Bible History
Bible History

1 Samuel 13 - New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

You are here: Home New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE) 1 Samuel 13

III. Saul and David

Chapter 13

1 [Saul was…years old when he became king and he reigned…-two years over Israel.][a]

Saul Offers Sacrifice. 2 Saul chose three thousand of Israel, of whom two thousand remained with him in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the army back to their tents. 3 Now Jonathan struck the Philistine garrison[b] in Gibeah, and the Philistines got word of it. Then Saul sounded the horn throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”(A) 4 Then all Israel heard the report, “Saul has struck the garrison of the Philistines! Israel has become odious to the Philistines!” Then the army was called up to Saul in Gilgal. 5 The Philistines also assembled for battle against Israel, with thirty thousand chariots,[c] six thousand horsemen, and foot soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore.(B) They came up and encamped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.(C) 6 When the soldiers saw they were in danger because the army was hardpressed, they hid themselves in caves, thickets, rocks, caverns, and cisterns. 7 Other Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, held out in Gilgal, all his army trembling in fear behind him.[d] 8 He waited seven days, until the appointed time Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come, and the army deserted Saul.(D) 9 He then said, “Bring me the burnt offering and communion offerings!” Then he sacrificed the burnt offering.

King Saul Reproved. 10 As he finished sacrificing the burnt offering, there came Samuel! So Saul went out toward him in order to greet him. 11 Samuel asked him, “What have you done?” Saul explained: “When I saw that the army was deserting me and you did not come on the appointed day, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12 I said to myself, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not yet sought the Lord’s blessing.’ So I thought I should sacrifice the burnt offering.” 13 Samuel replied to Saul: “You have acted foolishly! Had you kept the command the Lord your God gave you, the Lord would now establish your kingship in Israel forever; 14 but now your kingship shall not endure. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart[e] to appoint as ruler over his people because you did not observe what the Lord commanded you.”(E)

Philistine Invasion. 15 Then Samuel set out from Gilgal and went his own way; but what was left of the army went up after Saul to meet the soldiers, going from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul then counted the soldiers he had with him, about six hundred.(F) 16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the soldiers they had with them were now occupying Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines were encamped at Michmash. 17 Meanwhile, raiders left the camp of the Philistines in three bands.(G) One band took the Ophrah road toward the district of Shual; 18 another turned in the direction of Beth-horon; and the third took the road for Geba that overlooks the Valley of the Hyenas toward the desert.

Disarmament of Israel.[f] 19 Not a single smith was to be found anywhere in Israel, for the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears.”(H) 20 All Israel, therefore, had to go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles. 21 The price for the plowshares and mattocks was two thirds of a shekel, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the ox-goads. 22 And so on the day of battle neither sword nor spear could be found in the hand of any of the soldiers with Saul or Jonathan. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.

Jonathan’s Exploit. 23 An outpost of the Philistines had pushed forward to the pass of Michmash.(I)

Footnotes

  1. 13:1 A formula like that of 2 Sm 5:4 was introduced here at some time; but the age of Saul when he became king remains a blank, and the two years assigned for his reign in the Masoretic text cannot be correct. Acts 13:21 offers the round number of forty years.
  2. 13:3–4 The Philistine garrison: see note on 10:5. Let the Hebrews hear: a different reading of these verses, based on the Greek, would yield: “And the Philistines heard that the Hebrews (or: the slaves) had revolted. Saul in the meantime sounded the trumpet throughout all the land (v. 4), and all Israel heard that Saul….”
  3. 13:5 Thirty thousand chariots: some Greek manuscripts read “three thousand chariots.”
  4. 13:7–15 These verses, like 10:8, anticipate the rejection of Saul; a different occasion and motivation for this are given in chap. 15 and 28:17–18.
  5. 13:14 After his own heart: i.e., of his choosing, for his purpose. While the verse undoubtedly refers to David, it concerns the Lord’s decision to continue the kingship, even though he has rejected Saul, by selecting the heir to Saul’s throne.
  6. 13:19–22 These details emphasize the Philistines’ military power and superior technology, a reminder that an Israelite victory depends on God.

