The Meaning of 1 Samuel 13:2 Explained

1 Samuel 13:2

KJV: 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.

YLT: and Saul chooseth for himself three thousand men out of Israel; and two thousand are with Saul in Michmash, and in the hill-country of Beth-El; and a thousand have been with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the remnant of the people he hath sent each to his tents.

Darby: And Saul chose him three thousand men out of Israel: there were with Saul two thousand 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.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Samuel 13:2 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 13:1-12 - Saul's First Act Of Folly
The story of a great tragedy! Here was the overcasting of a bright sunrise. The king was certainly subjected to a tremendous test. He had been bidden to wait until Samuel came, before offering the sacrifice, because from the first it was understood that Saul was on the throne only as the nominee and vicegerent of Jehovah. And Saul did wait, with growing impatience, for seven weary days; then, when the allotted period had nearly expired, he "forced" himself and offered the sacrifice. Apparently he had done this within half-an-hour of Samuel's arrival, because the offering would hardly have taken longer.
The one lesson for us is that the man after God's own heart will obey God to the uttermost, will wait till the last moment with assured faith, will dare to stand amid a dwindling army and with disaster imminent for the lack of marching-orders. Man thinks God slow, behind the appointed time, and forgetful. Nay, but God is waiting to be gracious-waiting for the precise moment when He can intervene with most effect, Isaiah 30:15; Isaiah 30:18. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 13

1  Saul's select band
3  He calls the Hebrews to Gilgal against the Philistines
5  The Philistines' great army
6  The distress of the Israelites
8  Saul, weary of staying for Samuel, sacrifices
11  Samuel reproves him
17  The three raiding parties of the Philistines
19  The policy of the Philistines, to allow no blacksmith in Israel

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 13:2 mean?

and chose for himself Saul three thousand [men] of Israel and were with two thousand in Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel and a thousand were Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin And the rest of the people he sent away every man to his tent
וַיִּבְחַר־ ל֨וֹ שָׁא֜וּל שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת אֲלָפִים֮ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיִּהְי֨וּ עִם־ אַלְפַּ֗יִם בְּמִכְמָשׂ֙ וּבְהַ֣ר בֵּֽית־ אֵ֔ל וְאֶ֗לֶף הָיוּ֙ י֣וֹנָתָ֔ן בְּגִבְעַ֖ת בִּנְיָמִ֑ין וְיֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם שִׁלַּ֖ח אִ֥ישׁ לְאֹהָלָֽיו

וַיִּבְחַר־  and  chose 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
ל֨וֹ  for  himself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
שָׁא֜וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת  three 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
אֲלָפִים֮  thousand  [men] 
Parse: Number, masculine plural
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל֒  of  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וַיִּהְי֨וּ  and  were 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אַלְפַּ֗יִם  two  thousand 
Parse: Number, md
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
בְּמִכְמָשׂ֙  in  Michmash 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִכְמָס 
Sense: a city in Benjamin lying near Ramah and approximately 0 miles (6 km) north of Jerusalem; probably modern ‘Mukhmas’.
וּבְהַ֣ר  and  in  the  mountains 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
אֵ֔ל  Bethel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית־אֵל  
Sense: ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identified with Luz (former name).
וְאֶ֗לֶף  and  a  thousand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
י֣וֹנָתָ֔ן  Jonathan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄונָתָן  
Sense: a son of king Saul and a friend of David.
בְּגִבְעַ֖ת  in  Gibeah 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּבְעָה  
Sense: a city in the mountain district of Judah.
בִּנְיָמִ֑ין  of  Benjamin 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בִּנְיָמִין 
Sense: Jacob’s and Rachel’s youngest son, Joseph’s full brother.
וְיֶ֣תֶר  And  the  rest 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יֶתֶר 
Sense: .
הָעָ֔ם  of  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
שִׁלַּ֖ח  he  sent  away 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אִ֥ישׁ  every  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
לְאֹהָלָֽיו  to  his  tent 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.