TRV
Translation
Complete Jewish Bible
Sha'ul was - years old when he began his reign, and he had ruled Isra'el for two years,
Berean Standard Bible
Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.
American Standard Version
Saul wasfortyyears old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
World English Bible Messianic
Saul reigned a year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
Young's Literal Translation
A son of a year is Saul in his reigning, yea, two years he hath reigned over Israel,
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In the KJVVerse 7,487 of 31,102
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Commentary on 1 Samuel 13 verses 1–7
1 ¶ Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
3 And Jonathan smote 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 And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.
5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.
7 And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
We are not told wherein it was that the people of Israel offended God, so as to forfeit his presence and turn his hand against them, as Samuel had threatened (Sa1 12:15); but doubtless they left God, else he would not have left them, as here it appears he did; for,
I. Saul was very weak and impolitic, and did not order his affairs with discretion. Saul was the son of one year (so the first words are in the original), a phrase which we make to signify the date of his reign, but ordinarily it signifies the date of one's birth, and therefore some understand it figuratively - he was as innocent and good as a child of a year old; so the Chaldee paraphrase: he was without fault, like the son of a year. But, if we admit a figurative sense, it may as well intimate that he was ignorant and imprudent, and as unfit for business as a child of a year old: and the subsequent particulars make this more accordant with his character than the former. But we take it rather, as our own translation has it, Saul reigned one year, and nothing happened that was considerable, it was a year of no action; but in his second year he did as follows: - 1. he chose a band of 3000 men, of whom he himself commanded 2000, and his son Jonathan 1000, Sa1 13:2. The rest of the people he dismissed to their tents. If he intended these only for the guard of his person and his honorary attendants, it was impolitic to have so many, if for a standing army, in apprehension of danger from the Philistines, it was no less impolitic to have so few; and perhaps the confidence he put in this select number, and his disbanding the rest of that brave army with which he had lately beaten the Ammonites (Sa1 11:8-11), was looked upon as an affront to the kingdom, excited general disgust, and was the reason he had so few at his call when he had occasion for them. The prince that relies on a particular party weakens his own interest in the whole community. 2. He ordered his son Jonathan to surprise and destroy the garrison of the Philistines that lay near him in Geba, Sa1 13:3. I wish there were no ground for supposing that this was a violation or infraction of some articles with the Philistines, and that it was done treacherously and perfidiously. The reason why I suspect it is because it is said that, for doing it, Israel was had in abomination, or, as the word is, did stink with the Philistines (Sa1 13:4), as men void of common honesty and whose word could not be relied on. If it was so, we will lay the blame, not on Jonathan who did it, but on Saul, his prince and father, who ordered him to do it, and perhaps kept him in ignorance of the truth of the matter. Nothing makes the name of Israel odious to those that are without so much as the fraud and dishonesty of those that are called by that worthy name. If professors of religion cheat and over-reach, break their word and betray their trust, religion suffers by it, and is had in abomination with the Philistines. Whom may one trust if not an Israelite, one that, it is expected, should be without guile? 3. When he had thus exasperated the Philistines, then he began to raise forces, which, if he had acted wisely, he would have done before. When the Philistines had a vast army ready to pour in upon him, to avenge the wrong he had done them, then was he blowing the trumpet through the land, among a careless, if not a disaffected people, saying, Let the Hebrews hear (Sa1 13:3), and so as many as thought fit came to Saul to Gilgal, Sa1 13:4. But now the generality, we may suppose, drew back (either in dislike of Saul's politics or in dread of the Philistines' power), who, if he had summoned them sooner, would have been as ready at his beck as they were when he marched against the Ammonites. We often find that after-wit would have done much better before and have prevented much inconvenience.
II. Never did the Philistines appear in such a formidable body as they did now, upon this provocation which Saul gave them. We may suppose they had great assistance from their allies, for (Sa1 13:5), besides 6000 horse, which in those times, when horses were not so much used in war as they are now, was a great body, they had an incredible number of chariots, 30,000 in all: most of them, we may suppose, were carriages for the bag and baggage of so vast an army, not chariots of war. But their foot was innumerable as the sand of the sea-shore, so jealous were they for the honour of their nation and so much enraged at the baseness of the Israelites in destroying their garrison. If Saul had asked counsel of God before he had given the Philistines this provocation, he and his people might the better have borne this threatening trouble which they had now brought on themselves by their own folly.
