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1 Samuel 13 :: Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

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Saul’s Failure
Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:1 -

Saul was thirty years[fn] old when he became king, and he reigned forty-two years[fn] over Israel.[fn]

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:2 -

He chose three thousand men from Israel for himself: two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in Bethel’s hill country, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the troops away, each to his own tent.

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:3 -

Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison[fn] in Gibeah,[fn] and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land saying, “Let the Hebrews hear! ”[fn]

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:4 -

And all Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, and Israel is now repulsive to the Philistines.” Then the troops were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:5 -

The Philistines also gathered to fight against Israel: three thousand[fn] chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.[fn]

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:6 -

The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, in thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns.

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:7 -

Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.

Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear.

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:8 -

He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him.

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:9 -

So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering.

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:10 -

Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him,

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:11 -

and Samuel asked, “What have you done? ”

Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:12 -

“I thought, ‘The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:13 -

Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. It was at this time that the LORD would have permanently established your reign over Israel,

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:14 -

“but now your reign will not endure. The LORD has found a man after his own heart,[fn] and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what the LORD commanded.”

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:15 -

Then Samuel went[fn] from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul registered the troops who were with him, about six hundred men.

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:16 -

Saul, his son Jonathan, and the troops who were with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines were camped at Michmash.

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:17 -

Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three divisions. One division headed toward the Ophrah road leading to the land of Shual.

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:18 -

The next division headed toward the Beth-horon road, and the last division headed down the border road that looks out over the Zeboim Valley toward the wilderness.

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:19 -

No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords or spears.”

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:20 -

So all the Israelites went to the Philistines to sharpen their plows, mattocks, axes, and sickles.[fn]

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:21 -

The price was two-thirds of a shekel[fn] for plows and mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for pitchforks and axes, and for putting a point on a cattle prod.

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:22 -

So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hand of any of the troops who were with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.

Jonathan’s Victory over the Philistines
Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:23 -

Now a Philistine garrison took control of the pass at Michmash.

CSB Footnotes
Some LXX mss; MT reads was one year
Text emended; MT reads two years
Some LXX mss omit v. 1
Or governor, also in v. 4
LXX; MT reads Geba
LXX reads “The slaves have revolted”
One LXX ms, Syr; MT reads 30,000
LXX reads Michmash, opposite Beth-horon to the south
Lit man according to his heart
LXX reads Samuel left Gilgal and went on his way, and the rest of the people followed Saul to join the people in his army. They went
LXX; MT reads plowshares
Lit of a pim ; about one-fourth ounce of silver
CSB

Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017, 2020 by Holman Bible Publishers.

Additional information is provided here.

For more information on this translation, see the CSB Preface.

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