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.
Currently Selected:
1 Samuel 13: ESV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV:
1 Samuel 13
13
Saul Makes His First Mistake
1Saul was 30#13:1 30 This first number and part of the second number in this verse are missing in the Hebrew text. The whole verse is missing from most copies of the ancient Greek version, but a few late Greek copies have the numbers 30 and 42. Acts 13:21 says that Saul was king for 40 years. years old when he became king. He ruled over Israel 42 years.#13:1 He ruled … 42 years Or “After he had ruled over Israel for 2 years, ….” 2Saul chose 3000 men from Israel. There were 2000 men who stayed with him at Micmash in the hill country of Bethel. There were 1000 men who stayed with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul sent the other men in the army back home.
3Jonathan defeated the Philistines at their camp in Geba. The Philistines heard about this. They said, “The Hebrews have rebelled.”#13:3 They said … rebelled This is from the ancient Greek version.
Saul said, “Let the Hebrew people hear what happened.” So Saul told the men to blow trumpets through all the land of Israel. 4All the Israelites heard this news: “Saul has killed the Philistine leader. Now the Philistines will really hate the Israelites!”
The Israelites were called to join Saul at Gilgal. 5The Philistines gathered to fight Israel. The Philistines camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. They had 3000#13:5 3000 This is found in some copies of the ancient Greek version and the Syriac version. The standard Hebrew text has “30,000.” chariots and 6000 horse soldiers. There were so many Philistines that they were like sand on the seashore.
6The Israelites saw that they were in trouble. They felt trapped. They ran away to hide in caves and cracks in the rock. They hid among the rocks, in wells, and in other holes in the ground. 7Some Hebrews even went across the Jordan River to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal. All the men in his army were shaking with fear.
8Samuel said he would meet Saul at Gilgal. Saul waited there seven days. But Samuel had not yet come to Gilgal, and the soldiers began to leave Saul. 9So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings.” Then Saul offered the burnt offering. 10As soon as Saul finished offering that sacrifice, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet him.
11Samuel asked, “What have you done?”
Saul answered, “I saw the soldiers leaving me. You were not here on time, and the Philistines were gathering at Micmash. 12I thought to myself, ‘The Philistines will come here and attack me at Gilgal, and I haven’t asked the Lord to help us yet.’ So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”
13Samuel said, “You did a foolish thing. You did not obey the Lord your God. If you had done what he commanded, the Lord would have let your family rule Israel forever. 14But now your kingdom won’t continue. The Lord was looking for a man who wants to obey him.#13:14 a man who wants to obey him Literally, “a man according to his heart.” This could also mean “a man of his own choosing.” He has found that man—and the Lord has chosen him to be the new leader of his people, because you didn’t obey his command.” 15Then Samuel got up and left Gilgal.
The Battle at Micmash
Saul and the rest of his army left Gilgal#13:15 Saul and the rest of his army left Gilgal This is found in the ancient Greek version but not in the standard Hebrew text. and went to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted the men who were still with him. There were about 600. 16Saul, his son Jonathan, and the soldiers went to Geba in Benjamin.
The Philistines were camped at Micmash. 17So their best soldiers began the attack. The Philistine army split into three groups. One group went north on the road to Ophrah, near Shual. 18The second group went southeast on the road to Beth Horon, and the third group went east on the road to the border. That road looks over the Valley of Zeboim toward the desert.
19There were no blacksmiths in Israel. The Philistines would not allow them because they were afraid the Israelites would make iron swords and spears. 20Only the Philistines could sharpen iron tools. So if the Israelites needed to sharpen their plows, hoes, axes, or sickles, they had to go to the Philistines. 21The Philistine blacksmiths charged 1/3 ounce#13:21 1/3 ounce Literally, “1 pim” (7.8 g). of silver for sharpening plows and hoes and 1/6 ounce#13:21 1/6 ounce Literally, “1/3 shekel” (3.8 g). of silver for sharpening picks, axes, and the iron tip on ox goads. 22So on the day of battle, none of the Israelite soldiers with Saul had iron swords or spears. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had such weapons.
23A group of Philistine soldiers guarded the mountain pass at Micmash.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International