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1 Samuel 13

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Saul's Early Reign and Conflict 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.

Saul’s Disobedience and Rejection 8–14

8
And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. ​
9
And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. ​
10
And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
11
And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; ​
12
Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
13
And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. ​
14
But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. ​

The Philistine Economic Control 15–23

15
And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men. ​
16
And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
17
And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual: ​
18
And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19
Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: ​
20
But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. ​
21
Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
22
So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. ​
23
And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Samuel 13

Verse 1

Saul reigned one year — The verse dates what follows by years of Saul's reign, and the war of this chapter comes after the kingdom was renewed at Gilgal (1 Sam 11:14–15). Paul gives the whole length of the reign in his sermon at Antioch: God gave them Saul 'by the space of forty years' (Acts 13:21).

Verse 2

three thousand men — Saul 'chose' a standing force: two thousand with himself at Michmash and Mount Bethel and a thousand with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. Jonathan is named here for the first time, already in command. The 'rest of the people' go home, each to his tent, after the three hundred thirty thousand mustered at Bezek (1 Sam 11:8).

Verse 3

Let the Hebrews hear — Jonathan strikes the Philistine post at Geba, and Saul blows the trumpet, as Gideon did when 'Abiezer was gathered after him' (Judg 6:34). 'Hebrews' is the name the Philistines use for Israel (1 Sam 4:6; 13:19), and here Saul uses it in his own call to arms.

Verse 4

had in abomination — The verb is baash, to stink, the one in Israel's complaint to Pharaoh, 'ye have made our savour to be abhorred' (Ex 5:21). The report names Saul as the one who 'had smitten' the garrison, though it was Jonathan (v.3). The people gather 'after Saul to Gilgal', where the kingdom had been renewed (1 Sam 11:14–15).

Verse 5

people as the sand which is on the sea shore — The phrase is used elsewhere of Abraham's promised seed (Gen 22:17) and of the Canaanite kings' host 'with horses and chariots very many' (Josh 11:4). The Philistines pitch at Michmash, 'eastward from Bethaven', where Saul had stationed two thousand of his men (v.2).

Verse 6

in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks — Israel had hidden in 'dens… in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds' under the Midianites (Judg 6:2). The five hiding-places named here are caves, thickets, rocks, high places and pits. Some cross the Jordan to Gad and Gilead (v.7), while Saul is 'yet in Gilgal'.

Verse 8

according to the set time that Samuel had appointed — Samuel's word was, 'seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee' (1 Sam 10:8). 'Set time' is moed, an appointed time, the word for 'seasons' in Gen 1:14 and for the 'feasts' of Lev 23:2. Saul waits the whole seven days, and the people scatter from him meanwhile.

Verse 9

a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings — Samuel had said that he would 'come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings' (1 Sam 10:8). Saul orders the same two offerings and offers the burnt offering himself. Of King Uzziah it is written that he 'went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense' (2 Chr 26:16).

Verse 11

What hast thou done? — The question God put to Cain (Gen 4:10). Saul gives three reasons: the people scattered, Samuel had not come 'within the days appointed', and the Philistines had gathered at Michmash. Samuel had come, as v.10 says, 'as soon as he had made an end of offering'.

Verse 13

Thou hast done foolishly — Sakal, to act the fool. Saul uses the same word of himself later: 'behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly' (1 Sam 26:21), and David of his numbering of the people (2 Sam 24:10). The instruction in view is 'seven days shalt thou tarry' (1 Sam 10:8), and the loss named is a kingdom 'established… for ever'.

Verse 14

a man after his own heart — Paul quotes the phrase of David: 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will' (Acts 13:22). 'Captain' is nagid, the title of Saul's own anointing (1 Sam 10:1) and later given to David: 'thou shalt be a captain over Israel' (2 Sam 5:2).

Verse 15

about six hundred men — Saul's three thousand (v.2) are now about six hundred, and the same number are with him at Gibeah in 1 Sam 14:2. Samuel goes up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin, and Saul numbers 'the people that were present with him'.

Verse 17

the spoilers — Shachath is to ruin or destroy, so these are the destroyers who leave the Philistine camp in three companies. They turn toward Ophrah in the land of Shual, then to Beth-horon (v.18), and then to the border looking to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

Verse 19

no smith found — The Philistines' stated reason was, 'Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears'. Charash is a worker in any material, here a metalworker. A like want of arms is recalled from Deborah's day: 'was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?' (Judg 5:8).

Verse 20

to sharpen every man his share — Each farmer goes down to the Philistines to have his share, coulter, axe and mattock sharpened. Joel 3:10 says, 'Beat your plowshares into swords'; here Israel has no smith to do that, and its plowshares are put in order only by going down to the enemy.

Verse 22

neither sword nor spear — On the day of battle only Saul and Jonathan have a sword or spear among all the people with them, so the want named in v.19 is a want of arms in every hand but theirs. The army that follows Saul is the six hundred of v.15.