1 Samuel — Chapter 11
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1Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”
2But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you on one condition, that I may put out everyone’s right eye and bring reproach upon all Israel.”
3“Hold off for seven days,” replied the elders of Jabesh, “and let us send messengers throughout Israel. If there is no one to save us, we will surrender to you.”
4When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and relayed these words in the hearing of the people, they all wept aloud.
5Just then Saul was returning from the field, behind his oxen. “What troubles the people?” asked Saul. “Why are they weeping?” And they relayed to him the words of the men from Jabesh.
6When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he burned with great anger.
7He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the land of Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not march behind Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out together as one man.
8And when Saul numbered them at Bezek, there were 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 men of Judah.
9So they said to the messengers who had come, “Tell the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’” And when the messengers relayed this to the men of Jabesh, they rejoiced.
10Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do with us whatever seems good to you.”
11The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions, and during the morning watch they invaded the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them, until the hottest part of the day. And the survivors were so scattered that no two of them were left together.
12Then the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Bring those men here so we can kill them!”
13But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.”
14Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.”
15So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the LORD. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.
1Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.
2And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.
3And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.
4Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.
5And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.
6And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.
7And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.
8And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.
10Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.
11And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.
12And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.
13And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.
14Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.
15And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
1Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.
2And Nahash the Ammonite said unto them, On this condition will I make it with you, that all your right eyes be put out; and I will lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.
3And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days` respite, that we may send messengers unto all the borders of Israel; and then, if there be none to save us, we will come out to thee.
4Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and spake these words in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5And, behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.
6And the Spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly.
7And he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the dread of Jehovah fell on the people, and they came out as one man.
8And he numbered them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, To-morrow, by the time the sun is hot, ye shall have deliverance. And the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.
10Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To-morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.
11And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and smote the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they that remained were scattered, so that not two of them were left together.
12And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.
13And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day; for to-day Jehovah hath wrought deliverance in Israel.
14Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.
15And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before Jehovah in Gilgal; and there they offered sacrifices of peace-offerings before Jehovah; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
1Nahash the Ammonite marched against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh Gilead said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us and we will serve you.”
2But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “The only way I will make a treaty with you is if you let me gouge out the right eye of every one of you and in so doing humiliate all Israel!”
3The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Leave us alone for seven days so that we can send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If there is no one who can deliver us, we will come out voluntarily to you.”
4When the messengers went to Gibeah (where Saul lived) and informed the people of these matters, all the people wept loudly.
5Now Saul was walking behind the oxen as he came from the field. Saul asked, “What has happened to the people? Why are they weeping?” So they told him about the men of Jabesh.
6The Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry.
7He took a pair of oxen and cut them up. Then he sent the pieces throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, who said, “Whoever does not go out after Saul and after Samuel should expect this to be done to his oxen!” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out as one army.
8When Saul counted them at Bezek, the Israelites were 300,000 strong and the men of Judah numbered 30,000.
9They said to the messengers who had come, “Here’s what you should say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow deliverance will come to you when the sun is fully up.’” When the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh Gilead, they were happy.
10The men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you and you can do with us whatever you wish.”
11The next day Saul placed the people in three groups. They went to the Ammonite camp during the morning watch and struck them down until the hottest part of the day. The survivors scattered; no two of them remained together.
12Then the people said to Samuel, “Who were the ones asking, ‘Will Saul reign over us?’ Hand over those men so we may execute them!”
13But Saul said, “No one will be killed on this day. For today the Lord has given Israel a victory!”
14Samuel said to the people, “Come on! Let’s go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.”
15So all the people went to Gilgal, where they established Saul as king in the Lord’s presence. They offered up peace offerings there in the Lord’s presence. Saul and all the Israelites were very happy.
1Then 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.”
2Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make it with you, that all your right eyes be gouged out. I will make this dishonor all Israel.”
3The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days, that we may send messengers to all the borders of Israel; and then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.”
4Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people, then all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5Behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said, “What ails the people that they weep?” They told him the words of the men of Jabesh.
