1,2 Saul's select band 3,4 He calls the Hebrews to Gilgal against the Philistines, whose garrison Jonathan had smitten 5 The Philistines' great host 6,7 The distress of the Israelites 8-10 Saul, weary of staying for Samuel, sacrifices 11-16 Samuel reproves him 17,18 The three spoiling bands of the Philistines 19-23 The policy of the Philistines, to suffer no smith in Israel

A.M. 2911 B.C. 1093 An. Ex. Is. 398
reigned one year [heb] the son of one year in his reigning. This verse is variously interpreted; but probably it only means, according to the Hebrew idiom, that, during the first year nothing remarkable occurred; but after two years, (or in the second year of his reign,) the subsequent events took place. Ex 12:5 Mic 6:6

2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

chose 1Sa 8:11 14:52

Michmash Michmash was situated east of Bethaven, or Bethel; and Eusebius says it was in his time a considerable place, about nine miles from Jerusalem, towards Rama. 1Sa 13:5,23 14:5,31 Isa 10:28

in Gibeah 1Sa 10:26 15:34 Jos 18:28 Jud 19:12 2Sa 21:6 Isa 10:29

3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

the garrison 1Sa 10:5 14:1-6 2Sa 23:14

Geba. or, the hill Jos 18:24

Gaba Isa 10:29 Zec 14:10

blew Jud 3:27 6:34 2Sa 2:28 20:1

4 And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

was had in abomination [heb] did stink Ge 34:30 46:34 Ex 5:21 Zec 11:8

to Gilgal 1Sa 10:8 11:14,15 Jos 5:9

5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.

thirty thousand chariots The Philistines had no doubt collected troops in this emergency, from all the surrounding nation; but the number of chariots is immensely large beyond any example, and wholly disproportioned to the number of their cavalry. It is probable, therefore, that for sheloshim aileph, `thirty thousand,' we should read shelosh aileph, `three thousand,' with the Syriac and Arabic.

as the sand Ge 22:17 Jos 11:4 Jud 7:12 2Ch 1:9 Isa 48:19 Jer 15:8 Ro 9:27

Beth-aven 1Sa 14:23 Jos 7:2 18:12 Ho 4:15 5:8 10:5

6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

in a strait Ex 14:10-12 Jos 8:20 Jud 10:9 20:41 2Sa 24:14 Php 1:23

in caves 1Sa 14:11 23:19 24:3 Jud 6:2 Isa 42:22 Heb 11:38

7 And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

the Hebrews Le 26:17,36,37 De 28:25

Gad Nu 32:1-5,33-42 De 3:12 Jos 13:24-31

followed him trembling [heb] trembled after him De 20:8 Jud 7:3 Ho 11:10,11

8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

tarried 1Sa 10:8

9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

he offered 1Sa 13:12,13 14:18 15:21,22 De 12:6 1Ki 3:4 Ps 37:7 Pr 15:8 20:22 21:3,27 Isa 66:3

10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

Saul 1Sa 15:13

salute him [heb] bless him 1Sa 15:13 Ru 2:4 Ps 129:8

11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;

What hast Ge 3:13 4:10 Jos 7:19 2Sa 3:24 2Ki 5:25

Michmash 1Sa 13:2,5,16,23 14:5 Isa 10:28

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.

said I 1Ki 12:26,27

made supplication unto [heb] intreated the face of, etc.
I forced 1Sa 21:7 Ps 66:3 Am 8:5 2Co 9:7

13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

Thou hast done 2Sa 12:7-9 1Ki 18:18 21:20 2Ch 16:9 19:2 25:15,16 Job 34:18 Pr 19:3 Mt 14:3,4

hast not kept 1Sa 15:11,22,28 Ps 50:8-15

14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

But now 1Sa 2:30 15:28

the Lord 1Sa 16:1,12 2Sa 7:15,16 Ps 78:70 89:19,20 Ac 13:22

captain over 1Sa 9:16 2Sa 5:2 2Ki 20:5 Heb 2:10

15 And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.

Samuel The LXX. have, `Samuel arose and went away from Gilgal, and the remainder of the people went up along with the men of war after Samuel from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.' This is probably the true reading; for it does not appear that Samuel went to Gibeah, which was Saul's usual residence; and the hebrew copyist, as Dr. Wall observes, seems to have missed a line, and added to the sentence concerning Samuel, that which ended the sentence concerning Saul. One MS. instead of Samuel, in the beginning of the sentence, reads Saul.

present [heb] found
about six 1Sa 13:2,6,7 14:2

16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.

Gibeah [heb] 1Sa 13:3

17 And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:

in three companies 1Sa 11:11

Ophrah Jos 18:23

Shual Jos 19:3

18 And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

Beth-horon Jos 10:11 16:3,5 18:13,14 1Ch 6:68 2Ch 8:5

Zeboim Ge 14:2 Ne 11:34 Ho 11:8

19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

there was no It is probable that the Philistines in the former wars had carried away all the smiths from Israel. Jud 5:8 2Ki 24:14 Isa 54:16 Jer 24:1

20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.

21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.

a file [heb] a file with mouths
sharpen [heb] set

22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.

there was neither 1Sa 17:47,50 Jud 5:8 Zec 4:6 1Co 1:27-29 2Co 4:7

23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.

garrison. or, standing camp 1Sa 13:3 14:4

passage 1Sa 13:2,5 14:1,4,5 Isa 10:28