1 Samuel 13:15-16 · BSB · Tamil Scripture

War with the Philistines

Saul was thirty years old ¹ when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years. ² Exo 12:5 Mic 6:6 He chose for himself three thousand men of Israel: Two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the troops he sent away, each to his own home. 1Sa 10:26 1Sa 13:5 1Sa 14:31 1Sa 13:23 1Sa 14:5 1Sa 14:52 1Sa 15:34 1Sa 8:11

Then Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 1Sa 10:5 Jdg 3:27 Jdg 6:34 1Sa 13:16 1Sa 14:1-6 2Sa 2:28 2Sa 20:1 2Sa 23:14

And all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked an outpost of the Philistines, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines!” Then the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal. Gen 34:30 Exo 5:21 1Sa 10:8 1Sa 11:14-15 Gen 46:34 Jos 5:9 Zec 11:8

Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand ³chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven. 1Sa 14:23 Jos 11:4 Jos 18:12 2Ch 1:9 Gen 22:17 Hos 10:5 Hos 4:15 Hos 5:8

Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns. Jdg 6:2 Heb 11:38 1Sa 14:11 1Sa 23:19 1Sa 24:3 2Sa 24:14 Exo 14:10-12 Isa 42:22 Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, remained at Gilgal, and all his troops were quaking in fear. Deu 20:8 Deu 28:25 Deu 3:12 Hos 11:10-11 Jdg 7:3 Jos 13:24-31 Lev 26:17 Lev 26:36-37

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice

And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul. 1Sa 10:8 So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered up the burnt offering. 1Ki 3:4 Pro 21:27 Pro 15:8 Pro 21:3 1Sa 13:12-13 1Sa 14:18 1Sa 15:21-22 2Sa 24:25

Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. 1Sa 15:13 Psa 129:8 Rut 2:4

“What have you done?” Samuel asked. 1Sa 13:16 1Sa 13:2 1Sa 13:23 1Sa 13:5 2Ki 5:25 Gen 3:13 Gen 4:10 1Sa 14:5

And Saul replied, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me, and that you did not come at the appointed time and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will descend upon me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” 1Ki 12:26-27 2Co 9:7 Amo 8:5 Psa 66:3 1Sa 21:7

“You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 1Sa 15:22 2Ch 16:9 1Sa 15:28 1Sa 15:11 1Ki 18:18 1Ki 21:20 2Ch 25:15-16 Psa 50:8-15 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.” Act 13:22 1Sa 15:28 Psa 89:19-37 Psa 78:70 1Sa 16:1 Act 7:46 1Sa 16:12 1Sa 2:30

Then Samuel set out from Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin. ⁴ And Saul numbered the troops who were with him, about six hundred men. 1Sa 13:2 1Sa 14:2 1Sa 13:6-7

Israel without Weapons

Now Saul and Jonathan his son and the troops with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash. 1Sa 13:3 And raiders went out of the Philistine camp in three divisions. One headed toward Ophrah in the land of Shual, Jos 18:23 1Sa 14:15 1Sa 11:11 Jos 19:3 another toward Beth-horon, and the third down the border road overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the wilderness. Neh 11:34 Jos 18:13-14 Jos 16:3 1Ch 6:68 2Ch 8:5 Gen 14:2 Hos 11:8 Jos 10:11

And no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews must not be allowed to make swords or spears.” 2Ki 24:14 Jdg 5:8 Jer 24:1 Isa 54:16 Instead, all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles. ⁵ The charge was a pim ⁶for sharpening a plowshare or mattock, a third of a shekel for sharpening a pitchfork or an axe, and a third of a shekel for repointing an oxgoad. ⁷

So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hands of the troops with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons. Jdg 5:8 1Co 1:27-29 1Sa 17:47 1Sa 17:50 2Co 4:7 Zec 4:6

And a garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Michmash. Isa 10:28 1Sa 14:1 1Sa 14:4-5 1Sa 13:2-3 1Sa 13:5 2Sa 23:14

13:1 A few late LXX manuscripts; MT Saul was a son of a year
13:1 Or over Israel forty years (see Acts 13:21); MT over Israel two years
13:5 Some LXX manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew thirty thousand
13:15 LXX Then Samuel set out, and the rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army; they went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.
13:20 LXX; Hebrew and plowshares; (so plowshare appears twice in the Hebrew).
13:21 A pim possibly refers to a polished stone weighing approximately 0.25 ounces or 7 grams found in excavations. This is equivalent to about two-thirds of a shekel and likely refers to the price charged by the Philistines for the services listed.
13:21 Hebrew does not include the currency unit of a shekel charged for sharpening a pitchfork, an axe, or an oxgoad; alternatively, possibly a third of a pim for each.