1 Samuel 13
13
1[Saul was…years old when he became king and he reigned…-two years over Israel.]#A formula like that of 2 Sm 5:4 was introduced here at some time; but the age of Saul when he became king remains a blank, and the two years assigned for his reign in the Masoretic text cannot be correct. Acts 13:21 offers the round number of forty years.
Saul Offers Sacrifice. 2Saul chose three thousand of Israel, of whom two thousand remained with him in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the army back to their tents. 3Now Jonathan struck the Philistine garrison#The Philistine garrison: see note on 10:5. Let the Hebrews hear: a different reading of these verses, based on the Greek, would yield: “And the Philistines heard that the Hebrews (or: the slaves) had revolted. Saul in the meantime sounded the trumpet throughout all the land (v. 4), and all Israel heard that Saul….” in Gibeah, and the Philistines got word of it. Then Saul sounded the horn throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”#1 Sm 14:1–15; Jgs 3:27; 6:34; 2 Sm 20:1–2. 4Then all Israel heard the report, “Saul has struck the garrison of the Philistines! Israel has become odious to the Philistines!” Then the army was called up to Saul in Gilgal. 5The Philistines also assembled for battle against Israel, with thirty thousand chariots,#Thirty thousand chariots: some Greek manuscripts read “three thousand chariots.” six thousand horsemen, and foot soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore.#Gn 22:17; 41:49; Jgs 7:12. They came up and encamped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.#1 Sm 14:22. 6When the soldiers saw they were in danger because the army was hardpressed, they hid themselves in caves, thickets, rocks, caverns, and cisterns. 7Other Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, held out in Gilgal, all his army trembling in fear behind him.#These verses, like 10:8, anticipate the rejection of Saul; a different occasion and motivation for this are given in chap. 15 and 28:17–18. 8He waited seven days, until the appointed time Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come, and the army deserted Saul.#1 Sm 10:8. 9He then said, “Bring me the burnt offering and communion offerings!” Then he sacrificed the burnt offering.
King Saul Reproved. 10As he finished sacrificing the burnt offering, there came Samuel! So Saul went out toward him in order to greet him. 11Samuel asked him, “What have you done?” Saul explained: “When I saw that the army was deserting me and you did not come on the appointed day, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12I said to myself, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not yet sought the Lord’s blessing.’ So I thought I should sacrifice the burnt offering.” 13Samuel replied to Saul: “You have acted foolishly! Had you kept the command the Lord your God gave you, the Lord would now establish your kingship in Israel forever; 14but now your kingship shall not endure. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart#After his own heart: i.e., of his choosing, for his purpose. While the verse undoubtedly refers to David, it concerns the Lord’s decision to continue the kingship, even though he has rejected Saul, by selecting the heir to Saul’s throne. to appoint as ruler over his people because you did not observe what the Lord commanded you.”#1 Sm 15:28; 25:30; 2 Sm 7:15–16; Ps 78:70; Acts 13:22.
Philistine Invasion. 15Then Samuel set out from Gilgal and went his own way; but what was left of the army went up after Saul to meet the soldiers, going from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul then counted the soldiers he had with him, about six hundred.#1 Sm 14:2. 16Saul, his son Jonathan, and the soldiers they had with them were now occupying Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines were encamped at Michmash. 17Meanwhile, raiders left the camp of the Philistines in three bands.#1 Sm 14:15. One band took the Ophrah road toward the district of Shual; 18another turned in the direction of Beth-horon; and the third took the road for Geba that overlooks the Valley of the Hyenas toward the desert.
Disarmament of Israel.#These details emphasize the Philistines’ military power and superior technology, a reminder that an Israelite victory depends on God. 19Not a single smith was to be found anywhere in Israel, for the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears.”#Jgs 5:8. 20All Israel, therefore, had to go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles. 21The price for the plowshares and mattocks was two thirds of a shekel, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the ox-goads. 22And so on the day of battle neither sword nor spear could be found in the hand of any of the soldiers with Saul or Jonathan. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
Jonathan’s Exploit. 23An outpost of the Philistines had pushed forward to the pass of Michmash.#1 Sm 14:15.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
1 Samuel 13
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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