1 Samuel 13:2

Several years after he became king, he chose three thousand men from the Israeli army to go with him to fight the Philistines. Then he sent the other soldiers back home. Of the men he chose, 2,000 stayed with Saul at Micmash and in the hilly area near Bethel, and 1,000 stayed with Saul’s son Jonathan at Gibeah, in the area where the descendants of Benjamin lived.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

In Context

1Saul was no longer a young man when he became the king. He ruled Israel for 42 years.

3Jonathan and the men who were with him attacked the Philistine soldiers who were camped at Geba. The other Philistines heard about that. So Saul realized that the army of Philistia would probably come to fight the Israelis again. So Saul sent messengers to blow trumpets throughout Israel to gather the people together and proclaim to them, “All you Hebrews need to hear that now the Philistines will start a war with us!”

Read all of 1 Samuel 13

Cross References

Joshua 18:28Zelah, Haeleph, the city where the Jebus people-group lived (which is now named Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath. Altogether there were 14 towns and the surrounding villages. All that area was allotted to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.

Judges 19:12But his master said, “No, it would not be good for us to stay here where foreign people live. There are no Israeli people here. We will go on to Gibeah city.”

1 Samuel 10:26When Saul returned to his home in Gibeah town, a group of men decided to continually accompany Saul. They did that because God ◄motivated them/put it in their minds► to do that.

1 Samuel 13:23Before the battle started, some Philistia men went to ◄the pass/a narrow place between two cliffs► outside Micmash to guard it.

1 Samuel 14:31The Israelis pursued and killed Philistia soldiers all that day, from Micmash town west to Aijalon. But they continued to become weaker from being hungry.

1 Samuel 15:34Then Samuel left there and returned to his home in Ramah, and Saul went to his home in Gibeah.

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 13:2-8

The Philistines War against Israel. ( b. c. 1067.) 1 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. 3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying,… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study 1 Samuel 13:2