III. Never were the people of Israel so faint-hearted, so sneaking, so very cowardly, as they were now. Some considerable numbers, it may be, came to Saul to Gilgal; but, hearing of the Philistines' numbers and preparations, their spirits sunk within them, some think because they did not find Samuel there with Saul. Those that, awhile ago, were weary of him, and wished for a king, now had small joy of their king unless they could see him under Samuel's direction. Sooner or later, men will be made to see that God and his prophets are their best friends. Now that they saw the Philistines making war upon them, and Samuel not coming in to help them, they knew not what to do; men's hearts failed them for fear. And. 1. Some absconded. Rather than run upon death among the Philistines, they buried themselves alive in caves and thickets, Sa1 13:6. See what work sin makes; it exposes men to perils, and then robs them of their courage and dispirits them. A single person, by faith, can say, I will not be afraid of 10,000 (Psa 3:6); but here thousands of degenerate Israelites tremble at the approach of a great crowd of Philistines. Guilt makes men cowards. 2. Others fled (Sa1 13:7): They went over Jordan to the land of Gilead, as far as they could from the danger, and to a place where they had lately been victorious over the Ammonites. Where they had triumphed they hoped to be sheltered. 3. Those that staid with Saul followed him trembling, expecting no other than to be cut off, and having their hands and hearts very much weakened by the desertion of so many of their troops. And perhaps Saul himself, though he had so much honour as to stand his ground, yet had no courage to spare wherewith to inspire his trembling soldiers.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–7. Public domain.
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BedeAD 735
Commentary on Samuel
Saul was one year old when he began to reign, etc. The sense is this: after Saul was elected, and anointed by the blessed Samuel with holy oil as king, he remained humble and similar to a private person for the whole first year, nor did he care to dress in royal attire and take up the other insignia of the kingdom: which was also proven above at the time of the Ammonite war where he was driving oxen from the field as a rustic, the beginning of which war Josephus reports happened after a month of all his honor. However, in the second and third years, he indeed assumed a royal mindset and ruled the people with royal care. Yet, he did not choose soldiers from the people who would adhere more familiarly to his side until the beginning of the fourth year. Allegorically, the son of one year represents the people of the faithful, whether in the Synagogue or in the Church, when they begin to reign, because anyone becomes associated with the kingdom of faith, and can be incorporated into the members of the eternal king, when they have first learned that there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. He reigns for two years and thus chooses three thousand soldiers for himself from Israel: because when he has learned to unite hope and love with the unity of faith, he immediately chooses teachers for himself who diligently teach that same faith, hope, and charity to him and his own, and protect them from the enemy's raid. This is to be understood in two ways; namely, we choose both the ancient teachers of the Church, who reigned with Christ long ago and are now masters to us, whose writings or examples we follow, and we appoint new ones daily in place of those who preceded, whom we deem worthy to defend the believers, the hopeful, and the loving from the enemy.
Richard ChallonerAD 1781
Of one year: That is, he was good and like an innocent child, and for two years continued in that innocency.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
1 Samuel 13:1 presents a notoriously challenging chronological statement within the Masoretic Text, describing the early reign of Israel's first king, Saul. Its enigmatic phrasing, particularly concerning the duration of his rule, has prompted extensive scholarly discussion, suggesting a possible textual lacuna, an omission of Saul's age at accession, or a highly condensed summary of his initial period. Narratively, this verse serves as a critical transition, moving the story from Saul's initial anointing and popular affirmation to a defining phase of his kingship characterized by escalating conflict with the Philistines and a pivotal test of his obedience to God.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse primarily functions as a Chronological Marker, attempting to situate the pivotal narrative events of 1 Samuel 13 within the timeline of Saul's reign. However, due to its widely acknowledged textual corruption or ambiguity, it also exemplifies Ellipsis, where crucial information (most likely Saul's age at accession) has been omitted or lost from the Masoretic Text, creating a gap in the precise historical detail. This textual anomaly subtly introduces a degree of Foreshadowing, as the very difficulty and abruptness of the opening statement, especially in its English rendering, can be seen to hint at the turbulent, unstable, and ultimately truncated nature of Saul's reign, which would not establish a lasting dynasty. The textual instability itself mirrors the instability of Saul's kingship.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
