1 Samuel 13:1-7

Saul Fights the Philistines

1 Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel, ^[a]

2 Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in ¹Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in ²Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent.

3 Jonathan defeated ³the garrison of the Philistines that was ⁴at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul ⁵blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear. ”

4 And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.

5 And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops ⁶like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of ⁷Beth-aven.

6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves ⁸in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns,

7 and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

1 Samuel 13:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 13

This chapter relates how Saul disposed of his army, 1Sa 13:1,2 that Jonathan his son smote a garrison of Philistines, which provoked them to come out with a large army against them, to the great terror of the Israelites, many of whom fled to secret places, and to distant parts, 1Sa 13:3-7, that Saul tarried at Gilgal waiting for Samuel, but he not coming so soon as expected, offered sacrifice himself, 1Sa 13:8-10 for which Samuel, when he came, reproved him, and told him the kingdom should not continue with him, but be given to another man, 1Sa 13:11-14 on which Saul departed to Gibeah, where he continued, the Philistines being encamped at Michmash, 1Sa 13:15,16 from whence went out spoilers, in three companies, into the land of Israel, where they met with no opposition; for there were no weapons in the hands of any but Saul and Jonathan, the Philistines having taken care that there should be no smith in the land of Israel to make them any, so that they were defenceless, 1Sa 13:17-23.

Cross References

• 1. 13:2 ver. 5, 11, 16, 23; ch. 14:31
• 2. 13:2 ver. 15; ch. 10:26
• 3. 13:3 ch. 10:5
• 4. 13:3 ver. 16; ch. 14:5
• 5. 13:3 [Judg. 3:27]
• 6. 13:5 Josh. 11:4
• 7. 13:5 ch. 14:23
• 8. 13:6 Judg. 6:2; Heb. 11:38

Footnotes

• [a] 13:1 Hebrew 'Saul was one year old when he became king, and he reigned two years over Israel' (see 1 Samuel 10:6); some Greek manuscripts give Saul’s age when he began to reign as thirty years