1 Samuel 13:12

12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

1 Samuel 13:12 in Other Translations

12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.

12 I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord. ’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering. ”

12 So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the LORD ’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”

12 I said, 'The Philistines are about to come down on me in Gilgal, and I haven't yet come before God asking for his help.' So I took things into my own hands, and sacrificed the burnt offering."

12 therefore said I, Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Jehovah: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering.

12 So I thought, 'Now, the Philistines will come against me at Gilgal, but I haven't sought the LORD's favor.' I felt pressured into sacrificing the burnt offering."

12 I thought: The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven't sought the Lord's favor. So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering."

12 So I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down to attack me at Gilgal. And I haven't asked the LORD to show us his favor.' So I felt I had to sacrifice the burnt offering."

1 Samuel 13:12 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 13:12

Therefore said I.
&c.] That is, within himself:

the Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal;
on a sudden, unprepared for them, especially in a religious way:

and I have not made supplication to the Lord;
for his direction and assistance, and for success in the war; which it seems went along with sacrifices, or was implied in them:

I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering;
it was reluctant to him, it was against his will as well as the command of Samuel, to offer before he came, he suggests; but such were the circumstances he was in, that he was obliged to it; these are the reasons or excuses he made, and some of them have a specious appearance in them.

1 Samuel 13:12 In-Context

10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

11 “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash,

12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

13 “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.

14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”

Cross References

• 1. S Joshua 10:43
• 2. S Deuteronomy 4:29; Psalms 119:58; Jeremiah 26:19