1 Samuel 13
13
Saul Fights the Philistines
1Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel,#13:1 Hebrew Saul was one year old when he became king, and he reigned two years over Israel; some Greek manuscripts give Saul’s age when he began to reign as thirty years 2Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in #ver. 5, 11, 16, 23; ch. 14:31 Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in #ver. 15; ch. 10:26Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent. 3Jonathan defeated #ch. 10:5 the garrison of the Philistines that was #ver. 16; ch. 14:5 at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul #[Judg. 3:27]blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.
5And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops #Josh. 11:4 like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of #ch. 14:23Beth-aven. 6When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves #Judg. 6:2; Heb. 11:38in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, 7and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice
8 # ch. 10:8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, 12I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” 13And Samuel said to Saul, #2 Sam. 24:10; 1 Chr. 21:8; 2 Chr. 16:9 “You have done foolishly. #ch. 15:11You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14But now #ch. 15:28 your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man #Cited Acts 13:22after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince#13:14 Or leader over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” 15And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal. The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army; they went up from Gilgal#13:15 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks The rest of the people . . . from Gilgal to #ver. 2 Gibeah of Benjamin.
And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, #ch. 14:2about six hundred men. 16And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them stayed in #ver. 3; ch. 14:5Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17And #ch. 14:15raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual; 18another company turned toward #See Josh. 10:10 Beth-horon; and another company turned toward the border that looks down on the Valley of #Neh. 11:34Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19 # [2 Kgs. 24:14] Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.” 20But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle,#13:20 Septuagint; Hebrew plowshare 21and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel#13:21 Hebrew was a pim for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel#13:21 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.#13:21 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain 22So on the day of the battle #[Judg. 5:8]there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. 23And #ch. 14:1, 4, 6, 11; 2 Sam. 23:14 the garrison of the Philistines went out to the #ch. 14:4, 5; Isa. 10:28, 29 pass of #Isa. 10:28Michmash.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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1 Samuel 13
13
Samuel rejects Saul’s dynasty
1Saul was 30 years old#13.1 LXXL; Syr twenty-one; MT lacks a number; 13:1 is omitted in LXXB. when he became king, and he ruled over Israel forty-two years.#13.1 Part of the number is missing in MT (… and two years) and all ancient witnesses. Acts 13:21 says Saul ruled forty years, as does Josephus (Ant. 6.14.9 [378]), though Josephus also says Saul ruled twenty years (Ant. 10.8.4 [143]). 2Saul selected three thousand men from Israel. Two thousand of those were with Saul at Michmash in the hills near Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. He sent the remaining men home. 3Jonathan attacked the Philistine fort at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul sounded the alarm#13.3 Heb shofar throughout the land and said, “Hebrews! Listen up!” 4When all Israel heard that Saul had attacked the Philistine fort and that Israel was hated by the Philistines, the troops were called to Saul’s side at Gilgal. 5The Philistines also were gathered to fight against Israel. They brought thirty thousand chariots with them, six thousand cavalry, and as many soldiers as there is sand on the seashore to fight Israel.#13.5 LXX; MT lacks They brought, with them,and to fight Israel. They marched up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven. 6When the Israelites saw that they were in trouble and that their troops were threatened, they hid in caves, in thickets, among rocks, in tunnels, and in cisterns. 7Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan River, going into the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul stayed at Gilgal, and the troops followed him anxiously. 8He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and his troops began to desert. 9So Saul ordered, “Bring me the entirely burned offering and the well-being sacrifices.” Then he offered the entirely burned offering.
10The very moment Saul finished offering up the entirely burned offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet him and welcome him. 11But Samuel said, “What have you done?”
“I saw that my troops were deserting,” Saul replied. “You hadn’t arrived by the appointed time, and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash. 12I thought, The Philistines are about to march against me at Gilgal and I haven’t yet sought the LORD’s favor. So I took control of myself#13.12 Or forced myself; Heb uncertain and offered the entirely burned offering.”
13“How stupid of you to have broken the commands the LORD your God gave you!” Samuel told Saul. “The LORD would have established your rule over Israel forever, 14but now your rule won’t last. The LORD will search for a man following the Lord’s own heart,#13.14 Or a man loyal to the Lord and the LORD will commission him as leader over God’s people, because you didn’t keep the LORD’s command.”
15Samuel got up and went on his way from Gilgal, but the rest of the people followed Saul to join the army, and they went from Gilgal#13.15 LXX; MT lacks much of this verse. to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted about six hundred men still with him. 16Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were with him were staying at Geba in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash. 17Three raiding parties left the Philistine camp. One took the road to Ophrah toward the territory of Shual. 18Another took the road to Beth-horon, and the last took the border road that overlooks the Zeboim Valley toward the desert.
Philistine ironworking
19No metalworker was to be found anywhere in Israelite territory because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews must not make swords and spears.” 20So every Israelite had to go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles. 21The cost was two-thirds of a shekel#13.21 Heb pim, which is two-thirds of a shekel for plowshares and mattocks, but one-third of a shekel for sharpening axes and for setting goads. 22So on the day of the battle, no swords or spears were to be found in the possession of any of the troops with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
Jonathan leads Israel to victory
23Now a group of Philistine soldiers had marched out to the pass at Michmash.
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