Commentary
Old Testament : Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
The Song of Songs
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
![](images/minus.gif)
Text -- 1 Samuel 13:1-23 (NET)
![](images/arrow_open.gif)
Strongs On/Off
Context
Saul Fails the Lord
13:1 Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign ; he ruled over Israel for forty years .
13:2 Saul selected for himself three thousand men from Israel . Two thousand of these were with Saul at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel ; the remaining thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin . He sent all the rest of the people back home .
13:3 Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost that was at Geba and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul alerted all the land saying , “Let the Hebrews pay attention !”
13:4 All Israel heard this message , “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost , and now Israel is repulsive to the Philistines !” So the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal .
13:5 For the battle with Israel the Philistines had amassed 3,000 chariots , 6,000 horsemen , and an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore . They went up and camped at Micmash , east of Beth Aven .
13:6 The men of Israel realized they had a problem because their army was hard pressed . So the army hid in caves , thickets , cliffs , strongholds , and cisterns .
13:7 Some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan River to the land of Gad and Gilead . But Saul stayed at Gilgal ; the entire army that was with him was terrified .
13:8 He waited for seven days , the time period indicated by Samuel . But Samuel did not come to Gilgal , and the army began to abandon Saul.
13:9 So Saul said , “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings .” Then he offered a burnt offering .
13:10 Just when he had finished offering the burnt offering , Samuel appeared on the scene. Saul went out to meet him and to greet him.
13:11 But Samuel said , “What have you done ?” Saul replied , “When I saw that the army had started to abandon me and that you didn’t come at the appointed time and that the Philistines had assembled at Micmash ,
13:12 I thought , ‘Now the Philistines will come down on me at Gilgal and I have not sought the Lord’s favor .’ So I felt obligated to offer the burnt offering .”
13:13 Then Samuel said to Saul , “You have made a foolish choice! You have not obeyed the commandment that the Lord your God gave you. Had you done that , the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever !
13:14 But now your kingdom will not continue ! The Lord has sought out for himself a man who is loyal to him and the Lord has appointed him to be leader over his people , for you have not obeyed what the Lord commanded you.”
13:15 Then Samuel set out and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin . Saul mustered the army that remained with him; there were about six hundred men .
13:16 Saul , his son Jonathan , and the army that remained with them stayed in Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin , while the Philistines camped in Micmash .
13:17 Raiding bands went out from the camp of the Philistines in three groups . One band turned toward the road leading to Ophrah by the land of Shual ;
13:18 another band turned toward the road leading to Beth Horon ; and yet another band turned toward the road leading to the border that overlooks the valley of Zeboim in the direction of the desert .
13:19 A blacksmith could not be found in all the land of Israel , for the Philistines had said , “This will prevent the Hebrews from making swords and spears .”
13:20 So all Israel had to go down to the Philistines in order to get their plowshares , cutting instruments , axes , and sickles sharpened .
13:21 They charged two-thirds of a shekel to sharpen plowshares and cutting instruments , and a third of a shekel to sharpen picks and axes , and to set ox goads .
13:22 So on the day of the battle no sword or spear was to be found in the hand of anyone in the army that was with Saul and Jonathan . No one but Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
Jonathan Ignites a Battle
13:23 A garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash .
![](images/advanced.gif)
![](images/advanced.gif)
![](images/advanced.gif)
Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
![](images/arrow_open.gif)
Names, People and Places:
Dictionary Themes and Topics:
Saul |
Philistines |
Samuel |
SAMUEL, BOOKS OF |
WAR; WARFARE |
Gilgal |
Armies |
Church and State |
Presumption |
Confidence |
Usurpation |
Michmash |
Garrison |
ARMY |
JONATHAN (2) |
Mattock |
GIBEAH |
Geba |
Zeboim |
SACRIFICE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, 2 |
more
![](images/cmt_minus_head.gif)
expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> 1Sa 13:1; 1Sa 13:1; 1Sa 13:2; 1Sa 13:2; 1Sa 13:2; 1Sa 13:3; 1Sa 13:3; 1Sa 13:4; 1Sa 13:4; 1Sa 13:4; 1Sa 13:5; 1Sa 13:6; 1Sa 13:7; 1Sa 13:8; 1Sa 13:8; 1Sa 13:10; 1Sa 13:11; 1Sa 13:12; 1Sa 13:12; 1Sa 13:13; 1Sa 13:13; 1Sa 13:14; 1Sa 13:14; 1Sa 13:14; 1Sa 13:15; 1Sa 13:15; 1Sa 13:16; 1Sa 13:20; 1Sa 13:21; 1Sa 13:21; 1Sa 13:21
NET Notes: 1Sa 13:1 The MT has “two years” here. If this number is to be accepted as correct, the meaning apparently would be that after a lapse of two years ...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: 1Sa 13:6 Or perhaps “vaults.” This rare term also occurs in Judg 9:46, 49. Cf. KJV “high places”; ASV “coverts”; NAB “...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: 1Sa 13:7 The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: 1Sa 13:12 Or “I forced myself” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, CEV); NAB “So in my anxiety I offered”; NIV “I felt compelled.”
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: 1Sa 13:15 Heb “at Gibeah of Benjamin.” The words “in the territory” are supplied in the translation for clarity (likewise in the followi...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: 1Sa 13:20 The translation follows the LXX (“their sickle”) here, rather than the MT “plowshares,” which is due to dittography from the w...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)