1 Samuel 13

1 Samuel 13:1

Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.

1 Samuel 13:1 · BSB

am 2911 , bc 1093 , An , Ex , Is , 398

1 Samuel 13:2

He chose for himself three thousand men of Israel: Two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the troops he sent away, each to his own home.

1 Samuel 13:2 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:3

Then Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”

1 Samuel 13:3 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:4

And all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked an outpost of the Philistines, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines!” Then the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

1 Samuel 13:4 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:5

Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

1 Samuel 13:5 · BSB

thirty thousand chariots The Philistines had no doubt collected troops in this emergency , from all the surrounding nation; but the number of chariots is immensely large beyond any example , and wholly disproportioned to the number of their cavalry. It is probable , therefore , that for sheloshim aileph , "thirty thousand ," we should read shelosh aileph , "three thousand ," with the Syriac and Arabic.

1 Samuel 13:6

Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.

1 Samuel 13:6 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:7

Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, remained at Gilgal, and all his troops were quaking in fear.

1 Samuel 13:7 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:8

And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.

1 Samuel 13:8 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:9

So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings." And he offered up the burnt offering.

1 Samuel 13:9 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:10

Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

1 Samuel 13:10 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:11

"What have you done?" Samuel asked. And Saul replied, "When I saw that the troops were deserting me, and that you did not come at the appointed time and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,

1 Samuel 13:11 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:12

I thought, 'Now the Philistines will descend upon me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."

1 Samuel 13:12 · BSB

made supplication unto Heb. intreated the face of , etc

1 Samuel 13:13

"You have acted foolishly," Samuel declared. "You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.

1 Samuel 13:13 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:14

But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD."

1 Samuel 13:14 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:15

Then Samuel set out from Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin. And Saul numbered the troops who were with him, about six hundred men.

1 Samuel 13:15 · BSB

Samuel The LXX have , "Samuel arose and went away from Gilgal , and the remainder of the people went up along with the men of war after Samuel from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin." This is probably the true reading; for it does not appear that Samuel went to Gibeah , which was Saul's usual residence; and the Hebrew copyist , as Dr. Wall observes , seems to have missed a line , and added to the sentence concerning Samuel , that which ended the sentence concerning Saul. One manuscript instead of Samuel , in the beginning of the sentence , reads Saul.

present Heb. found

1 Samuel 13:16

Now Saul and Jonathan his son and the troops with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash.

1 Samuel 13:16 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:17

And raiders went out of the Philistine camp in three divisions. One headed toward Ophrah in the land of Shual,

1 Samuel 13:17 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:18

another toward Beth-horon, and the third down the border road overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the wilderness.

1 Samuel 13:18 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:19

And no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews must not be allowed to make swords or spears.”

1 Samuel 13:19 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:20

Instead, all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles.

1 Samuel 13:20 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:21

The charge was a pim for sharpening a plowshare or mattock, a third of a shekel for sharpening a pitchfork or an axe, and a third of a shekel for repointing an oxgoad.

1 Samuel 13:21 · BSB

a file Heb. a file with mouths

1 Samuel 13:22

So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hands of the troops with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.

1 Samuel 13:22 · BSB

1 Samuel 13:23

And a garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Michmash.

1 Samuel 13:23 · BSB