Study Desk

Saul was ^(F1)thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for ^(F2)forty-two years over Israel.

Now Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of whom two thousand were with Saul in ^(C1)Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while a thousand were with Jonathan at ^(C2)Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent the rest of the people away, each to his tent.

And Jonathan attacked ^(C1)the garrison of the Philistines that was in ^(C2)Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul ^(C3)blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!"

And all Israel heard ^(F1)the news that Saul had attacked the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel ^(C1)had become repulsive to the Philistines. Then the people were summoned ^(F2)to Saul at Gilgal.

Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and ^(C1)people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of ^(C2)Beth-aven.

When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard-pressed), then ^(C1)the people kept themselves hidden in caves, in crevices, in cliffs, in crypts, and in pits.

And some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of ^(C1)Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling.