1 Samuel 13:18

_AND ANOTHER COMPANY TURNED THE WAY TO BETH-HORON: AND ANOTHER COMPANY TURNED TO THE WAY OF THE BORDER THAT LOOKETH TO THE VALLEY OF ZEBOIM TOWARD THE WILDERNESS._ No JFB commentary on this verse....

15-23 See how politic the Philistines were when they had power; they not only prevented the people of Israel from making weapons of war, but obliged them to depend upon their enemies, even for instruments of husbandry. How impolitic Saul was, who did not, in the beginning of his reign, set himself to redress this. Want of true sense always accompanies want of grace. Sins which appear to us very little, have dangerous consequences. Miserable is a guilty, defenceless nation; much more those who are destitute of the whole armour of God....

SAUL'S PROBATION AND FAILURE (CHS. 13-15.). EXPOSITION WAR AGAINST THE PHILISTINES (verse 1-14:46). 1 SAMUEL 13:1 Saul's age and length of reign. SAUL REIGNED ONE YEAR. This verse literally translated is, "Saul was one year old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years over Israel." In its form it exactly follows the usual statement prefixed to each king's reign, of his age at his accession, and the years of his kingdom (2 Samuel 2:10; 2Sa 5:4; 1 Kings 14:21;...

AND ANOTHER COMPANY TURNED THE WAY TO BETHHORON,.... Of which name there were two cities, the upper and nether, and both in the tribe of Ephraim, of which see Joshua 16:3 this lay northwest from the camp of the Philistines at Michmash; eight miles from it, according to Bunting d: AND ANOTHER COMPANY TURNED TO THE WAY OF THE BORDER, THAT LOOKETH TOWARDS THE VALLEY OF ZEBOIM, TOWARD THE WILDERNESS; some take this to be the Zeboim which was destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah; and the wilderness, the wilderness of Jordan; but as that, so the valley in which it stood, was turned into a bituminous lake; this seems to be a city in the land of Benjamin, Ne 11:34 near to which was a valley, and this towards the wilderness of Jericho, and so lay eastward; the Targum calls it the valley of vipers, perhaps from its being infested with many; and so

6. THE FIRST FAILURE OF SAUL AND ITS RESULTS CHAPTER 13 _ 1. The failure of Saul (1 Samuel 13:1)_ 2. Samuel's sentence (1 Samuel 13:10) 3. Israel's deplorable condition (1 Samuel 13:15) Omit the first verse of this chapter as it does not belong into the text. In self-confidence Saul has dismissed the greater part of the people; only 2000 remained with him and 1000 with his son Jonathan. Saul is now passing through a test. Hath he true faith which counts and depends on God? Is he obedient to His word as given by the prophet? Jonathan appears here for the first time. His name means “the Lord hath given.” He is the opposite from his poor father; the son is a man of real faith

1 SAMUEL 13, 14. SAUL'S EARLY STRUGGLES WITH THE PHILISTINES. (J), chiefly from the ancient narrative concerning Saul. Editorial notes, or additions from other sources, are 1 Samuel 13:1; 1 Samuel 7_ b,_ but as for Saul. Benjamin, 1 Samuel 13:15_ a_; 1 Samuel 13:19; 1 Samuel 14:47. 1 SAMUEL 13:1. If the present Hebrew text were regarded as correct and complete, the translation (_cf.mg._) would be, And Saul was a year old when he became king, and he reigned two years over Israel. Both periods are absurd. The edi

The Philistine invasion 15. _And Samuel arose_ The Sept. has a fuller text, which gives the connexion more clearly thus; "And Samuel arose and departed from Gilgal. And the remnant of the people went up after Saul to join the men of war [or, to the battle after the men of war]: and when they were come from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin, Saul numbered, &c." After Samuel's departure Saul marched up and effected a junction with Jonathan at Gibeah or Geba. _about six hundred men_ Cp. 1 Samuel 14:2. Saul's precipitate action failed to produce the desired result of holding the army together....

_The Battle Pitched._ 1 Samuel 13:17-23 17 And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies; one company turned unto the way _that leadeth_ to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual: 18 And another company turned the way _to_ Beth-horon: and another company turned _to_ the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make _them_ swords or spears: 20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. 21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. 22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword

SAUL'S WAR AGAINST THE PHILISTINES 1. The age of Saul at his accession has fallen out of the text and also one of the two numbers representing the length of his reign. Our present text is 'Saul was.. years old when he began to reign, and he reigned.. and two years.' We have no means of recovering the former number. For the latter Keil, with great probability, conjectures 22: see on 2 Samuel 2:10 and Intro. § 9....

ISRAEL’S FIRST KING 1 SAMUEL _HELEN POCOCK_ CHAPTER 13 JONATHAN ATTACKS THE *PHILISTINES V1 Saul was 30 years old when he became king. He was the king of *Israel for 42 years. V2 Saul chose 3000 men from *Israel. 2000 men stayed with him at Michmash. This place was in the mountains of Bethel. 1000 men stayed with his son Jonathan. They stayed in the town of Gibeah. Gibeah was in the land that belonged to the *tribe of Benjamin. Saul sent the rest of the men home. V3 Some of the *Philistine army camped at Geba. Jonathan attacked them. The rest of the *Philistines heard about it. Saul said, ‘All the *Israelites must hear about this’. So Saul sent men out to every place in the land of *Israel. They had to blow trumpets to call the men to war. V4 All the people in *Israel he