1 Samuel 13:12

12 I said, Now (the) Philistines shall come down to me in(to) Gilgal, and I have not pleased the face of the Lord; (and so) I was compelled by need, and I offered (a) burnt sacrifice to the Lord.

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 And when he had ended offering the burnt sacrifice, lo! Samuel came; and Saul went out against him, to greet him (and Saul went out to greet him).

11 And Samuel said to Saul, What hast thou done? Saul answered, Lo! for I saw that the people went away from me, and thou camest not by the days of (our) covenant; and the Philistines were gathered together in Michmash;

12 I said, Now (the) Philistines shall come down to me in(to) Gilgal, and I have not pleased the face of the Lord; (and so) I was compelled by need, and I offered (a) burnt sacrifice to the Lord.

13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done follily, and thou hast not kept the behests of thy Lord God, which he commanded to thee (Thou hast done foolishly, and thou hast not obeyed the command of the Lord thy God, which he commanded to thee); and if thou haddest not done this thing, right now the Lord had made ready thy realm upon Israel [into] without end;

14 but thy realm shall not rise further. The Lord hath sought a man to himself after his heart; and the Lord hath commanded to him, that he should be duke on his people, for thou keptest not those things which the Lord commanded. (but now thy kingdom shall not endure. And the Lord shall seek another man for himself after his own heart; and the Lord shall command him, that he should be the ruler over his people, for thou hast not kept, or obeyed, what the Lord commanded to thee.)