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
1A son of a year [is] Saul in his reigning, yea, two years he hath reigned over Israel,
2and Saul chooseth for himself three thousand [men] out of Israel; and two thousand are with Saul in Michmash, and in the hill-country of Beth-El; and a thousand have been with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the remnant of the people he hath sent each to his tents.
3And Jonathan smiteth the garrison of the Philistines which [is] in Geba, and the Philistines hear, and Saul hath blown with a trumpet through all the land, saying, ‘Let the Hebrews hear.’
4And all Israel have heard, saying, ‘Saul hath smitten the garrison of the Philistines,’ and also, ‘Israel hath been abhorred by the Philistines;’ and the people are called after Saul to Gilgal.
5And the Philistines have been gathered to fight with Israel; thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and a people as the sand which [is] on the sea-shore for multitude; and they come up and encamp in Michmash, east of Beth-Aven.
6And the men of Israel have seen that they are distressed, that the people hath been oppressed, and the people hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.
7And Hebrews have passed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; and Saul [is] yet in Gilgal, and all the people have trembled after him.
8And he waiteth seven days, according to the appointment with Samuel, and Samuel hath not come to Gilgal, and the people are scattered from off him.
9And Saul saith, ‘Bring nigh unto me the burnt-offering, and the peace-offerings;’ and he causeth the burnt-offering to ascend.
10And it cometh to pass at his completing to cause the burnt-offering to ascend, that lo, Samuel hath come, and Saul goeth out to meet him, to bless him;
11and Samuel saith, ‘What hast thou done?’ And Saul saith, ‘Because I saw that the people were scattered from off me, and thou hadst not come at the appointment of the days, and the Philistines are gathered to Michmash,
12and I say, Now do the Philistines come down unto me to Gilgal, and the face of Jehovah I have not appeased; and I force myself, and cause the burnt-offering to ascend.’
13And Samuel saith unto Saul, ‘Thou hast been foolish; thou hast not kept the command of Jehovah thy God, which He commanded thee, for now had Jehovah established thy kingdom over Israel unto the age;
14and, now, thy kingdom doth not stand, Jehovah hath sought for Himself a man according to His own heart, and Jehovah chargeth him for leader over His people, for thou hast not kept that which Jehovah commanded thee.’
15And Samuel riseth, and goeth up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin; and Saul inspecteth the people who are found with him, about six hundred men,
16and Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who are found with them, are abiding in Gibeah of Benjamin, and the Philistines have encamped in Michmash.
17And the destroyer goeth out from the camp of the Philistines — three detachments; the one detachment turneth unto the way of Ophrah, unto the land of Shual;
18and the one detachment turneth the way of Beth-Horon, and the one detachment turneth the way of the border which is looking on the valley of the Zeboim, toward the wilderness.
19And an artificer is not found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, ‘Lest the Hebrews make sword or spear;’
20and all Israel go down to the Philistines, to sharpen each his ploughshare, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock;
21and there hath been the file for mattocks, and for coulters, and for three-pronged rakes, and for the axes, and to set up the goads.
22And it hath been, in the day of battle, that there hath not been found sword and spear in the hand of any of the people who [are] with Saul and with Jonathan — and there is found to Saul and to Jonathan his son.
23And the station of the Philistines goeth out unto the passage of Michmash.
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