, six thousand 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.#13:5 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, in 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 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 after his own heart,#13:14 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#13:15 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 six hundred 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 Zeboim Valley#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.#13:20 LXX; MT reads plowshares 21The price was two-thirds of a shekel#13:21 Lit of a pim; about one-fourth ounce of silver for plows and mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for pitchforks and axes, and for putting a point on a cattle prod. 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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1 Samuel 13: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
1 Samuel 13
13
1 When he began to reign, Saul was the son of one year, and he reigned over Israel for two years.
2 And Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. And two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and at mount Bethel. Then one thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But the remainder of the people, he sent back, each one to his own tent.
3 And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines, which was in Gibeah. And when the Philistines had heard about it, Saul sounded the trumpet over all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews listen."
4 And all of Israel heard this report, that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines. And Israel raised himself up against the Philistines. Then the people cried out to Saul at Gilgal.
5 And the Philistines gathered to do battle against Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and the remainder of the common people, who were very many, like the sand that is on the shore of the sea. And ascending, they encamped at Michmash, toward the east of Bethaven.
6 And when the men of Israel had seen themselves to be in a narrowed position, they hid themselves in caves, and in out of the way places, and in rocks, and in hollows, and in pits (for the people were distressed).
7 Then some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan, into the land of Gad and Gilead. And while Saul was still at Gilgal, the entire people who followed him were terrified.
8 But he waited for seven days, in accord with what was agreed with Samuel. But Samuel did not arrive at Gilgal, for the people were scattering away from him.
9 Therefore, Saul said, "Bring me the holocaust and the peace offerings." And he offered the holocaust.
10 And when he had completed the offering of the holocaust, behold, Samuel arrived. And Saul went out to meet him, so that he might greet him.
11 And Samuel said to him, "What have you done?" Saul responded: "Since I saw that the people were scattering away from me, and you had not arrived after the agreed upon days, and yet the Philistines had gathered together at Michmash,
12 I said: 'Now the Philistines will descend to me at Gilgal. And I have not appeased the face of the Lord.' Compelled by necessity, I offered the holocaust.
13 And Samuel said to Saul: "You have acted foolishly. You have not kept the commandments of the Lord your God, which he instructed to you. And if you had not acted in this way, the Lord would, here and now, have prepared your kingdom over Israel forever.
14 But by no means shall your kingdom rise up any more. The Lord has sought for himself a man according to his own heart. And him the Lord has instructed to be the leader over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord has instructed."
15 Then Samuel rose up and ascended from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And the remainder of the people ascended after Saul, to meet the people who were fighting against them, going from Gilgal into Gibeah, to the hill of Benjamin. And Saul took a census of the people, who had been found to be with him, about six hundred men.
16 And Saul, and his son Jonathan, and the people who had been found to be with them, were at Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines had settled in at Michmash.
17 And three companies went out from the camp of the Philistines, in order to plunder. One company was traveling toward the way of Ophrah, to the land of Shual.
18 Then another entered along the way of Beth-horon. But the third turned itself to the way of the border, overhanging the valley of Zeboim, opposite the desert.
19 Now there was no worker of iron to be found in all the land of Israel. For the Philistines had been cautious, lest perhaps the Hebrews might make swords or spears.
20 Therefore, all of Israel descended to the Philistines, so that each man could sharpen his plowshare, or pick axe, or hatchet, or hoe.
21 For their plow blades, and pick axes, and pitch forks, and axes had become blunt, and even the handles needed to be repaired.
22 And when the day of battle had arrived, there was found neither sword nor spear in the hand of the entire people who were with Saul and Jonathan, except for Saul and his son Jonathan.
23 Then the army of the Philistines went out in order to go across Michmash.
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