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1 Samuel
Chapter Eleven
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 11
This
chapter relates the distress the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead were in on account
of the Ammonites, 1 Samuel 11:1 upon
which they sent messengers to Saul, whose spirit was immediately stirred up to
help them, 1 Samuel 11:4, and
prepared for it, and came up soon enough for their relief, and slew their
enemies, 1 Samuel 11:7,
which gained him much honour and reputation among the people, and occasioned
the renewal of the kingdom to him, 1 Samuel 11:12.
1 Samuel 11:1 Then Nahash the
Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh
said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”
YLT
1And Nahash the Ammonite
cometh up, and encampeth against Jabesh-Gilead, and all the men of Jabesh say
unto Nahash, `Make with us a covenant, and we serve thee.'
Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against
Jabeshgilead,.... A month after, as in the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin
versions, that is, a month after Saul was chosen king; so JosephusF16Antiqu.
l. 6. c. 5. sect. 1. : this prince was preparing for war against Israel before,
which they hearing of, requested they might have a king to go before them in
battle, 1 Samuel 12:12 but
now he actually marched from his own country, and besieged Jabeshgilead, a city
in the land of Gilead, from whence it had its name, and lay in the half tribe
of Manasseh, on the other side Jordan, see Judges 21:8. It lay
near to the Ammonites, and was part of the country they laid claim to in the
times of Jephthah, which they now renewed, and attempted to gain it by force.
This Nahash was king of the Ammonites, as he is called in the Targum, and by
JosephusF17Ibid. , and so in the Arabic version, see 1 Samuel 12:12.
and all the men of Jabeshgilead said unto Nahash, make a covenant
with us; they desired to be his allies and confederates, live in peace
and friendship with him, and enjoy their religion and liberties on certain
conditions they were willing to come into; and this was the sense of them all,
or at least the greatest part, which showed a mean and abject spirit in them,
to make no defence of themselves, but as soon as besieged to move for a
capitulation. This doubtless arose from a sense of their weakness, not being
able to hold it out long, and from an apprehension that their brethren the
Israelites, on the other side Jordan, could give them no assistance, being in
an unsettled condition, having chosen a king, and he scarcely on the throne,
and the Philistines having great power over them:
and we will serve thee; not as slaves, but as
tributaries; they were willing to pay a yearly tax to him.
1 Samuel 11:2 2 And Nahash the Ammonite
answered them, “On this condition I will make a covenant with
you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel.”
YLT
2And Nahash the Ammonite
saith unto them, `For this I covenant with you, by picking out to you every
right eye -- and I have put it a reproach on all Israel.'
And Nahash the Ammonite answered them,.... In a very
haughty and scornful manner:
on this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may
thrust out all your right eyes; some Jewish writers go into a mystical and
allegorical sense of these words, as that Nahash ordered the book of the law to
be brought, which was their right eye, that he might erase out of it these
words:
an Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the
Lord; others understand it of the sanhedrim, which were the eyes of
Israel; and others, which come a little nearer to the sense, of the slingers
and archers, the desire of the eyes of Israel; and who, by having their right
eyes thrust out, would be in a great measure spoiled for taking aim; for the
words are to be understood literally; the intention of Nahash was to disable
them for war, and that they might become quite unfit for it, as Josephus
observesF18Antiqu. l. 6. c. 5. sect. 1. ; the left eye being under
the shield, as it usually was in war, and the right eye plucked out, they would
be as blind men: he did not choose to have both their eyes thrust out, for then
they could have been of no use and service to him as slaves or tributaries:
and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel; that they did
not come up to the relief of their brethren, and defend them, and signifying
that they must all expect the same treatment from him.
1 Samuel 11:3 3 Then the elders of Jabesh
said to him, “Hold off for seven days, that we may send messengers to all the
territory of Israel. And then, if there is no one to save us, we will
come out to you.”
YLT
3And the elders of Jabesh
say to him, `Let us alone seven days, and we send messengers into all the
border of Israel: and if there is none saving us -- then we have come out unto
thee.'
