1 Samuel 13 | |
---|---|
Book | First book of Samuel |
Hebrew Bible part | Nevi'im |
Order in the Hebrew part | 3 |
Category | Former Prophets |
Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
Order in the Christian part | 9 |
1 Samuel 13 is the thirteenth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. [1] According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, [2] but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. [3] [4] This chapter contains Saul's act of disobedience after his coronation. [5] This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 7–15 which records the rise of the monarchy in Israel and the account of the first years of King Saul. [6]
This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language. It is divided into 23 verses.
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008). [7]
Extant ancient manuscripts of a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint (originally was made in the last few centuries BCE) include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century). [8] [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2]
Saul was appointed as a king to save his people 'from the hand of their enemies' (10:1), specifically the Philistines (9:16), that had a strong presence in the central hill country of Israel, were able to send out bands of raiders into different territories of Israel and controlled the manufacture of metal equipments for agricultural and weapons. [10] He had to establish a standing army (verse 2), not just a militia, and achieved an initial success under the leadership of Jonathan, his son, against Philistine garrisons, despite with less force and inferior weapons. [10] The Philistines mustered their large and powerful army causing the Israelites to flee eastwards to hide in the hills and some even went into Transjordan area (verses 6–7), even some in the Israelite army went away (verse 8). This became the setting for the battle of Michmash, where a Philistine garrison had been placed to guard a pass in the area (verse 23). [10]
One major emphasis in this chapter is on the disobedience of Saul, which affects the future of his kingship (verse 13, cf. 12:14). [10] Saul's failure to follow God's instruction through Samuel had doomed his dynasty and God chose another king who would obey. [10] Thus, this chapter contains the first prediction of David to be the king of Israel. [11]
Even as the Philistines had decisively been defeated by the Israelites led by Samuel (1 Samuel 7), they still pose a threat to Israel (cf. 1 Samuel 9:16), and would be a problem for Saul throughout his reign. [12] Jonathan's successful attack on the Philistine outpost in Geba incited bigger conflicts. [13] Saul assembled an army but now the Philistines had big military advantage, which caused many Israelites to flee to another place (verse 6) and leave the army (verse 7), leaving Saul in Gilgal with a dim prospect for the next battle. [13]
This verse is absent in the Greek Septuagint version. [10] Some Bible versions assume that some words are corrupted, so the numbers depicting Saul's age when he began to reign, and the length of his reign are missing. [16] In the Hexapla version, Origin inserted the word "thirty" for Saul's age (now used in NIV, NLT, CSB, etc.). However, it may not be correct because, at that time, Jonathan was old enough to command an army (verse 2) and capable of performing heroic acts (1 Samuel 14:14). [17] Josephus states that Saul reigned eighteen years in the lifetime of Samuel and twenty-two years after his death, for a total of forty years, [18] which agrees with Acts 13:21 . [19] Saul's grandson, Mephibosheth, was five years old at Saul's death (2 Samuel 4:4). [16]
Saul waited seven days in Gilgal for Samuel to come performing the offerings before God (verse 13:8), in reference to the specific instruction in 1 Samuel 10:8, but when his army began to scatter, he decided to act on Samuel's advice in 1 Samuel 10:7 ("do whatever your hands find to do for God is with you") by offering the sacrifice without waiting for Samuel. [13] Ironically, Samuel showed up just when Saul finished the burnt offering, before offered fellowship offerings. [13] Saul's defense of his actions reveals his superstitious character, that his movitation of the offerings was to seek 'the Lord's favor' for the battle as a kind of "good luck" charm, [28] a beginning move towards superstition and witchcraft as noticed by early church father, John Chrysostom. [29] Saul's major sin is perhaps his attempt to 'usurp Samuel's role of religious leadership'. [30] Because of this act, Samuel told Saul that his kingdom would not endure (verse 14), although Saul was still king and apparently God would still give him one more chance to show his obedience in the case of fighting the Amalekites, which Saul again failed and so was declared publicly that God had rejected Saul as king of Israel (15:26) and given his kingdom to 'one of his neighbors' (15:28). [28]
After giving his rebuke, Samuel left for Gibeah, then Saul, after counting his remaining army, decided to go to the same place. [28] Saul's men decreased greatly from the 300,000 men against the Ammonites to 3000 men now down to 600 soldiers. [28] Apparently his action to burnt the offerings did not help to encourage more soldiers and furthermore, the full-scale battle did not start immediately. [28] Verses 19–22 explain how the Philistines monopolized metalworking in the area, so only Saul and Jonathan had sword among the Israelites (13:22). That the Philistines had much better weapons caused the people of Israel to fear them even more. [28]
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Battle of Michmash was fought between Israelites under Jonathan, son of King Saul and a force of Philistines at Michmash, a town east of Bethel and south of Migron.
