1 Samuel 13:1-6

1 Saul was a son of one year, that is, as innocent and clean of sin as a child of one year, when he began to reign; and he reigned upon Israel two (and twenty) years. (Saul was fifty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned over Israel for twenty-two years.)

2 And Saul chose to him three thousand men of Israel, and two thousand of them were with Saul in Michmash, (and) in the hill (country) of Bethel; and a thousand were with (his son) Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; soothly he sent again the tother people each man into his tabernacle (and he sent the rest of the people back to their tents).

3 And Jonathan smote the station, that is, (the) forcelet, either stronghold, of (the) Philistines, that was in Geba. And when (the) Philistines had heard (of) this, Saul sounded with a clarion in all the land, and said, Hebrews, hear. (And Jonathan struck the station, that is, the fortress, or the stronghold, of the Philistines, that was in Geba; and all the Philistines heard about it. And Saul sounded with a trumpet in all the land, and said, Hebrew men, hear this!)

4 And all Israel heard such a fame, (that) Saul smote the station of Philistines; and Israel raised up himself against the Philistines; then the people cried after Saul in Gilgal. (And all Israel heard the report, that Saul had struck the Philistines? station; and also that the people of Israel were loathed by all the Philistines. And the people came together in Gilgal to follow Saul.)

5 And the Philistines were gathered together to fight against Israel; thirty thousand of chariots, and six thousand of knights, and the tother common people, as gravel which is full much in the brink of the sea (and the common people, as innumerable as the sand which is on the seashore); and they went up, and setted their tents in Michmash, at the east coast of Bethaven.

6 And when [the] men of Israel had seen, that they were set in straitness, for (this) the people was tormented, (and) they hid themselves in dens (and they hid themselves in caves), and in privy places, and in stones, and in ditches, and in cisterns.

1 Samuel 13:1-6 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.