And the elders of Jabesh said,.... The magistrates and
principal men of the city:
give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers to all
the coasts of Israel; that is, cease from besieging them, from throwing in darts into
the city, or any other missive weapons, and from attempting to break open the
gates, or break down the walls of it, and storm it; such a space of time they
desire, which was as little as could be granted, to go and return in, and
without this it would not be a reproach to all Israel, if they were ill used by
them, since they had no knowledge of their case, nor time to come up for their
assistance:
and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee; and submit to
be used at thy pleasure. And it seems that this was granted by Nahash out of a
bravado, and to reproach and insult all Israel, and bid them defiance; with
whom he sought to quarrel, having a design upon their land, and knowing very
well their condition, being awed by the Philistines; and having just chosen a
king, and he an inexperienced man in the affairs of war, and had no army; nor
was it likely that one could be assembled in so short a time, and come to the
relief of this people, and therefore he thought himself safe enough in granting
their request.
1 Samuel 11:4 4 So the messengers came to
Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the hearing of the people. And all the
people lifted up their voices and wept.
YLT
4And the messengers come to
Gibeah of Saul, and speak the words in the ears of the people, and all the
people lift up their voice and weep;
Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul,.... Where he
was born, and brought up, and now dwelt; and he being elected king, it brought
an honour to the place; and from hence had this name, to distinguish it from
the others, and this is the first time it was so called. Now the messengers
from Jabesh came hither directly, because they knew that Saul, the chosen king,
dwelt here, and the Benjaminites, of all the tribes, had great reason to show
regard to them, since it was from thence they had four hundred wives, when they
were reduced to six hundred men only, in order to raise up their tribe:
and told the tidings in the ears of the people; Saul being
not at home in the city, but in the fields, they reported to them the hardships
their city was under, being besieged by the Ammonites, and threatened that if
not relieved in such a time, all their right eyes would be plucked out:
and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept; moved with
sympathy to their brethren, and who by their intermarriage with them were
nearly related to them; and who might fear they would not stop there, but
having taken that place would march forward, and come to them, and use them in
like manner; the thought of which was very distressing to them.
1 Samuel 11:5 5 Now there was Saul, coming
behind the herd from the field; and Saul said, “What troubles the
people, that they weep?” And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.
YLT
5and lo, Saul hath come
after the herd out of the field, and Saul saith, `What -- to the people, that
they weep?' and they recount to him the words of the men of Jabesh.
And, behold, Saul came after the herd out the field,.... Where he had
been to look after the and take care of them, and see what condition they were
in, and followed them on their return home; for though he was elected king, he
was not inaugurated, and did not take upon him any state; and being despised by
some, and no provision as yet made for his support and maintenance as a king,
and no business as such for him to do, Samuel still acting in his office, he
returned to his father's house, and employed himself in rustic affairs, as he
used to do: though some think this was casual, that he had been in the field to
recreate himself, or to meditate on the affairs of government, and happened to
return just as the herd came out of the field, and so followed them; thus
Jarchi interprets it not of his coming after the herd, but of his coming after
the fixed and usual time of the herd's coming out of the field; but JosephusF18Ut
supra, (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 5.) sect. 2. is clear for it, that he had been about
some rustic business, some part of husbandry in the field, and returned to the
city; nor has it been unusual for emperors and kings, and persons in high
offices among Greeks and Romans, and other nations, in times of peace, to
employ themselves in husbandry; so did the judges of Israel, as Shamgar, and
Gideon, and Boaz, Judges 3:31 so
Quinctius Cincinnatus being taken from the plough and made dictator, after he
had conquered his enemies, returned to his husbandryF19Flor. Hist.
Roman. l. 1. c. 11. Aurel. Victor. de Vir. Illustr. c. 20. Alex. ab Alex.
Genial. Dier. l. 3. c. 11. :
and Saul said, what aileth the people, that they weep? he supposed
some evil had befallen them, and desired to know what it was, that, if it lay
in his power to help them, he might:
and they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh; the message
they brought, and the account they gave of the distressed case of their city.
1 Samuel 11:6 6 Then the Spirit of God
came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused.
