God’s Word Translation
1 Samuel 13:2
2Saul chose 3,000 men from Israel; 2,000 of them were stationed with Saul at Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and 1,000 were stationed with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. But the rest of the people he sent home.
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 was king of Israel ⌞forty-two⌟ years. Saul chose 3,000 men from Israel; 2,000 of them were stationed with Saul at Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and 1,000 were stationed with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. But the rest of the people he sent home. 3Jonathan defeated the Philistine troops at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. With the sounding of the ram’s horn throughout the land, Saul announced, “Listen, Hebrews!” 4(So all Israel listened.) “I, Saul, have defeated the Philistine troops, and now Israel has become offensive to the Philistines!” All the troops rallied behind 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 8:11Samuel said, “These are the rights of a king: He will draft your sons, make them serve on his chariots and horses, and make them run ahead of his chariots.
- 1 Samuel 14:52There was intense warfare with the Philistines as long as Saul lived. Whenever any warrior or any skilled fighting man came to Saul’s attention, Saul would enlist him in the army.
- 1 Samuel 13:5The Philistines assembled to fight against Israel. They had 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and as many soldiers as the sand on the seashore. They camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven.
- 1 Samuel 14:5One cliff stood like a pillar on the north facing Michmash, the other stood south facing Geba.
- Isaiah 10:28They come to Aiath. They pass through Migron. They store their equipment at Michmash.
- 1 Samuel 10:26Saul also went home to Gibeah. With him went some soldiers whose hearts God had touched.
- 1 Samuel 15:34Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went to his home at Gibeah.
- Joshua 18:28Zela, Eleph, Jebus (now called Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath. This is Benjamin’s inheritance for its families.
- Judges 19:12The Levite told him, “We’ll never go into a city of foreigners. They’re not Israelites. We’ll go on to Gibeah.”
- 2 Samuel 21:6We will execute them in the Lord’s presence at Saul’s town Gibeah.” (It was Saul whom the Lord had chosen.) “I will give them ⌞to you⌟,” the king said.
- Isaiah 10:29They go through the mountain pass and lodge at Geba for the night. The people in Ramah tremble; the people in Saul’s Gibeah flee.
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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