1 Samuel 13:1-15
Legacy Standard Bible
Saul Strikes Down the Philistines
13 [a]Saul was [b]thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned [c]forty-two years over Israel.
2 And Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel, of which 2,000 were with Saul in (A)Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan at (B)Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent away the rest of the people, each to his tent. 3 And Jonathan struck (C)the garrison of the Philistines that was in (D)Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul (E)blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4 Then all Israel heard [d]the news that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel (F)had become odious to the Philistines. The people were then summoned [e]to Saul at Gilgal.
5 Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen and (G)people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of (H)Beth-aven. 6 Now the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were hard-pressed). Then (I)the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits. 7 Also some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of (J)Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
Saul Doesn’t Keep Yahweh’s Commandment
8 So (K)he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring near to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And (L)he offered the burnt offering. 10 And as soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and (M)Saul went out to meet him and to [f]greet him. 11 But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that (N)the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12 therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Yahweh.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.” 13 And Samuel said to Saul, “(O)You have acted foolishly; (P)you have not kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which He commanded you, for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom [g]over Israel (Q)forever. 14 But (R)now your kingdom shall not endure. (S)Yahweh has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him as ruler over His people because you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you.”
15 Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to (T)Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul [h]numbered the people who were present with him, (U)about six hundred men.
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- 1 Samuel 13:1 The Heb is difficult; lit Saul was one year old when he began to reign. Now he reigned for two years over Israel
- 1 Samuel 13:1 As in some mss of the LXX; M.T. omits thirty
- 1 Samuel 13:1 See Acts 13:21; M.T. omits forty
- 1 Samuel 13:4 Lit saying
- 1 Samuel 13:4 Lit after
- 1 Samuel 13:10 Lit bless
- 1 Samuel 13:13 Lit to
- 1 Samuel 13:15 Lit mustered
1 Samuel 13:1-15
Lexham English Bible
Saul Rules over Israel
13 Saul was thirty[a] years old[b] at the beginning of his reign, and he reigned forty-two years[c] over Israel. 2 He chose for himself three thousand from Israel. Two thousand of these were with Saul at Micmash in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. He sent away the rest of the people, each to his tent. 3 Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4 And all Israel did hear, saying, “Saul has defeated the garrison of the Philistines; and also, Israel has become a stench among the Philistines!” So the people were called out after Saul at Gilgal.
Saul’s Blunder
5 And the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and an army as numerous as sand which is on the seashore. And they came up and encamped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven.
6 When the men of Israel saw that it was too difficult[d] for them, because the army was hard pressed, the people hid themselves in the caves, in the thorn bushes, in the cliffs, in the vaults[e] and in the wells. 7 Some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the army followed him trembling.[f] 8 He waited seven days according to the appointed time Samuel determined, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the army started to slip away from him.[g] 9 So Saul said, “Bring here to me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered up the burnt offering. 10 Just as[h] he finished offering the burnt sacrifice, Samuel was coming. So Saul went out to meet him and to bless him. 11 But Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “Because I saw that the army was scattering[i] from me and you did not come at the appointed time[j] and that the Philistines had gathered at Micmash, 12 therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not yet implored the face of Yahweh.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.”
13 Then Samuel said to Saul, “You have behaved foolishly! You have not kept the command of Yahweh your God which he commanded you. For then, Yahweh would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now, your kingdom will not endure. Yahweh has sought for himself a man according to his own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him as leader over his people, because you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you.”
15 Then Samuel got up and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul mustered the people who were found with him, about six hundred men.
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- 1 Samuel 13:1 A few LXX manuscripts have “thirty,” but the number of years is missing from the Masoretic Hebrew text
- 1 Samuel 13:1 Literally “a son of years”
- 1 Samuel 13:1 The Masoretic Hebrew text reads “two years” here, but this number seems far too small; either it is not correct or part of the number is missing (the present translation supplies “forty”); other English versions differ as to Saul’s age at coronation and the total years of his reign
- 1 Samuel 13:6 Literally “too narrow”
- 1 Samuel 13:6 Or “cellars” or “tombs” ‘ or “strongholds”
- 1 Samuel 13:7 Literally “trembled after him”
- 1 Samuel 13:8 Literally “the people scattered away from him”
- 1 Samuel 13:10 Literally “And it happened as”
- 1 Samuel 13:11 Literally “dispersed themselves”
- 1 Samuel 13:11 Literally “according to the appointed time of the days”
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