2 Samuel 5 is the fifth chapter of the Second Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the second part of Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains the account of David's reign in Hebron and Jerusalem. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 5 which records the rise of David as the king of Israel, and a section comprising 2 Samuel 2–8 which deals with the period when David set up his kingdom.
1 Samuel 5 is the fifth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter describes how the Ark of Covenant was taken by the Philistines, a part of the "Ark Narrative" within a section concerning the life of Samuel.
1 Samuel 17 is the seventeenth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains the battle of David with Goliath, the Philistine. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 5 which records the rise of David as the king of Israel.
Judges 20 is the twentieth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans in the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the war between the tribe of Benjamin and the other eleven tribes of Israel, belonging to a section comprising Judges 17 to 21.
1 Samuel 7 is the seventh chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter records a victory of Israel under the leadership of Samuel against the Philistines as part of the "Ark Narrative" within a section concerning the life of Samuel, and also as part of a section comprising 1 Samuel 7–15 which records the rise of the monarchy in Israel and the account of the first years of King Saul.
1 Samuel 10 is the tenth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter describes the anointing of Saul as the first king of Israel, within a section comprising 1 Samuel 7–15 which records the rise of the monarchy in Israel and the account of the first years of King Saul.
1 Samuel 11 is the eleventh chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter describes Saul obliterating the army of Nahash king of Ammon and liberating Jabesh-Gilead, thereby convincing the people about his ability to lead, and causing them to appoint him king. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 7–15 which records the rise of the monarchy in Israel and the account of the first years of King Saul.
1 Samuel 14 is the fourteenth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains Saul's actions against the Philistines. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 7–15 which records the rise of the monarchy in Israel and the account of the first years of King Saul.
1 Samuel 15 is the fifteenth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains Saul disobedience in dealing with the Amalekites. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 7–15 which records the rise of the monarchy in Israel and the account of the first years of King Saul.
1 Samuel 16 is the sixteenth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains the anointing of David by Samuel and David's early service for Saul. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 5 which records the rise of David as the king of Israel.
1 Samuel 19 is the nineteenth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains the account of David's escape from Saul's repeated attempts to kill him. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 5 which records the rise of David as the king of Israel.
1 Samuel 23 is the twenty-third chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains the account of David's escape from Saul's repeated attempts to kill him. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 5 which records the rise of David as the king of Israel.
1 Samuel 24 is the twenty-fourth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains the account of David's escape from Saul's repeated attempts to kill him. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 5 which records the rise of David as the king of Israel.
1 Samuel 26 is the twenty-sixth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains the account of David's escape from Saul's repeated attempts to kill him. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 5 which records the rise of David as the king of Israel.
1 Samuel 28 is the twenty-eighth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains the account of David's escape from Saul's repeated attempts to kill him. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 5 which records the rise of David as the king of Israel.
1 Samuel 29 is the twenty-ninth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains the account of David's escape from Saul's repeated attempts to kill him. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 5 which records the rise of David as the king of Israel.
1 Samuel 31 is the thirty-first chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition, the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains the account of Saul's repeated attempts to kill him. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 5 which records the rise of David as the king of Israel.
2 Samuel 3 is the third chapter of the Second Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the second part of Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains the account of David's reign in Hebron. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 5 which records the rise of David as the king of Israel, and a section comprising 2 Samuel 2–8 which deals with the period when David set up his kingdom.
2 Samuel 15 is the fifteenth chapter of the Second Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the second part of Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains the account of David's reign in Jerusalem. This is within a section comprising 2 Samuel 9–20 and continued to 1 Kings 1–2 which deal with the power struggles among David's sons to succeed David's throne until 'the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon'.