1 Samuel — Chapter 11

Loading ESV text...

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
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

Saul rescues Jabesh-gilead from the Ammonites, rallying all Israel under threat of dismemberment of his oxen. His decisive victory unites the nation and publicly confirms his kingship at Gilgal.

Authorship & Background

Author: Unknown, traditionally attributed to Samuel (for the early chapters), Nathan, and Gad (1 Chronicles 29:29). Originally one book with 2 Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. Written approximately 1050-950 BC. The book covers the transition from the judges to the monarchy — from the birth of Samuel through the death of Saul (approximately 1105-1010 BC). Key themes: God's sovereignty in raising and removing leaders, the danger of rejecting God's rule, the contrast between Saul (man's choice) and David (God's choice), and the principle that 'man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart' (16:7).
Historical Context: Chapter 11 records Saul's finest hour — his first military victory and the moment that unifies Israel behind his kingship. Nahash the Ammonite besieges Jabesh-gilead, a city in the Transjordan region of Gilead. The Ammonites (descendants of Lot, like the Moabites) were Israel's eastern enemies, occupying territory east of the Jordan. Nahash's demand — gouging out the right eye of every man — is both cruel and strategic: it would disable them as warriors (the right eye was needed for aiming with a shield on the left arm) and humiliate all Israel. Jabesh-gilead had a special connection to Benjamin (Judges 21:8-14 — Benjamite wives were taken from Jabesh-gilead after the civil war). When messengers reach Gibeah, Saul is plowing with oxen — still living as a farmer despite his anointing. The Spirit of God "came upon" him (v.6), his anger is kindled, and he acts with decisive authority: cutting oxen in pieces and sending them throughout Israel as a summons to war (echoing the Levite's action in Judges 19:29). The response is overwhelming — 330,000 men assemble. Saul divides them into three companies, attacks at dawn, and destroys the Ammonites completely. After the victory, when the people want to execute those who doubted Saul (10:27), Saul shows magnanimity: "There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel" (v.13). He gives God the credit. Samuel then leads the nation to Gilgal to "renew the kingdom" — a public reaffirmation of Saul's kingship with sacrifices and rejoicing. This is Saul at his best: Spirit-empowered, decisive, generous, God-honoring. It makes his later decline all the more tragic.
Nahash's Siege and Cruel Demand (vv.1-3): Nahash ("serpent") besieges Jabesh-gilead. The men of Jabesh, desperate, offer to make a treaty and serve the Ammonites. Nahash's condition is barbaric: "that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel" (v.2). This is not merely cruelty but a calculated insult to the entire nation — demonstrating that Israel has no king, no deliverer, no one to protect its people. The elders ask for seven days to seek help — and remarkably, Nahash agrees. His arrogance is his undoing: he is so confident that no help will come that he grants the delay. This gives God time to work through Saul.
Saul's Spirit-Empowered Response (vv.4-7): The messengers reach Gibeah and the people weep. Saul arrives from the field — still farming, still living as an ordinary man. When he hears the news, "the Spirit of God came upon Saul" (v.6) — the same empowerment that came upon the judges. His anger is "kindled greatly" — righteous anger at injustice and insult to God's people. His action is dramatic and effective: he cuts a yoke of oxen in pieces and sends them throughout Israel with the message: "Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen" (v.7). This echoes Judges 19:29 (the Levite's dismembered concubine) but is less horrific — oxen, not a person. "The fear of the LORD fell on the people" (v.7) — God Himself motivates the response. They come "with one consent" — unified for the first time under their new king.
Victory Over the Ammonites (vv.8-11): The army musters at Bezek — 330,000 total (300,000 Israel, 30,000 Judah — the separate counting of Judah foreshadows the later division). They send word to Jabesh- gilead: "To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help" (v.9). Saul's strategy is sound: three companies, a dawn attack during the morning watch (2-6 AM), pressing the assault until midday. The Ammonites are completely routed — "two of them were not left together" (v.11). This is decisive, total victory — the kind of military success that validates a king in the ancient world.
Saul's Magnanimity and the Kingdom Renewed (vv.12-15): After victory, the people want to punish those who doubted Saul (10:27). Saul refuses: "There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel" (v.13). This is Saul at his best — generous in victory, giving God the glory, refusing vengeance. He recognizes that the victory belongs to God, not to him. Samuel then calls the nation to Gilgal to "renew the kingdom" — a public reaffirmation with sacrifices and celebration. The kingdom is now established by both divine appointment (chapter 10) and military validation (chapter 11). All Israel rejoices.

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

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.
  • Charles Spurgeon: "Saul at Jabesh-gilead is the Saul God intended — filled with the Spirit, moved by righteous anger, decisive in action, generous in victory, and humble before God. 'The LORD hath wrought salvation' — this is the confession of a man who knows his place. Had Saul remained in this spirit, his story would read very differently. But the man who today says 'the LORD hath wrought' will tomorrow say 'I have performed' (15:13). Pride creeps in where humility once stood."

Videos

The Bible Project — 1 Samuel Overview

Reflection

  • 1. The Spirit empowers for service, not self-glory (v.6). The Spirit came upon Saul to deliver Jabesh-gilead — not to exalt Saul. Divine empowerment is always for others' benefit, not personal aggrandizement. When God gives us gifts and abilities, they are for serving His people, not building our reputation.
  • 2. Righteous anger should lead to righteous action (vv.6-7). Saul's anger at injustice moved him to decisive action. Anger that merely fumes is useless; anger that acts for justice is godly. But note: Saul's anger was Spirit-driven, not self-driven. The difference between righteous and unrighteous anger is its source and its fruit.
  • 3. Give God the credit on the day of victory (v.13). Saul's best moment is his declaration: "the LORD hath wrought salvation." When we succeed, the temptation is to take credit. The godly response is to acknowledge God's hand. Victory belongs to the LORD — we are merely His instruments.
  • 4. Mercy in victory reveals character (v.13). Saul could have executed his critics — he had the power and the popular support. Instead, he showed mercy. How we treat those who doubted us when we succeed reveals our true character. Magnanimity in victory is the mark of genuine strength.
  • 5. Good beginnings do not guarantee good endings (v.15). This chapter is Saul's high point — Spirit-filled, victorious, humble, merciful. Everything after this will decline. A strong start is no guarantee of a faithful finish. We must persevere in humility and obedience throughout our entire lives, not merely at the beginning.