1 Samuel 10:27-11:15
Christian Standard Bible
27 But some wicked men said, “How can this guy save us?” They despised him and did not bring him a gift,(A) but Saul said nothing.[a][b]
Saul’s Deliverance of Jabesh-gilead
11 Nahash[c](B) the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead.(C) All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty(D) with us, and we will serve you.”
2 Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I’ll make one with you on this condition: that I gouge out everyone’s right eye(E) and humiliate all Israel.”(F)
3 “Don’t do anything to us for seven days,” the elders of Jabesh said to him, “and let us send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If no one saves us, we will surrender to you.”
4 When the messengers came to Gibeah,(G) Saul’s hometown, and told the terms to the people, all wept aloud.(H) 5 Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind his oxen. “What’s the matter with the people? Why are they weeping?” Saul inquired, and they repeated to him the words of the men from Jabesh.
6 When Saul heard these words, the Spirit of God suddenly came powerfully on him,(I) and his anger burned furiously. 7 He took a team of oxen, cut them in pieces,(J) and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by messengers who said, “This is what will be done to the ox of anyone who doesn’t march behind Saul and Samuel.”(K) As a result, the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out united.(L)
8 Saul counted them at Bezek.(M) There were three hundred thousand[d](N) Israelites and thirty thousand[e] men from Judah. 9 He told the messengers who had come, “Tell this to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’” So the messengers told the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced.
10 Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do whatever you want to us.”
11 The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions.(O) During the morning watch, they invaded the Ammonite camp and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. There were survivors, but they were so scattered that no two of them were left together.
Saul’s Confirmation as King
12 Afterward, the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not[f] reign over us?(P) Give us those men so we can kill them!” (Q)
13 But Saul ordered, “No one will be executed this day, for today the Lord has provided deliverance in Israel.”(R)
14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal, so we can renew the kingship there.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there in the Lord’s presence(S) they made Saul king. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings(T) in the Lord’s presence, and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
Footnotes
- 10:27 DSS add Nahash king of the Ammonites had been severely oppressing the Gadites and Reubenites. He gouged out the right eye of each of them and brought fear and trembling on Israel. Of the Israelites beyond the Jordan none remained whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not gouged out. But there were seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and entered Jabesh-gilead.
- 10:27 Lit gift, and he was like a mute person
- 11:1 DSS, LXX read About a month later, Nahash
- 11:8 LXX reads 600,000
- 11:8 DSS, LXX read 70,000
- 11:12 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss omit not
1 Samuel 10:27-11:15
International Standard Version
27 But some troublemakers[a] said, “How can this man deliver us?” They despised him and did not bring him a gift. But Saul[b] remained silent.
The Ammonites Threaten Jabesh-gilead
28 Meanwhile, Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been severely oppressing the descendants of Gad and descendants of Reuben, gouging out their right eyes and not allowing Israel to have a deliverer. No one was left among the Israelis across the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not gouged out. However, 7,000 men had escaped from the Ammonites and entered Jabesh-gilead.[c]
Saul Defeats the Ammonites
11 So after a month,[d] Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to[e] Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh told Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”
2 Nahash the Ammonite told them, “I’ll make a covenant with you on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”
3 The elders of Jabesh told him, “Leave us alone for seven days so that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then if no one delivers us, we will come out to you and surrender.”[f] 4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported the terms to the people,[g] all the people cried loudly.[h]
5 Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind the oxen and he said, “What’s with the people? Why are they crying?” They reported to him what the men of Jabesh had said.[i]
6 When Saul heard these words, the Spirit of God came on him, and he was very angry. 7 He took a yoke of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent the pieces[j] by messengers through all the territory of Israel: “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not come out and join[k] Saul and Samuel!” The fear of the Lord fell on the people and they came out as one man.
8 Saul[l] mustered them at Bezek, and there were 300,000 Israelis and 30,000 men of Judah. 9 They told the messengers who had come, “You are to say this to the men of Jabesh-gilead, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be delivered.’” The messengers went and reported to the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced.
10 The men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you and surrender.[m] Then you can do whatever you want to us.”
11 The next day Saul separated the people into three companies. They came into the camp during the morning watch, and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered so that no two of them remained together.
12 The people told Samuel, “Who said, ‘Will Saul reign over us?’ Bring them to us[n] and we will put them to death!”
13 But Saul said, “Let no one be put to death this day, because today the Lord has delivered Israel.”
14 Then Samuel told the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal and reaffirm the kingship there.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul king in the Lord’s presence in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings in the Lord’s presence, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 10:27 Lit. sons of Belial; i.e. worthless men
- 1 Samuel 10:27 Lit. he
- 1 Samuel 10:28 So DSS 4QSama and Josephus; MT and LXX lack 10:28.
- 1 Samuel 11:1 So LXX and DSS 4QSama; the Heb. lacks after a month
- 1 Samuel 11:1 Lit. camped against
- 1 Samuel 11:3 The Heb. lacks and surrender
- 1 Samuel 11:4 Lit. in the ears of the people
- 1 Samuel 11:4 Lit. lifted their voices and wept
- 1 Samuel 11:5 Lit. the words of the men of Jabesh
- 1 Samuel 11:7 Lit. sent
- 1 Samuel 11:7 Lit. out after
- 1 Samuel 11:8 Lit. He
- 1 Samuel 11:10 The Heb. lacks and surrender
- 1 Samuel 11:12 Lit. Give the men
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