1 Samuel 11:9

9 So they said to the messengers who had come, “Tell the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’” And when the messengers relayed this to the men of Jabesh, they rejoiced.

1 Samuel 11:9 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 11:9

And they said unto the messengers that came
From Jabeshgilead, that is, Saul and Samuel said to them, as follows:

thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead:
when they returned unto them, as they were now upon the departure:

tomorrow, by that time the sun be hot;
when it smites with the greatest heat, as at noon: this morrow seems not to be the next from their return home, or going from Saul, but the morrow after they were got home, and should deliver the message to those that sent them, ( 1 Samuel 11:10 ) and so Josephus ^F26 says, it was on the third day the assistance was promised them:

ye shall have help;
Saul with his army by that time would come and raise the siege: and the messengers came and showed it to the men of Jabesh; what Saul had promised, and what a numerous army he had raised, and had now upon the march for their relief, and tomorrow would be with them:

and they were glad;
it was good news and glad tidings to them; it cheered their hearts, and gave them spirit.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 5.) sect. 3.

1 Samuel 11:9 In-Context

7 He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the land of Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not march behind Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out together as one man.

8 And when Saul numbered them at Bezek, there were 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 men of Judah.

9 So they said to the messengers who had come, “Tell the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’” And when the messengers relayed this to the men of Jabesh, they rejoiced.

10 Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do with us whatever seems good to you.”

11 The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions, and during the morning watch they invaded the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them, until the hottest part of the day. And the survivors were so scattered that no two of them were left together.