(KJV) 1 Samuel 111

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⥃Saul Defeats the Ammonites

[1] Then Nahash2 the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh–gilead3: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make4 a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. [2] And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this5 [condition] will I make [a covenant] with you, that I may thrust6 out all your right eyes, and lay it [for] a reproach7 upon all Israel. [3] And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us8 seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if [there be] no man to save us, we will come out to thee.

[4] [¶]Then came the messengers to Gibeah9 of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up10 their voices, and wept. [5] And, behold, Saul came after the herd11 out of the field; and Saul said, What [aileth12] the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh. [6] And the Spirit of God13 came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger14 was kindled greatly. [7] And he took15 a yoke of oxen, and hewed16 them in pieces, and sent [them] throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever17 cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear18 of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent19. [8] And when he numbered them in Bezek20, the children21 of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. [9] And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh–gilead, To morrow, by [that time] the sun be hot, ye shall have help22. And the messengers came and shewed [it] to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. [10] Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow23 we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you. [11] And it was [so] on the morrow24, that Saul put the people in three25 companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning26 watch, and slew27 the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two28 of them were not left together.

⥃Saul Confirmed as King

[12] And the people said unto Samuel, Who [is] he29 that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death. [13] And Saul said, There shall30 not a man be put to death this day: for to day the Lord31 hath wrought salvation in Israel. [14] Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go32 to Gilgal, and renew33 the kingdom there. [15] And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the Lord34 in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed35 sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly36.

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  1. 1Sam 11:1, Nahash offers them of Jabesh–gilead a reproachful condition; 1Sam 11:4, They send messengers, and are delivered by Saul; 1Sam 11:12, Saul thereby is confirmed, and his kingdom renewed. ↩

  2. In the Vulgate this chapter begins thus: Et factum est quasi post mensem, "And it came to pass about a month after;" which is also the reading of the principal copies of the Septuagint; and is also found in Josephus, though it appears to be of little authority. 1Sam 12:12; Judg 10:7, Judg 11:8-33 ↩

  3. 1Sam 31:11-13; Judg 21:8, Judg 21:10-25 ↩

  4. Gen 26:28; Exod 23:32; Deut 23:3; 1Kgs 20:34; Job 41:4; Isa 36:16; Ezek 17:13 ↩

  5. 2Kgs 18:31 ↩

  6. Judg 16:21; Exod 3:6; Prov 12:10; Jer 39:7 ↩

  7. 1Sam 17:26; Gen 34:14 ↩

  8. Heb. Forbear us ↩

  9. 1Sam 10:26, 1Sam 14:2, 1Sam 15:34; 2Sam 21:6 ↩

  10. 1Sam 30:4; Judg 2:4, Judg 21:2; Rom 12:15; 1Cor 12:26; Gal 6:2; Heb 13:3 ↩

  11. 1Sam 9:1; 1Kgs 19:19; Ps 78:71 ↩

  12. Gen 21:17; Judg 18:23; Isa 22:1 ↩

  13. 1Sam 10:10, 1Sam 16:13; Judg 3:10, Judg 6:34, Judg 11:29, Judg 13:25, Judg 14:6 ↩

  14. Exod 32:19; Num 12:3; Mark 3:5; Eph 4:26 ↩

  15. The sending the pieces of the oxen was an act similar to that of the Levite (see note on Judg 19:29). An eminent Scotch writer describes the rites, incantations, and imprecations used prior to the fiery cross being circulated, to summon the rough warriors of ancient times to the service of their chief; and he alludes to this ancient custom, which in comparatively modern times, has been practised in Scotland; and proves that a similar punishment of death, or destruction of their houses, for disobeying the summons, was inflicted by the ancient Scandinavians, as recorded by Olaus Magnus, in his History of the Goths. This bears a striking similarity to the ancient custom of the Israelites. With the Highlanders, a goat was slain; with the Israelites, an ox. The exhibition of a cross, stained with the blood of the sacrificed animal, was the summons of the former, while part of the animal, was the mandate of the latter. Disobedience in one nation was punished with the death of themselves or oxen, and burning of their dwellings in the other. ↩

  16. Judg 19:29 ↩

  17. Judg 21:5-11 ↩

  18. Gen 35:5; 2Chr 14:14, 2Chr 17:10 ↩

  19. Heb. as one man, Judg 20:1 ↩

  20. Judg 1:4-5 ↩

  21. 1Sam 13:15, 1Sam 15:4; 2Sam 24:9; 2Chr 17:12-19 ↩

  22. or, deliverance, Ps 18:17 ↩

  23. 1Sam 11:2-3 ↩

  24. Gen 22:14; Ps 46:1 ↩

  25. Judg 7:16, Judg 9:43 ↩

  26. Exod 14:24 ↩

  27. 1Sam 11:2; Judg 1:7; Matt 7:2; Jas 2:13 ↩

  28. 1Sam 30:17-18; Judg 4:16 ↩

  29. 1Sam 10:27; Ps 21:8; Luke 19:27 ↩

  30. 1Sam 14:45; 2Sam 19:22 ↩

  31. 1Sam 19:5; Exod 14:13, Exod 14:30; Ps 44:4-8; Isa 59:16; 1Cor 15:10 ↩

  32. 1Sam 7:16, 1Sam 10:8 ↩

  33. 1Sam 10:24, 1Sam 5:3; 1Chr 12:38-39 ↩

  34. 1Sam 10:17 ↩

  35. 1Sam 10:8; Exod 24:5; 1Chr 29:21-24 ↩

  36. 1Sam 8:19, 1Sam 12:13-15, 1Sam 12:17; Hos 13:10-11; Jas 4:16 ↩