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
1Saul was...years old when he became king; and he reigned two years over Israel. 2And Saul chose him three thousand men out of Israel: there were with Saul two thousand in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. 3And Jonathan smote the outpost of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. 4And all Israel heard say, Saul has smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and Israel also has become odious to the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal. 5And the Philistines were assembled together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude; and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward from Beth-Aven. 6And the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed); and the people hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in cliffs, and in strongholds, and in pits. 7And the Hebrews went over the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. And Saul was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
8And he waited seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9And Saul said, Bring hither to me the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings. And he offered up the burnt-offering. 10And it came to pass, as soon as he had ended offering up the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. 11And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou didst not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were assembled at Michmash, 12I said, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to Jehovah; and I forced myself, and offered up the burnt-offering. 13And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of Jehovah thy God#GodHebrew: Elohim which he commanded thee; for now would Jehovah have established thy kingdom over Israel for ever. 14But now thy kingdom shall not continue: Jehovah has sought him a man after his own heart, and Jehovah has appointed him ruler over his people; for thou hast not kept what Jehovah commanded thee.
15And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were found with him, about six hundred men. 16And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were found with them, abode in Geba of Benjamin; and the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17And the ravagers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned the way of Ophrah, into the land of Shual; 18and another company turned the way to Beth-horon; and the other company turned the way to the district that looks over the ravine of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 19Now there was no smith found throughout the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears. 20And all Israel went down to the Philistines, every man to get his ploughshare, and his hoe, and his axe, and his sickle sharpened, 21when the edges of the sickles, and the hoes, and the forks, and the axes were blunted; and to set the goads. 22And it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan; but with Saul and with Jonathan his son there was found. 23And a garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.