The Meaning of 1 Samuel 13:4 Explained

1 Samuel 13:4

KJV: 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.

YLT: And all Israel have heard, saying, 'Saul hath smitten the garrison of the Philistines,' and also, 'Israel hath been abhorred by the Philistines;' and the people are called after Saul to Gilgal.

Darby: And all Israel heard say, Saul has smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and Israel also has become odious to the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Samuel 13:4 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 13:4 mean?

And all Israel heard it said [that] had attacked Saul - a garrison of the Philistines and [that] also had become an abomination to the Philistines And were called together the people to Saul at Gilgal
וְכָל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֞ל שָׁמְע֣וּ לֵאמֹ֗ר הִכָּ֤ה שָׁאוּל֙ אֶת־ נְצִ֣יב פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וְגַם־ נִבְאַשׁ בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַיִּצָּעֲק֥וּ הָעָ֛ם אַחֲרֵ֥י שָׁא֖וּל הַגִּלְגָּֽל

וְכָל־  And  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֞ל  Israel 
Parse: 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.
שָׁמְע֣וּ  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
לֵאמֹ֗ר  it  said  [that] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִכָּ֤ה  had  attacked 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
שָׁאוּל֙  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
נְצִ֣יב  a  garrison 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְצִיב  
Sense: set over, something placed, pillar, prefect, garrison, post.
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים  of  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
וְגַם־  and  [that]  also 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
נִבְאַשׁ  had  become  an  abomination 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּאַשׁ  
Sense: to have a bad smell, stink, smell bad.
בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים  to  the  Philistines 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
וַיִּצָּעֲק֥וּ  And  were  called  together 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: צָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, cry for help.
הָעָ֛ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
שָׁא֖וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
הַגִּלְגָּֽל  at  Gilgal 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּלְגָּל 
Sense: the first site of an Israelite camp west of the Jordan, east of Jericho, here Samuel was judge, and Saul was made king; later used for illicit worship.