Revised Literal Translation
1 Samuel 13:2
2Saul 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.
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 reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 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. 3And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. 4And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to 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
- 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 8:11And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
- 1 Samuel 14:52And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.
- 1 Samuel 13:5And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth–aven.
- 1 Samuel 14:5The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
- Isaiah 10:28He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:
- 1 Samuel 10:26And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.
- 1 Samuel 15:34Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
- Joshua 18:28And Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.
- Judges 19:12And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.
- 2 Samuel 21:6Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto Yhwh in Gibeah of Saul, whom Yhwh did choose. And the king said, I will give them.
- Isaiah 10:29They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is 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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries