1 Samuel 11:13

13 But Saul ordered, "No one will be executed this day, for today the Lord has provided deliverance in Israel."

1 Samuel 11:13 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 11:13

And Saul said
Preventing Samuel from giving an answer, being ready to forgive injuries; as it was in his power as a king, and him only, to pardon those persons that treated him in so ill a manner, and it was policy so to do, especially in the beginning of his reign; and it plainly appears that this temper did not always continue with him; though there is no reason to believe otherwise, that this was now owing to his lenity as well as his prudence:

there shall not be a man put to death this day;
who by their appearance to his summons had testified their obedience, and by their courage and valour had showed their attachment to him, and to the interest of their country. Ben Gersom takes the sense to be, that it might be right after, but not on this day to put them to death; or that this was an artifice of Saul to deliver those men out of the hands of the Israelites, suggesting as if it was his intention hereafter to put them to death, though not now, for the following reason:

for today the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel;
he does not ascribe the victory to the quick dispatch he made, to his wisdom and prudence in forming the scheme he did, and to his valour and courage, and that of his troops, but to the power and goodness of God.

1 Samuel 11:13 In-Context

11 The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions. 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.

12 Afterwards, the people said to Samuel, "Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Give us those men so we can kill them!"

13 But Saul ordered, "No one will be executed this day, for today the Lord has provided deliverance in Israel."

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 they made Saul king. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings in the Lord's presence, and Saul and all the men of Israel greatly rejoiced.