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| 1 Saul was [thirty] years old when he began to reign; and, when he had reigned two years over Israel, |
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| 2 Saul chose him three thousand men out of Israel, of whom there were with Saul, two thousand in Michmash and in the hill-country of Bethel, and, a thousand, were with Jonathan, in Gibeah of Benjamin,–but, the rest of the people, he let go, every man to his own home. |
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| 3 Then did Jonathan smite the garrison of Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it,–and, Saul, blew with a horn throughout all the land saying, Let the Hebrews hear! |
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| 4 And, all Israel, heard say–Saul hath smitten the garrison of the Philistines, Moreover, also, Israel have made themselves odious among the Philistines,–so the people were called together to follow Saul, to Gilgal. |
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| 5 And, the Philistines, gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, a people also like the sand that is on the sea-shore for multitude,–and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven. |
Thirty thousand – A copyist's error, should be three thousand. R4206:2
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| 6 So, the men of Israel, saw they were in a strait, for the people had been harassed,–and the people had hidden themselves in caves, and in thickets, and among cliffs, and in holes, and in pits. |
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| 7 And, Hebrews, had passed over the Jordan, to the land of Gad, and Gilead,–but, Saul, was yet in Gilgal, and all the people, trembled after him. |
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| 8 And he waited seven days, by the set time that Samuel had named, but Samuel came not to Gilgal,–and the people were scattered from him. |
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| 9 Then said Saul, Bring near unto me, the ascending-sacrifice and the peace-offerings. And he offered up the ascending-sacrifice. |
He offered – Without authority to do so. R5638:2, R3240:2
Zeal, disregarding divine instruction, is not approved. R4207:1
Similarly, Christians sometimes undertake to do the work of others, "busy-bodies." (1 Peter 4:15) R4206:5
The burnt offering – Perhaps this failure of Saul to recognize his typical mediator typifies fleshly Israel's rejection of Christ's mediatorial work 3 ½ years after the kingdom in embryo was set up at the first advent. R4018:2*
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| 10 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of offering up the ascending-sacrifice, lo! Samuel, had come,–and Saul went out to meet him, that he might bless him. |
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| 11 Then said Samuel–What hast thou done? And Saul said–Because I saw that the people had been scattered from me, and, thou, hadst not come within the appointed days, and, the Philistines, had gathered themselves together to Michmash, |
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| 12 therefore I said–Now, will the Philistines come down against me, at Gilgal, but, the face of Yahweh, have I not appeased: So I forced myself, and offered up the ascending-sacrifice. |
I forced myself – He sinned presumptuously when he should have waited for the deliverance which God alone could give. R1887:3
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| 13 And Samuel said unto Saul–Thou hast shewn thyself foolish,–thou hast not kept the commandment of Yahweh thy God, which he commanded thee, for, now, would Yahweh have established thy kingdom unto Israel until times age-abiding; |
Hast done foolishly – Apparently King Saul was not evilly intentioned, but lacked proper respect and reverence for the Lord, as with some in spiritual Israel today. R5647:1
Hast not kept – This may be said to be the beginning of Saul's rejection by the Lord. R3224:2
See comments on verse 9 from R4018:2*.
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| 14 Whereas, now, shall thy kingdom not be established,–Yahweh hath sought out for him a man after his own heart, and Yahweh hath commanded him to be leader over his people, because thou hast not kept that which Yahweh commanded thee. |
Shall not continue – Yet God did not take the kingdom from Saul at once. There was time for repentance and reformation. R1887:6
Jonathan would otherwise have been the next king. R1907:3
Sought him a man – David. This was said about the time of David's birth. Similarly, God chose Jacob and Paul before they were born, and has doubtless so chosen others. R3225:3
His own heart – In the sense of being full of faith in God and aiming aright. R3238:3; Q200:T
Not a testimony to the perfection of either the youth or the man, but rather to his fitness for the office. R1996:2
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| 15 And Samuel arose, and ascended from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were found with him, about six hundred men. |
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| 16 Now, Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were found with him, were abiding in Geba of Benjamin,–but, the Philistines, had encamped in Michmash. |
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| 17 And the spoilers came forth out of the camp of the Philistines, in three companies, the first company, turned unto the way of Ophrah, unto the land of Shual; |
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| 18 and, the second company, turned unto the way of Beth-horon,–and, the third company, turned unto the way of the boundary that overlooketh the valley of Zeboim, towards the wilderness. |
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| 19 Now, a smith, could not be found, throughout all the land of Israel–for the Philistines had said, Lest the Hebrews make sword or spear. |
No smith – The Israelites were poorly armed for this reason. R5638:1
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| 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines,–to sharpen every man his share, and his mattock, and his axe, and his sickle. |
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| 21 Howbeit they had a file for the sickles, and the mattocks, and the three-pronged forks, and the axes,–and for setting the goads. |
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| 22 Thus would it come to pass, in the day of battle, that there was found–neither sword nor spear, in the hand of any of the people, that were with Saul and Jonathan, but such were found belonging to Saul and to Jonathan his son.
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| 23 Now the garrison of the Philistines had come out to the pass of Michmash. |
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