1 Samuel 13:1-15:33

1 Samuel 13:1-15:33

[1] Saul  reigned  one year;  and when he had reigned  two  years  over Israel,  [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.  [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.  [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.  [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.  [6] When the men  of Israel  saw  (for the people  were distressed,)  then the people  did hide  themselves in caves,  and in rocks,  and in high places,  and in pits.  [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.  [8] And he tarried  seven  days,  according to the set time  that Samuel  came  not to Gilgal;  and the people  were scattered  [9] And Saul  said,  Bring hither  a burnt offering  to me, and peace offerings.  And he offered  the burnt offering.  [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  him, that he might salute  [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;  [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.  [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.  [14] But now thy kingdom  shall not continue:  hath sought  him a man  after his own heart,  hath commanded  him to be captain  over his people,  because thou hast not kept  commanded  thee. [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. 

What does 1 Samuel 13:1-15:33 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The writer introduced the history of Saul"s reign by referring to the king"s age and possibly the length of his reign. Verse one contains a textual corruption in the Hebrew text. [1] There the verse reads, "Saul was ... years old when he began to reign, and he reigned ... two years over Israel." My ellipses indicate omissions (lacunas) in the Hebrew text.
The first problem is Saul"s age when he began to reign. No other text of Scripture gives us his age at this time. The NASB translators have supplied "40" and the NIV and NET translators "30." The AV translators wrote, "Saul [2]," leaving the number undefined.
Saul reigned about40 years ( Acts 13:21). If he was about40 years old when he began to reign, he would have been about80 when he died in battle on Mt. Gilboa (ch31). This seems very old in view of the account in chapter31. Even if Saul was70 he would have been quite old. The account of his anointing by Samuel pictures a young adult with a measure of maturity. I would suggest that40 may be the first number that the copyists lost in 1 Samuel 13:1. My reasons follow below.
The second problem Isaiah , what was the second number in 1 Samuel 13:1 that is absent in the Hebrew text? The NASB has "32 ," the NIV "42 ," and the AV "2." If the last part of 1 Samuel 13:1 gives us the length of Saul"s reign, as is customary in similar summaries of kings" reigns (cf. 1 Kings 14:21; 1 Kings 22:42; 2 Kings 8:17; 2 Kings 8:26; et al.), the missing number probably should be42. In this case, 40 in Acts 13:21 must be a round number. If the last part of 1 Samuel 13:1 gives the year of Saul"s reign in which the events of chapter13happened, the number probably should be2. [3] I think probably the total length of Saul"s reign is in view in 1 Samuel 13:1. I prefer the NIV"s42years here.
When did the events of this chapter happen if the last number in 1 Samuel 13:1 indicates the length of Saul"s reign? In 1 Samuel 10:8, Samuel commanded Saul to go to Gilgal and to wait seven days for him there. In 1 Samuel 13:8, we read that Saul went to Gilgal and waited seven days for Samuel. Therefore the events of chapter13appear to have followed those in chapter10 soon, perhaps in the second year of his reign. [4]
However in 1 Samuel 13:3 Saul"s son Jonathan is old enough to lead an invasion against a Philistine garrison. Jonathan must have been at least about20 to do that. If he was about20 , and this was the beginning of Saul"s reign, we have two problems. First, Saul must have been somewhat older than30 when he began ruling. Yet this would make him quite old when he died in battle, as explained above. I think he was probably about40 even though this would make him about80 when he died. Second, if Jonathan was about20 at the beginning of Saul"s reign, he would have been about60 when he died with Saul since Saul reigned about40 years ( Acts 13:21). If David was a contemporary of Jonathan, as1Samuel implies, David began reigning when Jonathan was about60. Yet 2 Samuel 5:4 says David was30 when he began to reign. In spite of the disparity in the ages of David and Jonathan, it seems that Jonathan was indeed about20 or30 years older than David. [1]
Some of the evidence ( 1 Samuel 10:8 and 1 Samuel 13:8) seems to support the view that the events of chapter13happened early in Saul"s reign. Other evidence (the ages of David and Jonathan) suggests that they may have happened much later. I favor the view that the events in chapter13follow those in chapter10 closely. [6]
Gibeah was Saul"s hometown and his capital. Michmash was five miles northeast of Gibeah, and Geba was four. Evidently Saul wanted to clear the area around Gibeah, and the central Benjamin plateau on which it stood, of Philistines, to make this population center more secure. Jonathan"s initial victory at Geba provoked the Philistines, who massed their forces across the steep valley that separated Geba and Michmash. This is the first mention of Jonathan, whose name means, "The Lord has given." Some scholars believe that Saul mustered the Israelite forces in the Jordan Valley at Gilgal, about12miles east of Michmash. [7] However, the location of the Gilgal in view is problematic. In doing Song of Solomon , he was following orders that Samuel had given him earlier ( 1 Samuel 10:8). Apparently Saul was to meet Samuel to offer sacrifices of worship before he engaged the Philistines in battle. Because of the superior Philistine army the Israelite soldiers were afraid, and some even fled (cf. Judges 6:2). The enemy must have been strong to threaten Israel"s eastern territory since Philistia was Israel"s neighbor to the west.
"Since "Hebrew" was commonly used by non-Israelites as a synonym for "Israelite" (cf. 1 Samuel 4:5-10), it is understandable that the two terms should alternate throughout the narratives of the Philistine wars in chapters13-14." [8]
Fearful lest the mass desertion of his soldiers continue, Saul decided to slay the sacrificial animals before engaging the enemy and to attack rather than to wait for Samuel to come and offer the sacrifices. This was a violation of the prophet"s orders ( 1 Samuel 10:8). Contrast David"s submission to Nathan the prophet ( 2 Samuel 12:1-15) with Saul"s rebellion against Samuel the prophet. Saul could have asked for the Lord"s help in prayer, of course, as Hannah did. Evidently ritual was very important to him, so he offered the sacrifice and disobeyed Samuel. His choice suggests that he had a rather superficial relationship with Yahweh. Contrast weak-in-faith Gideon who also faced overwhelming odds fearfully, yet trusted and obeyed Yahweh nonetheless ( Judges 6).
Saul"s punishment may appear excessively severe at first. However, the king of Israel was the Lord"s lieutenant. Any disobedience to his Commander-in-Chief was an act of insubordination that threatened the whole administrative organization of God"s kingdom on earth. Saul failed to perceive his place and responsibility under God. Contrast King Hezekiah"s appropriate behavior in a similar situation in 2 Chronicles 29:25. Saul assumed more authority than was his. For this reason God would not establish a dynasty for him (cf. 1 Samuel 24:21). Had he obeyed on this occasion, God would have placed Saul"s descendants on his throne for at least one generation, if not more ( 1 Samuel 13:13; cf. 1 Kings 11:38). Perhaps Saul"s descendants would have reigned in a parallel kingdom with the king from Judah. [9] Now Saul"s son would not succeed him. Eventually God would have raised up a king from the tribe of Judah even if Saul had followed the Lord faithfully ( Genesis 49:10). That king probably would have been David.
Samuel"s departure from the battlefield ( 1 Samuel 13:15) was symbolic of the breach that now opened up between Samuel and Saul. Saul"s presumptuous plan also failed to bring his departing soldiers back to him.