1 Samuel 13:2

Contextual Overview

¹ Saul was ... years old when he began to reign; And he reigned two years over Israel. ¹ Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years. ¹ Saul was [thirty] years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years over Israel. ¹ Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he was king over Israel forty-two years. ¹ Saul was [thirty] years old when he began to reign; he ruled over Israel for [forty] years. ¹ Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, ¹ Saul was [forty] years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, ¹Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty-two years over Israel. ¹ Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel, ¹ Saul was a child of o yeer whanne he bigan to regne; forsothe he regnede on Israel twei yeer.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

chose: 1 Samuel 8:11, 1 Samuel 14:52

Michmash: Michmash was situated east of Bethaven, or Bethel; and Eusebius says it was in his time a considerable place, about nine miles from Jerusalem, towards Rama. 1 Samuel 13:5, 1 Samuel 13:23, 1 Samuel 14:5, 1 Samuel 14:31, Isaiah 10:28

in Gibeah: 1 Samuel 10:26, 1 Samuel 15:34, Joshua 18:28, Judges 19:12, 2 Samuel 21:6, Isaiah 10:29

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 13:11 - Michmash 1 Samuel 13:15 - about six 1 Samuel 14:1 - Jonathan 1 Samuel 18:5 - the men of war 1 Samuel 24:2 - Saul took 1 Samuel 31:2 - Jonathan

Cross-References

Genesis 13:1
So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

Genesis 13:1
And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South.

Genesis 13:1
So Abram, his wife, and Lot left Egypt, taking everything they owned, and traveled to southern Canaan.

Genesis 13:1
So Abram went up from Egypt into the Negev. He took his wife and all his possessions with him, as well as Lot.

Genesis 13:1
And Abram returned from Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.

Genesis 13:1
Abram went up out of Egypt: he, his wife, all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South.

Genesis 13:1
So Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot [his nephew] with him, into the Negev (the South country of Judah).

Genesis 13:1
Therfore Abram stiede fro Egipt, he, and his wijf, and alle thingis that he hadde; and Loth stiede with hym, to the south coost.

Genesis 13:1
And Abram goeth up from Egypt (he and his wife, and all that he hath, and Lot with him) towards the south;

Genesis 13:1
So Abram went up out of Egypt into the Negev-he and his wife and all his possessions-and Lot was with him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel,.... Out of the 300,000 that went with him to fight the Ammonites, and returned with him to Gilgal, where he now was, and had stayed as may be supposed about a year, since now he had reigned two years. These 3000 men some of them doubtless were appointed as a guard about his person, and the rest were a standing army to preserve the peace of the nation, to protect them from their enemies, to watch the motions of the Philistines, and to be ready on any sudden invasion:

whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash, and in Mount Bethel; "Michmash", according to Bunting, s was four miles from Gilgal. Jerom t says, in his time it was shown a large village on the borders of Aella, or Jerusalem, retaining its ancient name, nine miles distant from it, near the village Rama. Adrichomius u says it is now called Byra, and Mr. Maundrell w observes that it is supposed by some to be the same with Beer, whither Jotham fled after he had delivered his parable, Judges 9:21. Michmash is in the Misnah x celebrated for the best wheat being brought from it; and near to it, as appears from hence, was Bethel, and the mount of that name; and so Jerom y speaks of Bethel as over against Michmash; and this mount very probably is the same said to be on the east of Bethel, where Abraham built an altar, Genesis 12:8 for Michmash lay to the east of Bethel:

and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; the native place of Saul, and this Jonathan was the son of Saul, 1 Samuel 13:16. According to Bunting z, Gibeah, where Jonathan was stationed, was eight miles from Michmash:

and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent; to their own houses; or, as the Targum, to their cities; these were they that came at his summons, and were numbered at Bezek, and went with him to the relief of Jabeshgilead, and had been with him ever since, and now dismissed.

s Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 126. t De loc Heb. fol. 93. F. u Thestrum Terrae S. p. 28. w Journey from Aleppo, p. 64. x Menachot, c. 8. sect. 1. y Ut supra, (De loc Heb.) fol. 89. G. z Ut supra, (Travels of the Patriarchs, &c.) p. 127.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The 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 1Sa 10:5; 1 Samuel 13:3, and exactly opposite Michmash (Mukhmas), which was on the northern edge of the great Wady Suweinit.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 13:2. Two 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 entirely destitute.