6God’s Spirit came mightily on Saul when he heard those words, and his anger burned hot.
7He took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever doesn’t come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.” The dread of Yahweh fell on the people, and they came out as one man.
8He counted them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9They said to the messengers who came, “Tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be rescued.’” The messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.
10Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you shall do with us all that seems good to you.”
11On the next day, Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the middle of the camp in the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who remained were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
12The people said to Samuel, “Who is he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring those men, that we may put them to death!”
13Saul said, “No man shall be put to death today; for today Yahweh has rescued Israel.”
14Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.”
15All the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal. There they offered sacrifices of peace offerings before Yahweh; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
Summary
Nahash the Ammonite besieges Jabesh-gilead and demands the right eye of every man as a condition of surrender, so the city's elders beg for seven days to seek help from Israel (vv. 1-3). When messengers reach Saul and the people weep, the Spirit of God comes upon him in anger, and he cuts oxen into pieces and sends them throughout Israel, warning that anyone who fails to follow him and Samuel will suffer the same fate (vv. 5-7). Saul musters a massive army, and the next morning his forces strike the Ammonite camp and scatter them so thoroughly that no two remain together (vv. 8-11). When the people want to execute those who had opposed Saul's kingship, Saul refuses, crediting the LORD's salvation, and the nation goes to Gilgal to confirm him as king with rejoicing (vv. 12-15).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Jabesh-gilead: A city in Transjordan (Gilead), east of the Jordan — besieged by Nahash the Ammonite
- Gibeah (Saul's home): Where the messengers arrive and where Saul musters Israel's response
- Bezek: The assembly point (in the hills west of the Jordan) from which Saul's army marches to relieve Jabesh-gilead
Places on this map
- Gileadnorthern JordanThe wooded highlands east of the Jordan between the Yarmuk and the Arnon, good grazing country and a source of the resin traded as balm. Being across the river left its tribes perpetually worried about being written out of Israel. Wikipedia
- Jordan RiverIsrael / Jordan borderRuns about 65 miles as the crow flies from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, dropping from 700 to 1,400 feet below sea level. Narrow enough to wade at most fords, it was still the boundary that divided wilderness from inheritance. Wikipedia
- Transjordanwestern JordanEverything east of the Jordan and the Dead Sea: the plateau taken before the river was crossed and settled by Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh, who then spent centuries anxious about being counted out. Wikipedia
- AmmonAmman, JordanThe plateau at the desert's edge east of Gilead, with its capital Rabbah at the head of a wadi where modern Amman still preserves the name. Squeezed between the desert and Israel, it spent its history pushing west whenever Israel was weak. Wikipedia
- GibeahTell el-Ful, West BankA Benjamite hilltop three miles north of Jerusalem, Saul's home and first capital. It is also the scene of the atrocity in Judges 19 that nearly destroyed the tribe. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik highlights this as Saul's finest moment — Spirit-empowered, decisive, generous, God-honoring. He notes the tragedy that this chapter represents what Saul could have been throughout his reign had he remained faithful.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of 1 Samuel -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- The Spirit Empowers for Service, Not Self-Glory (v.6) — The Spirit came on Saul specifically to deliver Jabesh-gilead, not to elevate Saul himself. Are you using the gifts and influence God has given you to serve others, or to build your own reputation?
- Righteous Anger Should Move Us to Action (v.7) — Saul's anger at the Ammonites' cruelty didn't stay a private feeling; it drove him to decisive, unifying action for others' sake. When you're rightly angered by injustice, does it actually move you to do something?
- Give God the Credit — and Show Mercy — in Victory (v.13) — At the height of his triumph, Saul declared that the LORD had worked the salvation and refused to punish those who had doubted him. When things go well for you, is your instinct to credit God and extend grace, or to claim the win and settle scores?
- Good Beginnings Don't Guarantee Good Endings (v.15) — This chapter is Saul at his very best, and yet everything from here will decline. What would it look like for you to guard against coasting on an earlier season of faithfulness?