YLT
6And the Spirit of God doth
prosper over Saul, in his hearing these words, and his anger burneth greatly,
And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings,.... And
filled him with pity and compassion to the inhabitants of Jabesh, and with
wisdom and prudence, and set his thoughts at work to contrive ways and means
for their relief, and with fortitude, courage, and resolution, to attempt their
deliverance; so the Targum,"the spirit of fortitude from the Lord dwelt on
Saul:'and his anger was kindled greatly; against Nahash the Ammonite for
insulting Israel, and threatening to use the inhabitants of Jabesh in such a
cruel manner.
1 Samuel 11:7 7 So he took a yoke of oxen
and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of
Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not go out with Saul
and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen.” And the fear of the Lord fell on the
people, and they came out with one consent.
YLT
7and he taketh a couple of
oxen, and cutteth them in pieces, and sendeth through all the border of Israel,
by the hand of the messengers, saying, `He who is not coming out after Saul and
after Samuel -- thus it is done to his oxen;' and the fear of Jehovah falleth
on the people, and they come out as one man.
And he took a yoke of oxen,.... Of his own or his
father's, which he had just followed out of the field, and for which chiefly
that circumstance is mentioned:
and hewed them in pieces; as the Levite did his concubine,
Judges 19:29
and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of
messengers; some carrying a piece one way, and some another, throughout all
the tribes; for to them all the government of Saul extended, and which by this
he let them know it did:
saying, whosoever cometh not after Saul and after Samuel; he names
both, because he himself, though chosen king, was not inaugurated into his
office, nor was Samuel put out of his; and because he knew he was despised by
some, who would not object to and refuse the authority of Samuel, and therefore
if they would not follow him, they would follow Samuel; and he mentions himself
first, because of his superior dignity:
so shall it be done unto his oxen; be cut to pieces as
these were; he does not threaten to cut them in pieces, but their oxen, lest he
should seem to exercise too much severity at his first coming to the throne:
and the fear of the Lord fell on the people; they feared,
should they be disobedient, the Lord would cut them to pieces, or in some way
destroy them, as well as Saul would cut their oxen to pieces; for their minds
were impressed with a sense of this affair being of the Lord:
and they came out with one consent; or "as one
man"F20כאיש אחד
"tanquam vir unus", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. , as if they had
consulted together; being under a divine impulse, they set out from different
parts about much the same time, and met at a place of rendezvous next
mentioned.
1 Samuel 11:8 8 When he numbered them in
Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah
thirty thousand.
YLT
8And he inspecteth them in
Bezek, and the sons of Israel are three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah
thirty thousand.
And when he numbered them at Bezek,.... Which was the place
appointed to meet at, the same with that in Judges 1:4; see
Gill on Judges 1:4 though
some take the word to be an appellative, and not, the proper name of a place,
and render it, "with a stone"; with which he numbered, taking a stone
from each, and laying them on a heap, and then telling themF21Vid.
T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 22. 2. & Gloss. in ib. ; so Bizakion signifies little
stonesF23Suidas in voce βιζακιων with the
Greeks: or "with a fragment"; either of an earthen vessel, or of a
stone, or of the branch of a tree they carried in their hands, and so the
king's servants numbered not the men, but the branchesF24Vid.
Sheringham. in Misn. Yoma, c. 2. sect. 1. p. 14. :
and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand men; who came
together on this occasion; these were of the eight tribes and a half on this
side Jordan:
and the men of Judah thirty thousand; which tribe
is mentioned distinctly, because a noble and warlike tribe, which usually first
went up to battle; and though the number of them at this time assembled may
seem comparatively small, yet this may easily be accounted for; because they
bordered upon the Philistines, who watched every opportunity to take an
advantage of them, and therefore could not leave their tribe destitute, but
reserved a sufficient number to guard their coasts, and yet were desirous to
testify their obedience to Saul, though chosen king out of another tribe, when
they might have expected from prophecy that the dominion belonged to them.
JosephusF25Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 5.) sect. 3. has made a gross
mistake in the numbers here, he makes the men of Israel to be 700,000, and the
men of Judah 70,000, contrary to the text, the Targum, Syriac and Arabic
versions; but the Septuagint comes pretty near him, which has 600,000 of the
men of Israel, 70,000 of the men of Judah.
1 Samuel 11:9 9 And they said to the
messengers who came, “Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh Gilead:
‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have help.’” Then the
messengers came and reported it to the men of Jabesh, and they were
glad.
