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Sunday, July 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

1 Samuel 11:8

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Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Bezek;   Jabesh-Gilead;   Judah;   Nahash;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Jews, the;   Judah, the Tribe of;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Bezek;   Jabesh;   Nahash;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ammon;   Judah, tribe and kingdom;   Samuel, books of;   War;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Samuel, First and Second, Theology of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Prophet;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Bezek;   Nahash;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Bezek;   Israel;   Saul;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Archaeology and Biblical Study;   Bezek;   Jabesh-Gilead;   Nahash;   Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Adoni-Bezek;   Ammon, Ammonites;   Bezek;   Israel;   Jabesh, Jabesh-Gilead;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ammon, Ammonites, Children of Ammon;   Bezek ;   Jabesh, Jabeshgilead ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Bezek;   Israel;   Jabesh;   Saul;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Be'zek;   Is'rael;   Ja'besh;   Na'hash;   Saul;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - War;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ammon;   Arimathaea;   Bezek;   Jonathan (2);   Judah, Kingdom of;   Nahash;   Nahath;   Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   Siege;   Zebah and Zalmunna;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Bezek;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Army;   Bezek;   Jabesh;   Judah, Tribe of;   War;  

Contextual Overview

5Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind his oxen. “What’s the matter with the people? Why are they weeping?” Saul inquired, and they repeated to him the words of the men from Jabesh. 5 Behold, Sha'ul came following the oxen out of the field; and Sha'ul said, What ails the people that they weep? They told him the words of the men of Yavesh. 5 And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh. 5 Just then, Saul was coming from the field behind the cattle. Saul said, "What is the matter with the people, that they are weeping?" So they recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh. 5 Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, "What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?" So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. 5 Saul was coming home from plowing the fields with his oxen when he heard the people crying. He asked, "What's wrong with the people that they are crying?" Then they told Saul what the messengers from Jabesh had said. 5 Now Saul was walking behind the oxen as he came from the field. Saul asked, "What has happened to the people? Why are they weeping?" So they told him about the men of Jabesh. 5Now Saul was coming out of the field behind the oxen, and he said, "What is the matter with the people that they are weeping?" So they told him about the report of the men of Jabesh. 5 Now behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen, and Saul said, "What is the matter with the people that they weep?" So they reported to him the words of the men of Jabesh. 5 And behold, Saul came following the cattell out of the fielde, and Saul saide, What aileth this people, that they weepe? And they tolde him the tidings of the men of Iabesh.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Bezek: Judges 1:4, Judges 1:5

the children: 1 Samuel 13:15, 1 Samuel 15:4, 2 Samuel 24:9, 2 Chronicles 17:12-19

Reciprocal: Judges 20:1 - as one man Judges 20:17 - four hundred 2 Kings 3:6 - numbered

Cross-References

Genesis 10:25
To `Ever were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days was the eretz divided. His brother's name was Yoktan.
Genesis 10:25
And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.
Genesis 10:25
And to Eber two sons were born. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and the name of his brother was Joktan.
Genesis 10:25
Eber was the father of two sons—one named Peleg, because the earth was divided during his life, and the other was named Joktan.
Genesis 10:25
Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother's name was Joktan.
Genesis 10:25
Two sons were born to Eber; the name of one was Peleg (division), for [the inhabitants of] the earth were divided in his days; and his brother's name was Joktan.
Genesis 10:25
Two sons were born to Eber; the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.
Genesis 10:25
Vnto Eber also were borne two sonnes: the name of the one was Peleg: for in his dayes was the earth diuided: and his brothers name was Ioktan.
Genesis 10:25
Now two sons were born to Eber; the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.
Genesis 10:25
To ‘Ever were born two sons. One was given the name Peleg [division], because during his lifetime the earth was divided. His brother's name was Yoktan.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when he numbered them at Bezek,.... Which was the place appointed to meet at, the same with that in Judges 1:4,

Judges 1:4- : though some take the word to be an appellative, and not, the proper name of a place, and render it, "with a stone"; with which he numbered, taking a stone from each, and laying them on a heap, and then telling them u; so Bizakion signifies little stones w with the Greeks: or "with a fragment"; either of an earthen vessel, or of a stone, or of the branch of a tree they carried in their hands, and so the king's servants numbered not the men, but the branches x:

and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand men; who came together on this occasion; these were of the eight tribes and a half on this side Jordan:

and the men of Judah thirty thousand; which tribe is mentioned distinctly, because a noble and warlike tribe, which usually first went up to battle; and though the number of them at this time assembled may seem comparatively small, yet this may easily be accounted for; because they bordered upon the Philistines, who watched every opportunity to take an advantage of them, and therefore could not leave their tribe destitute, but reserved a sufficient number to guard their coasts, and yet were desirous to testify their obedience to Saul, though chosen king out of another tribe, when they might have expected from prophecy that the dominion belonged to them. Josephus y has made a gross mistake in the numbers here, he makes the men of Israel to be 700,000, and the men of Judah 70,000, contrary to the text, the Targum, Syriac and Arabic versions; but the Septuagint comes pretty near him, which has 600,000 of the men of Israel, 70,000 of the men of Judah.

u Vid. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 22. 2. & Gloss. in ib. w Suidas in voce βιζακιων x Vid. Sheringham. in Misn. Yoma, c. 2. sect. 1. p. 14. y Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 5.) sect. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He numbered them - This was done to see who was absent (compare Judges 21:9).

Bezek has been conjectured to be the name of a district rather than of a town. Two villages retained the name in the time of Eusebius 17 miles from Nablous, on the way to Beth-shean.

The children of Israel and the men of Judah - This looks like the language of later times, times perhaps subsequent to the establishment of the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Israel here (including Benjamin) is as ten to one compared with Judah. This is about the true proportion.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 11:8. The children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. — This was a vast army, but the Septuagint make it even more: "All the men of Israel were ἑξακοσιας χιλιαδας, SIX HUNDRED thousand; and the men of Judah ̔βδομηκοντα χιλιαδας, SEVENTY thousand." Josephus goes yet higher with the number of the Israelites: "He found the number of those whom he had gathered together to be ̔βδομηκοντα μυριαδας SEVEN HUNDRED thousand." Those of the tribe of Judah he makes seventy thousand, with the Septuagint. These numbers are not all right; and I suspect even the Hebrew text to be exaggerated, by the mistake or design of some ancient scribe.


 
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