1 Samuel 13

Notes on the verses

Chap. XIII. Ver. i—23. Jonathan commences war against the Philistines, who threaten a dreadful retaliation, and throw the Israelites into great alarm.—The opening of this chapter in the original is peculiar, and has puzzled the most learned commentators; we are inclined to think, with Scott, it simply means, (according to the Hebrew idiom,) that “during the first year of Saul’s reign (reckoning from his anointing) nothing remarkable occurred; but after two years (or after the second had commenced) the events took place” recorded in the preceding chapter. The first year he appears to have continued at home, and tended his father’s cattle, ((1 Samuel 11:5).) “but when he had reigned two years” over Israel, and had defeated the Ammonites with an immense army, then he chose him three thousand men, as a sort of body guard for himself and his son Jonathan, who was yet but a lad, and dismissed the rest of the army to their own homes.

Jonathan soon distinguished himself by what may be called a gallant action, in smiting a garrison of the enemy, which was a renewal of hostilities with the Philistines: they now made immense preparations for war, collecting an army as the sand on the sea-shore for multitude, among which were at least 3,000 chariots of war.

Chap. XIII. Ver. 2. Michmash.—[Michmash was situated east of Bethaven, or Bethel, and Eusebius says it was in his time a considerable place about nine miles from Jerusalem towards Rama.]—Bagster. Ver. 3. Let the Hebrews hear.—The word “Hebrews” literally means passed over: and is thought to refer particularly to those who were on the one side of Jordan, his people. Ver. 5. Thirty thousand chariots.—The Hebrew for thirty is the plural three, which is generally considered as the true number, and is adopted by the Arabic and Syriac versions: for thirty thousand is not only out of all due proportion to the cavalry, but a vastly greater number than was ever possessed by any other monarch.

Even Pharaoh had but six hundred. Those who retain the larger number, therefore, include all the baggage wagons: but even then the number is incredible. See Stackhouse. Ver. 15. Samuel re LXX, has, ‘Samuel arose and went away had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out in his to meet him, that he might salute him. 11 | And Samuel said, What hast thou done? or, the hill. that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; see Ge. 34.30. 12 ‘Therefore said I, The Philistines will go out all the land of Israel: for the Philistines shore for multitude, among which were at least 3,000 chariots of war.

The Israelites became now greatly terrified, and forgetting all the great things that God had done for them, some fled to hide themselves in the caves and thickets, others passed the Jordan into the land of Gilead; while the few that kept with Saul, as the Hebrew phrase is, “trembled after him.” In history, which is generally very brief, much is constantly implied. In the present instance, it appears that Saul had applied to Samuel for his assistance, and that he had promised to be with him within seven days. These days, we should recollect, commenced (as they still do, among the Jews) each on the preceding evening; on the evening, that is, the first part of the seventh day. Saul probably expected Samuel; but not then coming, nor so soon on the following morning as he expected, and finding the people being scattered from him (as he says) and still scattering, he rashly undertook himself to offer up the accustomed sacrifices, contrary to the law; by this action he forfeited the kingdom; not to himself personally, but his age—for no attempt was made to take the kingdom from him in his lifetime.

But two inquiries here call for our attention: 1. What was the crime of Saul? It was disobedience of orders, which, in a military man, is always considered as a capital offence. What specific directions he had received from Samuel, we can only judge from circumstances; but we well know that none but priests and prophets (for the prophetic office always included the priesthood, as the greater does the less) were, under the Mosaic dispensation, allowed to offer from Gilgal, and the remainder of the people went up along with the men of war after Samuel from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.” This is probably the true reading; for it does not appear that Samuel went to Gibeah, which was Saul’s usual residence; and the Hebrew copyist, as Dr.

Wall observes, seems to have missed a line, and added to the sentence Dagon! Samuel, that which ended the sentence concerning Saul. One MS. instead of Samuel, in the beginning of the sentence reads Saul.]—Bagster. Ver. 19. No smith found.—{It is probable, that the Philistines, in the former wars, had carried away all the smiths from Israel, as Porsenna did in the peace which he granted to the Romans, not permitting any iron to be forged except for the purposes of agriculture.—Ne ferro, nisi in agricultura uterentur. ‘The same policy was resorted to by the Chaldeans, in the time of Nebuchadnezzar; and Cyrus treated the Lydians in the same manner. (Herodotus, I. 1. c. cxlii.) See several more examples in Calmet.]—Bagster Ver.

21. Yet they had a file—Hebrew, “With mouths;” we should say, with teeth; i.e. a coarse file, for common purposes.