YLT
9And they say to the
messengers who are coming, `Thus do ye say to the men of Jabesh-Gilead: To-morrow
ye have safety -- by the heat of the sun;' and the messengers come and declare
to the men of Jabesh, and they rejoice;
And they said unto the messengers that came,.... From
Jabeshgilead, that is, Saul and Samuel said to them, as follows:
thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead: when they
returned unto them, as they were now upon the departure:
tomorrow, by that time the sun be hot; when it
smites with the greatest heat, as at noon: this morrow seems not to be the next
from their return home, or going from Saul, but the morrow after they were got
home, and should deliver the message to those that sent them, 1 Samuel 11:10 and
so JosephusF26Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 5.) sect. 3. says, it was
on the third day the assistance was promised them:
ye shall have help; Saul with his army by that time would come
and raise the siege: and the messengers came and showed it to the men of
Jabesh; what Saul had promised, and what a numerous army he had raised, and had
now upon the march for their relief, and tomorrow would be with them:
and they were glad; it was good news and glad tidings to them;
it cheered their hearts, and gave them spirit.
1 Samuel 11:10 10 Therefore the men of
Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do with us whatever
seems good to you.”
YLT
10and the men of Jabesh say
[to the Ammonites], `To-morrow we come out unto you, and ye have done to us
according to all that [is] good in your eyes.'
Therefore the men of Jabesh said,.... To Nahash the
Ammonite:
tomorrow we will come out unto you; meaning if they had no
help, which they were well assured they should have; but this condition they
expressed not, which they were not obliged to, but left him to conclude they
had no hope of any, the messengers being returned, and the next being the last
of the seven days' respite; and by this artifice the Ammonites were secure, and
not at all upon their guard against an approaching enemy:
and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you; make shows of
them, pluck out their eyes, or put them to death, or do what they would with
them.
1 Samuel 11:11 11 So it was, on the next
day, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst
of the camp in the morning watch, and killed Ammonites until the heat of the
day. And it happened that those who survived were scattered, so that no two of
them were left together.
YLT
11And it cometh to pass, on
the morrow, that Saul putteth the people in three detachments, and they come
into the midst of the camp in the morning-watch, and smite Ammon till the heat
of the day; and it cometh to pass that those left are scattered, and there have
not been left of them two together.
And it was so on the morrow,.... After the messengers
were returned, and delivered their message, and the men of Jabeshgilead had
given the Ammonites reason to expect that they would come out to them according
to their agreement:
that Saul put the people into three companies; or
"heads"F1ראשים
"capita", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. , under so many commanders,
assigning to each their number, if equally, 110,000 in each, as Gideon divided
his three hundred into three companies, one hundred in each, Judges 7:16 and
Abimelech, Judges 9:43 it
seems to have been their way of fighting in those days:
and they came unto the midst of the host: that is, of
the Ammonites:
in the morning watch; the third and last watch
of the night, by break of day, or before, however before the sun was up; so
quick was Saul and his men in their march, though on foot. BuntingF2Travels
of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 126. computes the distance from Gibeah to Bezek
forty miles, and from thence to Jabesh sixteen; it is commonly reckoned that it
was about sixty miles from Gibeah to Jabesh. JosephusF3Ut supra. (Antiqu.
l. 6. c. 5. sect. 3.) says it was ten "schaeni", each of which
contained five or six miles:
and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day; that is, till
noon, so that from the morning watch till noon he was making slaughter of them:
and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered; those that
were not cut off by the sword of Saul were broken and dispersed, they could not
stand their ground against him:
so that two of them were not left together; to flee together, but every one
shifted for himself, and fled alone.
1 Samuel 11:12 12 Then the people said to
Samuel, “Who is he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men,
that we may put them to death.”
YLT
12And the people say unto
Samuel, `Who is he that saith, Saul doth reign over us! give ye up the men, and
we put them to death.'
