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
Saul Fails His Commission
1Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty-two years over Israel.#Lit. “The son of a year was Saul in his ruling and two years he ruled over Israel.” Most translations read in Saul’s age and length of reign from external evidence (Josephus) or from the New Testament (Paul, who mentions a forty-year reign for Saul in Ac 13:21).
2#1Sa 10:26; 13:5Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Mikmash and in mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent each to his tent.
3#1Sa 10:5; Jdg 3:27Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4#Ge 34:30; Ex 5:21All Israel heard that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel had become odious to the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.
5#Jos 11:4; 1Sa 14:23The Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, with people like the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and camped in Mikmash, east of Beth Aven. 6#Jdg 6:2; Heb 11:38When Israel’s fighting men saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in hollows, among rocks, and in cellars and cisterns. 7Some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling. 8#1Sa 10:8He 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. 9#1Ki 3:4; Dt 12:6Saul said, “Bring here to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering. 10#1Sa 15:13When he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him to greet him.
11#1Sa 13:2; 13:5Samuel said, “What have you done?”
And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come to the appointed assembly days, and the Philistines are gathering themselves together at Mikmash, 12therefore I said, ‘The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not yet appeased the face of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.”
13#2Ch 16:9; 1Sa 15:11Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. Truly now, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14#1Sa 15:28; Ac 13:22But now your kingdom will not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over His people, because you have not kept that which the Lord commanded you.”
15#1Sa 13:2; 14:2Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.
Israel Unarmed
16Now Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were with them, were staying in Gibeah of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Mikmash. 17#Jos 18:23; 1Sa 14:15Then raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual. 18#Ne 11:34; Jos 18:13–14And another company turned the way to Beth Horon. And another company turned to the way of the border that looks to the Valley of Zeboyim toward the wilderness.
19#2Ki 24:14; Jdg 5:8Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel. For the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make for themselves swords or spears.” 20So all the children of Israel went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plow-point, his axe, his adze and his hoe. 21The sharpening charge was two-thirds of a shekel#About 1/4 ounce, or 8 grams. for plow-points, axes, pitchforks, and adzes, and to fix an ox-goad.
22#Jdg 5:8So it came to pass on the day of battle, that neither sword nor spear were found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found in the hand of Saul and Jonathan his son.
23#Isa 10:28; 1Sa 14:1And the garrison of the Philistines had marched out to the ravine of Mikmash.
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