1 Samuël 11:11

11 Het geschiedde nu des anderen daags, dat Saul het volk stelde in drie hopen, en zij kwamen in het midden des legers, in de morgenwake, en zij sloegen Ammon, totdat de dag heet werd; en het geschiedde, dat de overigen alzo verstrooid werden, dat er onder hen geen twee te zamen bleven.

1 Samuël 11:11 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 11:11

And it was so on the morrow
After the messengers were returned, and delivered their message, and the men of Jabeshgilead had given the Ammonites reason to expect that they would come out to them according to their agreement:

that Saul put the people into three companies;
or "heads" ^F1, under so many commanders, assigning to each their number, if equally, 110,000 in each, as Gideon divided his three hundred into three companies, one hundred in each, ( Judges 7:16 ) and Abimelech, ( Judges 9:43 ) it seems to have been their way of fighting in those days:

and they came unto the midst of the host:
that is, of the Ammonites:

in the morning watch;
the third and last watch of the night, by break of day, or before, however before the sun was up; so quick was Saul and his men in their march, though on foot. Bunting ^F2 computes the distance from Gibeah to Bezek forty miles, and from thence to Jabesh sixteen; it is commonly reckoned that it was about sixty miles from Gibeah to Jabesh. Josephus ^F3 says it was ten "schaeni", each of which contained five or six miles:

and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day;
that is, till noon, so that from the morning watch till noon he was making slaughter of them:

and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered;
those that were not cut off by the sword of Saul were broken and dispersed, they could not stand their ground against him:

so that two of them were not left together; to flee together,
but every one shifted for himself, and fled alone.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 (Myvar) "capita", Pagninus, Montanus
F2 Travels of the Patriarchs p. 126.
F3 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 5. sect. 3.)

1 Samuël 11:11 In-Context

9 Toen zeiden zij tot de boden, die gekomen waren: Aldus zult gijlieden den mannen te Jabes in Gilead zeggen: Morgen zal u verlossing geschieden, als de zon heet worden zal. Als de boden kwamen, en verkondigden dat aan de mannen te Jabes, zo werden zij verblijd.

10 En de mannen van Jabes zeiden: Morgen zullen wij tot ulieden uitgaan, en gij zult ons doen naar alles, wat goed is in uw ogen.

11 Het geschiedde nu des anderen daags, dat Saul het volk stelde in drie hopen, en zij kwamen in het midden des legers, in de morgenwake, en zij sloegen Ammon, totdat de dag heet werd; en het geschiedde, dat de overigen alzo verstrooid werden, dat er onder hen geen twee te zamen bleven.

12 Toen zeide het volk tot Samuel: Wie is hij, die zeide: Zou Saul over ons regeren? Geeft hier die mannen, dat wij hen doden.

13 Maar Saul zeide: Er zal te dezen dage geen man gedood worden, want de HEERE heeft heden een verlossing in Israel gedaan.