While 1 Samuel 13:1 presents a textual puzzle for scholars, its presence in the biblical canon underscores profound theological truths regarding divine inspiration and the human process of textual transmission. The existence of minor textual difficulties does not undermine the Bible's authority or truthfulness; rather, it highlights the reality of its historical preservation and the meticulous care with which it has been transmitted. The verse, despite its ambiguity, effectively sets the stage for a critical theological theme: the testing of leadership and the absolute necessity of unwavering obedience to God's revealed will. Saul's subsequent failure, which immediately follows this chronological marker, serves as a stark reminder that even divinely appointed leaders are held accountable to God's commands, and disobedience carries severe consequences for both the individual and the nation. It also subtly introduces the theme of divine sovereignty in choosing and rejecting kings, a theme that will culminate in the anointing of David.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The textual challenge presented by 1 Samuel 13:1 invites us to deeply consider the nature of biblical inspiration and the complex process of textual transmission throughout history. It serves as a valuable reminder that while the Bible is the infallible Word of God in its original autographs, its journey through millennia involved human scribes, leading to occasional minor variations or ambiguities. Crucially, none of these minor issues obscure its central message of salvation, God's unchanging character, or His redemptive plan. For the believer, this verse functions as a narrative gateway to a profound lesson in leadership and obedience. Saul's early reign, marked by this chronological pivot, quickly descends into a crisis of faith and authority. We are called to learn from his example: that true leadership, whether in the church, at home, or in the workplace, is characterized not merely by power or position, but by humble, consistent, and unwavering obedience to God's commands. Our "two years"—the initial period of our calling, a new responsibility, or a season of blessing—are often when our character is most profoundly tested, and our foundational commitments are truly revealed. This verse, therefore, is a powerful call to vigilance, reminding us that even after initial successes, the most significant tests of faith often lie just ahead, demanding our full reliance on God and His Word.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is 1 Samuel 13:1 so difficult to interpret, especially in translations like the King James Version?
Answer: The difficulty in 1 Samuel 13:1 primarily stems from the underlying Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT). The first part of the verse, "Saul reigned one year," translates a Hebrew phrase that literally reads "Saul was a son of a year in his reigning." This is an incomplete grammatical construction, as it typically requires a preceding numeral to indicate the king's age at the start of his reign (e.g., "Saul was [X] years old when he began to reign..."). Most scholars widely agree that a number has likely fallen out of the text during its ancient transmission. The second part, "and when he had reigned two years over Israel," is grammatically sound, but its relationship to the first clause and the overall length of Saul's reign (which was much longer than two years, as indicated in Acts 13:21) creates confusion. The most common scholarly interpretation is that the "two years" marks the duration of his reign up to the point of the critical events described in 1 Samuel 13, particularly his act of disobedience, rather than his total reign. This makes the KJV's rendering appear contradictory and incomplete without this contextual understanding.
Does the textual issue in 1 Samuel 13:1 undermine the Bible's reliability or divine inspiration?
Answer: No, the textual issue in 1 Samuel 13:1 does not undermine the Bible's overall reliability or divine inspiration. This is considered a minor scribal difficulty, most likely a missing numeral, which does not affect any core doctrine, theological truth, or the central narrative of God's redemptive plan. Such textual variants are common in ancient manuscripts of all kinds, and biblical scholarship, through the discipline of textual criticism, works diligently to reconstruct the most probable original text by comparing various ancient manuscripts (such as the Septuagint, Dead Sea Scrolls, and other early versions). The overwhelming majority of the biblical text is clear, consistent, and well-attested across thousands of manuscripts. The presence of such a minor ambiguity in no way diminishes the Bible's authority as the infallible Word of God, which perfectly accomplishes its purpose of revealing God and guiding humanity to salvation. The essential message and historical truth of Saul's rise, his failures, and God's sovereign hand in Israel's history are fully preserved and clearly communicated.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While 1 Samuel 13:1 serves as a historical marker in the tumultuous early reign of Israel's first king, it subtly points forward to the ultimate, perfect King, Jesus Christ. Saul's kingship, though divinely initiated, quickly faltered due to his profound disobedience, leading to the rejection of his dynasty and the divine search for "a man after His own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14). This narrative arc powerfully foreshadows the critical need for a perfect King, one who would never fail in obedience or compromise His divine commission. Jesus, the true Son of David and the promised Messiah, did not begin His reign with a period of uncertainty or a test of obedience that He might fail. From His very incarnation, through His life, ministry, and ultimate sacrifice, He was perfectly obedient to the Father's will, even to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Unlike Saul, whose earthly kingship was marked by human weakness, pride, and eventual rejection, Christ's kingdom is eternal, unshakable, and righteous (Hebrews 1:8). The textual ambiguity of 1 Samuel 13:1, highlighting the inherent imperfection and transience of human kingship, serves to magnify the flawless, eternally perfect, and fully authoritative reign of the King of kings, whose "years" of rule are from everlasting to everlasting (Revelation 11:15). He is the one whose authority and reign are never in question, and whose perfect obedience secured salvation and righteousness for all who believe (Romans 5:19).