1 Samuel 13:10-20

10 It came to pass that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Shemu'el came; and Sha'ul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.

11 Shemu'el said, What have you done? Sha'ul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you didn't come within the days appointed, and that the Pelishtim assembled themselves together at Mikhmash;

12 therefore said I, Now will the Pelishtim come down on me to Gilgal, and I haven't entreated the favor of the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering.

13 Shemu'el said to Sha'ul, You have done foolishly; you have not kept the mitzvah of the LORD your God, which he commanded you: for now would the LORD have established your kingdom on Yisra'el forever.

14 But now your kingdom shall not continue: the LORD has sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which the LORD commanded you.

15 Shemu'el arose, and got him up from Gilgal to Gevah of Binyamin. Sha'ul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.

16 Sha'ul, and Yonatan his son, and the people who were present with them, abode in Geva of Binyamin: but the Pelishtim encamped in Mikhmash.

17 The spoilers came out of the camp of the Pelishtim in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ofrat, to the land of Shual;

18 and another company turned the way to Beit-Horon; and another company turned the way of the border that looks down on the valley of Tzevo`im toward the wilderness.

19 Now there was no smith found throughout all Eretz-Yisra'el; for the Pelishtim said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

20 but all the Yisra'elites went down to the Pelishtim, to sharpen every man his plowshare, mattock, ax, and sickle;

1 Samuel 13:10-20 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.