God’s Word Translation
1 Samuel 15:12
12Early in the morning he got up to meet Saul. Samuel was told, “Saul went to Carmel to set up a monument in his honor. Then he left there and went to Gilgal.”
1 Samuel 15:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
- New International Version (NIV)Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, "Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.”
Context of 1 Samuel 15:12
10Then the Lord spoke to Samuel: 11“I regret that I made Saul king. He turned away from me and did not carry out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he prayed to the Lord all night. Early in the morning he got up to meet Saul. Samuel was told, “Saul went to Carmel to set up a monument in his honor. Then he left there and went to Gilgal.” 13Samuel came to Saul, who said, “The Lord bless you. I carried out the Lord’s instructions.” 14However, Samuel asked, “But what is this sound of sheep in my ears and this sound of cows that I hear?”
Read all of 1 Samuel 151 Samuel 15:12 word by word
וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֧ם שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל לִקְרַ֥את שָׁא֖וּל בַּבֹּ֑קֶר וַיֻּגַּ֨ד לִשְׁמוּאֵ֜ל לֵאמֹ֗ר בָּֽא־שָׁא֤וּל הַכַּרְמֶ֙לָה֙ וְהִנֵּ֨ה מַצִּ֥יב לוֹ֙ יָ֔ד וַיִּסֹּב֙ וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֔ר וַיֵּ֖רֶד הַגִּלְגָּֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And when Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
- rose earlyשָׁכַםshâkam · to riseH7925
- to meetקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
- Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- in the morningבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
- it was toldנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to Carmelכַּרְמֶלkarmel · CarmelH3760
- and, behold, he set him upנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
- a placeיָדyâd · hand: themselvesH3027
- and is gone aboutסָבַבsâbab · to turn: turnH5437
- and passed onעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- and gone downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- to Gilgalגִּלְגָּלgilgâl · GilgalH1537
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 15:12
- 1 Samuel 25:2Now, there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very rich man. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
- Joshua 15:55They also received another ten cities with their villages: Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
- 1 Kings 18:42Ahab got up to eat and drink. Elijah went to the top of Carmel and bowed down on the ground to pray.
- 1 Samuel 7:12Then Samuel took a rock and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer [Rock of Help] and said, “Until now the Lord has helped us.”
- Joshua 4:8The people of Israel did as Joshua had ordered. They took 12 stones, one for each of the tribes of Israel. They took them from the middle of the Jordan as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there.
- 2 Samuel 18:18(⌞While he was still living,⌟ Absalom had taken a rock and set it up for himself in the king’s valley. He said, “I have no son to keep the memory of my name alive.” He called the rock by his name, and it is still called Absalom’s Monument today.)
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 15:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12He set him up a place - Literally, a hand, יד yad . Some say it was a monument; others, a triumphal arch: probably it was no more than a hand, pointing out the place where Saul had gained the victory. Absalom's pillar is called the hand of Absalom, 2 Samuel 18:18.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12A place - Rather, “a monument.” The Hebrew word יד yâd means a “hand,” but is used in the sense of “monument,” or “trophy,” in 2 Samuel 18:18, where we are told that the marble pillar which Absalom set up in his lifetime, was called “Yad Absalom.” Carmel - (see the marginal reference) would be on Saul‘s line of march on his return from the country of the Amalekites, more especially if he came from the neighborhood of Akaba.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-23Verses 10-23 Repentance in God is not a change of mind, as it is in us, but a change of method. The change was in Saul; "He is turned back from following me." Hereby he made God his enemy. Samuel spent a whole night in pleading for Saul. The rejection of sinners is the grief of believers: God delights not in their death, nor should we. Saul boasts to Samuel of his obedience. Thus sinners think, by justifying themselves, to escape being judged of the Lord…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Carmel was a town near Hebron in southern Judah. Saul celebrated his achievements by building a monument to himself, but he actually deserved shame (1 Samuel 15:16–19). Gilgal: See 1 Samuel 13:4.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Saul came to Carmel--in the south of Judah (Jos 15:55; 1Sa 25:2). he set him up a place--that is, a pillar (2Sa 18:18); literally, a hand, indicating that whatever was the form of the monument, it was surmounted, according to the ancient fashion, by the figure of a hand, the symbol of power and energy. The erection of this vainglorious trophy was an additional act of disobedience. His pride had overborne his sense of duty in first raising this…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 15:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 15
- 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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