1 Samuel 11:1

Contextual Overview

¹Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”¹ Then Nachash the `Ammonite came up, and encamped against Yavesh-Gil`ad: and all the men of Yavesh said to Nachash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you. ¹ Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. ¹ Now Nahash the Ammonite went up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us and we will serve you." ¹ Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you." ¹ About a month later Nahash the Ammonite and his army surrounded the city of Jabesh in Gilead. All the people of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you." ¹ Nahash the Ammonite marched against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh Gilead said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us and we will serve you." ¹Now Nahash the Ammonite [king] went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty [of peace] with us and we will serve you."¹ Now Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a covenant with us and we will serve you."¹ Then Nahash the Ammonite came vp, and besieged Iabesh Gilead: and all the men of Iabesh saide vnto Nahash, Make a couenant with vs, and we will be thy seruants.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Nahash: In the Vulgate this chapter begins thus: Et factum est quasi post mensem, "And it came to pass about a month after;" which is also the reading of the principal copies of the Septuagint; and is also found in Josephus, though it appears to be of little authority. 1 Samuel 12:12, Judges 10:7, Judges 11:8-33

Jabeshgilead: 1 Samuel 31:11-13, Judges 21:8, 10-25

Make: Genesis 26:28, Exodus 23:32, Deuteronomy 23:3, 1 Kings 20:34, Job 41:4, Isaiah 36:16, Ezekiel 17:13

Reciprocal: Genesis 19:38 - children 1 Samuel 17:9 - and serve us 2 Samuel 10:1 - king 2 Samuel 10:2 - Nahash 2 Samuel 17:27 - the son of Nahash 1 Chronicles 10:11 - when 1 Chronicles 19:1 - Nahash 2 Chronicles 26:8 - the Ammonites Jeremiah 40:14 - Ammonites Jeremiah 49:1 - their king Amos 1:13 - and for

Cross-References

Isaiah 19:18
On that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear loyalty to the Lord of Armies. One of the cities will be called the City of the Sun.

Isaiah 19:18
In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Mitzrayim that speak the language of Kana`an, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called The city of destruction.

Isaiah 19:18
In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction.

Isaiah 19:18
In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction.

Isaiah 19:18
On that day five cities in the land of Egypt will be speaking the language of Canaan and swearing allegiance to the LORD of armies; one will be called the City of Destruction.

Isaiah 19:18
At that time five cities in Egypt will speak Hebrew, the language of Canaan, and they will promise to be loyal to the Lord All-Powerful. One of these cities will be named the City of Destruction.

Isaiah 19:18
In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of [the Hebrews of] Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of hosts. One [of them] will be called the City of Destruction.

Isaiah 19:18
In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan, and swear to Yahweh of hosts; one shall be called The city of destruction.

Isaiah 19:18
In that day shall fiue cities in the lande of Egypt speake the language of Canaan, and shall sweare by the Lord of hostes. one shall be called the citie of destruction.

Isaiah 19:18
In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will be speaking the language of Canaan and swearing allegiance to Yahweh of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead,.... A month after, as in the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, that is, a month after Saul was chosen king; so Josephus p: this prince was preparing for war against Israel before, which they hearing of, requested they might have a king to go before them in battle, 1 Samuel 12:12 but now he actually marched from his own country, and besieged Jabeshgilead, a city in the land of Gilead, from whence it had its name, and lay in the half tribe of Manasseh, on the other side Jordan, see Judges 21:8. It lay near to the Ammonites, and was part of the country they laid claim to in the times of Jephthah, which they now renewed, and attempted to gain it by force. This Nahash was king of the Ammonites, as he is called in the Targum, and by Josephus q, and so in the Arabic version, see

1 Samuel 12:12

and all the men of Jabeshgilead said unto Nahash, make a covenant with us; they desired to be his allies and confederates, live in peace and friendship with him, and enjoy their religion and liberties on certain conditions they were willing to come into; and this was the sense of them all, or at least the greatest part, which showed a mean and abject spirit in them, to make no defence of themselves, but as soon as besieged to move for a capitulation. This doubtless arose from a sense of their weakness, not being able to hold it out long, and from an apprehension that their brethren the Israelites, on the other side Jordan, could give them no assistance, being in an unsettled condition, having chosen a king, and he scarcely on the throne, and the Philistines having great power over them:

and we will serve thee; not as slaves, but as tributaries; they were willing to pay a yearly tax to him.

p Antiqu. l. 6. c. 5. sect. 1. q Ibid.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Nahash was king of the children of Ammon, as appears from 1 Samuel 12:12. He seems to have been connected with the family of David, since Abigail, David’s sister, was “the daughter (perhaps granddaughter) of Nahash” 2 Samuel 17:25; 1 Chronicles 2:16-17; and, perhaps, in consequence of this connection, he and his family were very friendly to David 2 Samuel 17:27.

Jabesh-Gilead must have been re-populated after its destruction (see marginal reference). The Ammonites and Moabites resented the possession of Gilead by the Israelites Judges 10:6-18; Judges 11:0.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XI

Nahash, king of the Ammonites, besieges Jabesh-gilead; and

proposes to its inhabitants the most degrading conditions of

peace, 1, 2.

They apply to their brethren for help, 3, 4.

Saul hears of their distress; takes a yoke of oxen, hews them

in pieces, and sends them throughout the coasts of Israel, with

the threat that all who did not come to his standard should

have his cattle served in like manner; in consequence of which

he is soon at the head of an army of three hundred and thirty

thousand men, 5-8.

He sends to Jabesh-gilead, and promises help, 9, 10.

Saul attacks the Ammonites next morning, and gives them a total

overthrow, 11.

The people are greatly encouraged, and propose to put to death

those who are opposed to Saul's government: but this he

prevents, 12, 13.

Samuel leads the people to Gilgal: they offer sacrifices, and

renew the kingdom to Saul, 14, 15.

NOTES ON CHAP. XI

Verse 1 Samuel 11:1. Nahash the Ammonite — In the Vulgate this chapter begins thus: Et factum est quasi post mensem, "And it came to pass about a month after." This addition appears also in the principal copies of the Septuagint; though it is wanting in the Complutensian edition, both in the Greek and Latin, and is not acknowledged by any of the Oriental versions. But it is in Josephus, and probably was inserted from him into some copies of the Septuagint, and thence into the Vulgate. It appears to be of very little authority.

We know little about Nahash; there was a king of this name among the Ammonites in the time of David, 2 Samuel 10:2, but probably not the same person. Nahash might have been a common name of the Ammonitish kings.

Make a covenant with us — They found they were in no condition to risk a war; and they wish to have peace, and desire to know his conditions.