And the people said unto Samuel,.... By which it seems
that Samuel accompanied Saul in this expedition; though it is somewhat
difficult to account for it, that a man of his years should be able to attend
so quick a march that Saul made; it may be, therefore, that he might follow
after him gently, and meet him quickly after the battle was fought, when the
people made the following speech to him:
who is he that said, shall Saul reign over us? is such a
mean inexperienced man fit to rule over us? who can bear his government, and
submit to it? what can be expected from him, that he should deliver and save us
out of the hands of our enemies? in this they had respect to the sons of
Belial, and what they said, 1 Samuel 10:27, but
now it appeared he was sufficiently qualified, and God had made him an
instrument of salvation, and was a proper person to be king over them:
bring the men, that we may put them to death; so
transported were they with affection to Saul, and indignation against those
men.
1 Samuel 11:13 13 But Saul said, “Not a man
shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has accomplished
salvation in Israel.”
YLT
13And Saul saith, `There is
no man put to death on this day, for to-day hath Jehovah wrought salvation in
Israel.'
And Saul said,.... Preventing Samuel from giving an
answer, being ready to forgive injuries; as it was in his power as a king, and
him only, to pardon those persons that treated him in so ill a manner, and it
was policy so to do, especially in the beginning of his reign; and it plainly
appears that this temper did not always continue with him; though there is no reason
to believe otherwise, that this was now owing to his lenity as well as his
prudence:
there shall not be a man put to death this day; who by their
appearance to his summons had testified their obedience, and by their courage
and valour had showed their attachment to him, and to the interest of their
country. Ben Gersom takes the sense to be, that it might be right after, but
not on this day to put them to death; or that this was an artifice of Saul to
deliver those men out of the hands of the Israelites, suggesting as if it was
his intention hereafter to put them to death, though not now, for the following
reason:
for today the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel; he does not
ascribe the victory to the quick dispatch he made, to his wisdom and prudence
in forming the scheme he did, and to his valour and courage, and that of his
troops, but to the power and goodness of God.
1 Samuel 11:14 14 Then Samuel said to the
people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.”
YLT
14And Samuel saith unto the
people, `Come and we go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there;'
Then said Samuel to the people,.... Agreeing to what
Saul had said, and in order to put them off from demanding the lives of the
offenders, and willing to take them while they were in a good disposition:
come, and let us go to Gilgal; which was the nearest
place to them, on the other side Jordan, from which they now were, and where
the children of Israel first encamped when they passed over Jordan, where the
tabernacle and ark first were, and an altar was built, and where meetings used
to be held on certain occasions; all which might be reasons why Samuel proposed
to go to this place. According to BuntingF4Ut supra. (Travels of the
Patriarchs, &c. p. 126.) , this place was thirty six miles from
Jabeshgilead:
and renew the kingdom there; that is, recognize Saul,
own and declare him king of Israel.
1 Samuel 11:15 15 So all the people went to
Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal.
There they made sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord, and there
Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
YLT
15and all the people go to
Gilgal, and cause Saul to reign there before Jehovah in Gilgal, and sacrifice
there sacrifices of peace-offerings before Jehovah, and there Saul rejoiceth --
and all the men of Israel -- very greatly.
And all the people went to Gilgal,.... Agreed to the
motion, and marched along with Saul and Samuel thither:
and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal; that is, they
declared him to be king there; he was inaugurated into, and invested with his
office, otherwise it was God only that made him king, who only had the power of
making one, see Acts 2:36. Josephus
saysF5Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 5.) sect. 4. that Samuel anointed
him with the holy oil; and so the Septuagint version here renders it,"and
Samuel anointed Saul there to be king;'and it is not improbable, that as he
privately anointed him, he did it publicly also; if not at the election of him,
then at this time; and it is observable, that in the next chapter, and not
before, he is called the Lord's anointed. Now this was "before the
Lord"; in this place; this being, as Abarbinel observes, a sanctified
place, where the tabernacle and ark of God had been; and he supposes it
probable that the ark was brought hither; but it was enough that the people and
congregation of the Lord were here, and who, when assembled in his name, his
presence was with them:
and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the
Lord; where an altar was built, and on which they offered these peace
offerings by way of thanksgiving, partly for the victory obtained over the
Ammonites, and partly for the renewal of the kingdom to Saul, and their
unanimity in it, as well as to implore and obtain future peace and prosperity:
and there Saul, and all the people of Israel, rejoiced greatly; they in their
king, and he in the good will of his people, and both in the great salvation
God had wrought for them.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》