Cross references

  1. 13:3 : 1 Sm 14:1–15; Jgs 3:27; 6:34; 2 Sm 20:1–2.
  2. 13:5 : Gn 22:17; 41:49; Jgs 7:12.
  3. 13:5 : 1 Sm 14:22.
  4. 13:8 : 1 Sm 10:8.
  5. 13:14 : 1 Sm 15:28; 25:30; 2 Sm 7:15–16; Ps 78:70; Acts 13:22.
  6. 13:15 : 1 Sm 14:2.
  7. 13:17 : 1 Sm 14:15.
  8. 13:19 : Jgs 5:8.
  9. 13:23 : 1 Sm 14:15.

You Might Also Like:

1 Samuel 13 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

13 A son of a year [is] Saul in his reigning, yea, two years he hath reigned over Israel, 2 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; ...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

13 Saul was a son of one year, that is, as innocent and clean of sin as a child of one year, when he began to reign; and he reigned upon Israel two (and twenty) years. (Saul was fifty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned over Israel for twenty-two years.) 2 And Saul chose to him three th...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - World English Bible (WEB)

13 Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.[a] 2 Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the Mount of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the ...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - The Voice (VOICE)

13 Saul was about 30[a] years old when he became king, and after he ruled for at least two years, 2 Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel: 2,000 stayed with him in the hill country of Bethel at a place called Michmash, and the other 1,000 joined Saul’s son Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. He sent all the r...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Saul’s Misguided Sacrifice13 Saul was 30 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for 42 years over Israel. 2 Now Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel, of which 2,000 were with Saul in Michmas and in the hill country of Beth-el, and 1,000 were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The ...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice13 Saul was . . .[a] years old when he began to reign; and he reigned . . . and two[b][c] years over Israel. 2 Saul chose three thousand men of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gib′e-ah of Be...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice13 Saul was . . .[a] years old when he began to reign; and he reigned . . . and two[b] years over Israel. 2 Saul chose three thousand men of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gib′e-ah of Benja...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice13 Saul was . . .[a] years old when he began to reign; and he reigned for . . . and two[b] years over Israel. 2 Saul chose three thousand out of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Ben...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice13 Saul was . . .[a] years old when he began to reign, and he reigned . . . and two[b] years over Israel.2 Saul chose three thousand out of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Continued War with Philistia13 Saul was thirty[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years.[b] 2 Saul selected 3,000 special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home. He took 2,000 of the chosen men with him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel. ...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - New Life Version (NLV)

War with the Philistines13 Saul was forty years old when he began to rule. He ruled over Israel thirty-two years. 2 Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel. There were 2,000 of them with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel. And 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent away ...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice13 Saul [a]reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 2 Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in (A)Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with (B)Jonathan in (C)Gibeah of Benjamin. The r...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Samuel rebukes Saul13 Saul was thirty[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel for forty-[b] two years. 2 Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. ...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - New International Version (NIV)

Samuel Rebukes Saul13 Saul was thirty[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-[b] two years. 2 Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand(A) were with him at Mikmash(B) and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah(C) in Benjam...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Samuel Judges Saul’s Sin13 Saul was 30 years old when he became king. He ruled over Israel for 42 years. 2 Saul chose 3,000 of Israel’s men. Two thousand of them were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel. One thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. Saul sent t...
Read More

1 Samuel 13 - New English Translation (NET)

Saul Fails the Lord13 Saul was [thirty][a] years old when he began to reign; he ruled over Israel for [forty][b] years. 2 Saul selected for himself 3,000 men from Israel. Of these 2,000 were with Saul at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel; the remaining 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah in ...
Read More

61 Bible Translations

Popular Articles

Explore the Bible Like Never Before!

Bible History Online

Bible Study Tools

Top Tags