Christian Standard Bible
1 Samuel 13:2
2He chose three thousand men from Israel for himself: two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in Bethel’s hill country, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the troops away, each to his own tent.
1 Samuel 13:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Beth–el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
- New International Version (NIV)Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent.
Context of 1 Samuel 13:2
1Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty-two years over Israel. He chose three thousand men from Israel for himself: two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in Bethel’s hill country, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the troops away, each to his own tent. 3Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison in Gibeah, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4And all Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, and Israel is now repulsive to the Philistines.” Then the troops were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
Read all of 1 Samuel 131 Samuel 13:2 word by word
וַיִּבְחַר־ל֨וֹ שָׁא֜וּל שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת אֲלָפִים֮ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיִּהְי֨וּ עִם־שָׁא֜וּל אַלְפַּ֗יִם בְּמִכְמָשׂ֙ וּבְהַ֣ר בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל וְאֶ֗לֶף הָיוּ֙ עִם־י֣וֹנָתָ֔ן בְּגִבְעַ֖ת בִּנְיָמִ֑ין וְיֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם שִׁלַּ֖ח אִ֥ישׁ לְאֹהָלָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- choseבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
- him threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
- thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- in Michmashמִכְמָס, מִכְמָשׂmikmâs mikmâsh mikmash · MichmashH4363
- and in mountהַרhar · mountain: hill countryH2022
- Beth–elבֵּֽיתְ־אֵלbêyth-'êl · BethelH1008
- were with Jonathanיוֹנָתָןyônâthân · JonathanH3129
- in Gibeahגִּבְעָהgib‛âh · GibeahH1390
- of Benjaminבִּנְיָמִיןbinyâmîyn · BenjaminH1144
- and the restיֶ֫תֶרyether · remainderH3499
- of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- he sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- to his tentאֹ֫הֶל'ôhel · tentH168
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 13:2
- 1 Samuel 8:11He said, “These are the rights of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and put them to his use in his chariots, on his horses, or running in front of his chariots.
- 1 Samuel 14:52The conflict with the Philistines was fierce all of Saul’s days, so whenever Saul noticed any strong or valiant man, he enlisted him.
- 1 Samuel 13:5The Philistines also gathered to fight against Israel: three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.
- 1 Samuel 14:5one stood to the north in front of Michmash and the other to the south in front of Geba.
- Isaiah 10:28Assyria has come to Aiath and has gone through Migron, storing their equipment at Michmash.
- 1 Samuel 10:26Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and brave men whose hearts God had touched went with him.
- 1 Samuel 15:34Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.
- Joshua 18:28Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath — fourteen cities, with their settlements. This was the inheritance for Benjamin’s descendants by their clans.
- Judges 19:12But his master replied to him, “We will not stop at a foreign city where there are no Israelites. Let’s move on to Gibeah.”
- 2 Samuel 21:6let seven of his male descendants be handed over to us so we may hang them in the presence of the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the Lord’s chosen.” The king answered, “I will hand them over.”
- Isaiah 10:29They crossed over at the ford, saying, “We will spend the night at Geba.” The people of Ramah are trembling; those at Gibeah of Saul have fled.
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 13:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Two thousand were with Saul - Saul, no doubt, meditated the redemption of his country from the Philistines; and having chosen three thousand men, he thought best to divide them into companies, and send one against the Philistine garrison at Michmash, another against that at Beth-el, and the third against that at Gibeah: he perhaps hoped, by surprising these garrisons, to get swords and spears for his men, of which we find, ( 1 Samuel 13:22;), they were…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2The state of things which preceded the events described in this chapter seems to have been a comparative peace between Israel and the Philistines, since Saul had only 3,000 men under arms. At the same time Philistine garrisons continued to occupy the country of the Israelites in certain strong places, whereof one was at Geba (Jeba), in the immediate neighborhood of Gibeah 1 Samuel 10:5; 1 Samuel 13:3, and exactly opposite Michmash (Mukhmas), which was on…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Earlier, Saul had used 330,000 troops to fight a weaker enemy (1 Samuel 11:8). Choosing 3,000 special troops here likely does not show overconfidence (compare Joshua 7:3–4). Instead, Saul probably saw the need for a smaller, highly trained elite force to handle the troublesome Philistines (see 1 Samuel 14:52). Michmash was in Benjamin, about 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) northwest of Saul’s home in Gibeah.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel--This band of picked men was a bodyguard, who were kept constantly on duty, while the rest of the people were dismissed till their services might be needed. It seems to have been his tactics to attack the Philistine garrisons in the country by different detachments, rather than by risking a general engagement; and his first operations were directed to rid his native territory of Benjamin of these enemies. 1Sa…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 13:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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