Jonathan Attacks the Philistine Outpost
Study note
Saul had been king for about two years when he selected three thousand soldiers. Jonathan, Saul's brave son, attacked and defeated a Philistine garrison at Geba. This bold act provoked the Philistines to prepare for a major war. Saul sounded the trumpet throughout the land, calling all Israel to gather at Gilgal.
1 Saul had been king over Israel for one year. During the second year of his reign, Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
2 Saul handpicked three thousand soldiers from Israel. He kept two thousand with himself at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel. The other thousand he placed under his son Jonathan's command at Gibeah in Benjamin. He sent the remaining troops home. 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.
3 Jonathan attacked and destroyed the Philistine army post at Geba. The Philistines heard about it right away. Saul then blew a trumpet across the whole land, saying, "Every Hebrew needs to hear this!" And 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.
4 News spread across Israel that Saul had attacked a Philistine outpost and that the Philistines were now furious with Israel. The people were called to rally with Saul at Gilgal. And 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.
The Philistines Gather a Massive Army
Study note
The Philistines assembled an enormous army with thousands of chariots, horsemen, and soldiers as numerous as sand on the seashore. They camped at Michmash. When the Israelites saw the size of the enemy force, they panicked. Many hid in caves, bushes, rocks, pits, and cisterns. Some even fled across the Jordan River. The soldiers who stayed with Saul were shaking with fear.
5 The Philistines gathered a mighty army to fight Israel. They had thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and foot soldiers too many to count. They marched up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven. And 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.
6 When the Israelite soldiers saw the size of the enemy force and realized how badly they were outnumbered, they panicked. Men hid wherever they could: in caves, in thick bushes, among rocks, in underground tunnels, and in deep pits. When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.
7 Some Israelites fled across the Jordan River into the territories of Gad and Gilead. Saul stayed behind at Gilgal, but the soldiers who remained with him were trembling with fear. And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
Saul Offers the Sacrifice Without Samuel
Study note
Samuel had told Saul to wait seven days at Gilgal. Saul waited, but as the days passed, his army kept shrinking as soldiers deserted. On the seventh day, with Samuel still not there, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered the burnt offering himself, something only a priest or prophet should do. Just as he finished, Samuel arrived. When Samuel asked what Saul had done, Saul made excuses. Samuel declared that because Saul had disobeyed, his kingdom would not continue. God had already chosen someone else, 'a man after his own heart,' to be the next king.
8 Saul waited seven days, the time frame Samuel had set for his arrival. But Samuel still had not come, and Saul's army was slipping away, deserting him in larger and larger numbers. And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
9 Finally Saul said, "Bring the burnt offering and the peace offerings to me." And he went ahead and offered the burnt offering himself. And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.
10 The very moment Saul finished making the offering, Samuel walked up. Saul went out to welcome him. And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
11 Samuel asked, "What have you done?" Saul tried to explain: "My soldiers were deserting me, and you had not come when you said you would. The Philistines were massing at Michmash, ready to attack." And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
12 "I kept thinking, 'The Philistines are about to come down on me here at Gilgal, and I have not even asked for the Lord's help yet.' So I felt like I had no choice but to offer the sacrifice myself." Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
13 Samuel said to Saul, "You have acted foolishly. You disobeyed the command the Lord your God gave you. If you had followed his instructions, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel permanently." And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14 "But now, your kingdom is not going to last. The Lord has already found someone who is after his own heart, and he has appointed that man to be the ruler of his people, because you did not follow the Lord's command." But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
Israel Without Weapons
Study note
The situation was dire. Saul had only about six hundred men left. The Philistines controlled the land so completely that they had banned metalworking in Israel, preventing the Israelites from making swords or spears. The Israelites had to go to the Philistines even to sharpen their farming tools. On the day of battle, only Saul and Jonathan had proper weapons. Philistine raiding parties went out in three directions to terrorize the countryside.
15 Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul took a count of the soldiers still with him. He had only about six hundred men left. And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.
16 Saul, Jonathan, and the remaining soldiers camped at Gibeah in Benjamin. The Philistines were set up at Michmash. And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
17 Three raiding parties headed out from the Philistine camp. One group took the road toward Ophrah in the land of Shual. And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:
18 The second group went toward Beth-horon. The third headed for the border. It was near the Valley of Zeboim by the wild lands. And another company turned the way to Beth-horon: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19 There was not a single blacksmith anywhere in Israel. The Philistines had seen to that, saying, "If we let the Hebrews have blacksmiths, they will make swords and spears for themselves." Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
20 An Israelite who needed a tool made sharp had to go to a Philistine. This was true for plows, hoes, axes, and sickles. But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.
21 And the Philistines charged outrageous prices to sharpen plows, hoes, forks, axes, and cattle prods. Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
22 So when the day of battle arrived, not a single Israelite soldier besides Saul and Jonathan had a sword or a spear. They were the only two in the entire army who were properly armed. So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.
23 In the meantime, a squad of Philistine soldiers moved out to guard the pass at Michmash. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.