Bible Commentaries
1 Samuel 13

Verse 2

men . Septuagint reads this word in text.

mount = hill country.

every man. Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 .

Verse 3

Jonathan. See note on 1 Samuel 18:1 .

Verse 4

Gilgal. In the plain of Jordan, east of Jericho, good for water, remote from Philistines, and connected with sacred memories.

Verse 5

thirty thousand . . . six , &c. Multiples of six. See App-10 .

as the sand , &c. Figure of speech Parcemia. App-6 .

Verse 6

men. Hebrew. 'ish. . App-14 .

distressed = pressed: i.e. into Saul's service. and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton. App-6 .

Verse 7

the Hebrews went over . Figure of speech Paronomasia (Revelation 6:0; Revelation 6:0 ), `ibrim `abru.

Verse 8

had appointed. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Aramaean, and Septuagint, read "said". Some codices read "appointed".

Verse 9

offered = offered up. See App-43 .

Verse 10

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .

salute = bless.

Verse 12

the LORD . Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

a = the.

Verse 13

thou hast not . Some codices, with three early printed editions, and Vulgate, read "and hast". Some codices, with Septuagint and Syriac, read "because thou

hast". God . Hebrew. Elohim . App-4 .

thy kingdom . This possible only with God a sovereign.

Verse 14

man , &c. Hebrew. 'ish . App-14 . Quoted in Acts 13:22 .

own heart = his own pleasure. Compare Psalms 89:20 , Psalms 89:21 .

captain = leader, or representative.

Verse 15

Gilgal. The Septuagint preserves a Homceoteleuton here, adding after "Gilgal [and the rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army when they arrived from] Gilgal "; the eye of the scribe going back to this last "Gilgal" instead of to the one in 1 Samuel 13:15 .

present = found.

men . Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 .

Verse 16

Gibeah . Probably the Geba of 1 Samuel 13:3 .

Verse 19

no smith . This explains why Ehud had to make his own dagger (Judges 3:16 ); why Shamgar had only an ox-goad (Judges 3:31 ); why Samson "had nothingin his hand" (Judges 14:5-6 ); and why "not a shield or spear among 40,000 in Israel" (Judges 5:9 ). In other days we read of how many "drew sword".

land. Some codices read "bounds".

Verse 20

coulter . Anglo-Saxon = a cutter; hence, a plough-share.

mattock = a kind of pickaxe, with broad instead of pointed ends.

Verse 22

with Saul = with those who were with Saul and Jonathan: a picked force.

Verse 23

garrison = post, or permanent camp.

passage = pass.