1 Samuel

1 Samuel

Book Outhne

Key theme: The establishment of a king in Israel

Key verse:

I. The Failure of the Priesthood ()

A. The birth of Samuel ()

B. The failure of Eli ()

C. The call of Samuel ()

D. The rescue of the Ark ()

E. The new spiritual beginning ()

II. The Failure of the First King ()

A. Israel requests a king ()

B. Saul is made king ()

C. Saul’s first victories ()

D. The nation renews the covenant ()

E. Saul loses the throne ()

III. The Training of the New King ()

A. David is anointed ()

B. David serves Saul ()

C. David kills Goliath ()

D. Saul becomes jealous of David ()

E. The love of David and Jonathan ()

F. David driven into exile (; )

G. Saul’s defeat and death (; )

Book Overview

One of the awesome titles of our great God is “LORD of Hosts.” This title is used nearly 300 times in Scripture and is found for the first time in . The term describes God as the sovereign Lord of the host of the stars (), the angelic host (, ), and the armies of Israel (; , ). “Hosts” is transliterated “Sabaoth” in and . In his hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” Martin Luther rightly applied this title to Jesus Christ:

Did we in our own strength confide,

Our striving would be losing,

Were not the right Man on our side,

The Man of God’s own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is He;

Lord Sabaoth His name,

From age to age the same,

And He must win the battle.

The story of the people of Israel recorded in the Bible is a living demonstration of the fact that the Lord does win the battle, that He is sovereign in all things. People and events recorded in Scripture are part of what theologians call “salvation history,” God’s gracious plan to send the Savior into the world to die for sinners. The Book of Ruth ends with the name of David (), and 1 Samuel tells the story of David’s successful preparation for reigning on the throne of Israel. From David’s family, Jesus Christ, the “Son of David,” was born. The Books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles record many sins and failures on the part of God’s people, but they also remind us that God is on the throne, and when He isn’t allowed to rule, He overrules. He is the Lord of Hosts, and His purposes will be accomplished.

“Be Transformed”

The events in 1 Samuel form a backdrop for the lives of six significant people: Hannah, Eli, Samuel, Saul, Jonathan, and David. In part, the impact of these individuals on the nation of Israel and world history had to do with their character, but the larger significance of their lives can be seen in the way God worked through each of them. Clearly, God can use a team of cows pulling the ark of the covenant on a driverless cart (see ch. ). He can also affect the lives of people through storms and other natural setbacks (like famine) or blessings (like abundant crops). But God most often works in and through people. Each person’s life can be charted as a continuous ebb and flow of response or resistance to God’s leading. Hannah, the housewife, and David, the first king in an eternal dynasty, may represent two ends of the scale of importance in society, but both of them (and those in between) got intimate and personal attention from God.

These six people were mother, children, fathers, and leaders. We can identify with at least one of these and probably most of them in some way. As He did with them, God is working in and through us. As we study 1 Samuel, the question we need to continually answer is: What does the ebb and flow of response and resistance to God say about my relationship with Him? Answering that question can lead to transformation!

The Family of Elkanah

1Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

4And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.

5But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the LORD had closed her womb.

6And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the LORD had closed her womb.

7So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.

Hannah’s Vow

11Then she made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”

12And it happened, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth.

13Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

14So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”

16“Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”

17Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”

18And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

Samuel Is Born and Dedicated

20So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”

21Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and his vow.

23So Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the LORD establish His word.” Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

24Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh. And the child was young.

25Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli.

27“For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.

Hannah’s Prayer

“My heart rejoices in the LORD;

My horn is exalted in the LORD.

I smile at my enemies,

Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

For there is none besides You,

Nor is there any rock like our God.

Let no arrogance come from your mouth,

For the LORD is the God of knowledge;

And by Him actions are weighed.

4“The bows of the mighty men are broken,

And those who stumbled are girded with strength.

5Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,

And the hungry have ceased to hunger.

Even the barren has borne seven,

And she who has many children has become feeble.

He brings down to the grave and brings up.

7The LORD makes poor and makes rich;

He brings low and lifts up.

And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,

To set them among princes

And make them inherit the throne of glory.

“For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,

And He has set the world upon them.

9He will guard the feet of His saints,

But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.

“For by strength no man shall prevail.

From heaven He will thunder against them.

The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to His king,

And exalt the horn of His anointed.”

11Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest.

The Wicked Sons of Eli

13And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling.

14Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.

15Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.”

16And if the man said to him, “They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires,” he would then answer him, “No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.”

17Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

Samuel’s Childhood Ministry

18But Samuel ministered before the LORD, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod.

19Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

20And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “The LORD give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was given to the LORD.” Then they would go to their own home.

Prophecy Against Eli’s Household

23So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people.

24“No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the LORD’s people transgress.

25“If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to kill them.

26And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the LORD and men.

28‘Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?

29‘Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’

30“Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the LORD says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.

31‘Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.

32‘And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever.

33‘But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age.

34‘Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them.

35‘Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.

36‘And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, “Please, put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread.” ’ ”

Samuel’s First Prophecy

2And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see,

3and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the LORD where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down,

4that the LORD called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!”

5So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down.

6Then the LORD called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.”

7(Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor was the word of the LORD yet revealed to him.)

8And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the boy.

9Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

12“In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.

13“For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.

14“And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”

16Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He answered, “Here I am.”

17And he said, “What is the word that the LORD spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.”

18Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”

20And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the LORD.

21Then the LORD appeared again in Shiloh. For the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

The Ark of God Captured

Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.

2Then the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.

3And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.”

5And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook.

6Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.

7So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before.

8“Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

9“Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!”

Death of Eli

12Then a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line the same day, and came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.

13Now when he came, there was Eli, sitting on a seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out.

14When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What does the sound of this tumult mean?” And the man came quickly and told Eli.

15Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were so dim that he could not see.

16Then the man said to Eli, “I am he who came from the battle. And I fled today from the battle line.” And he said, “What happened, my son?”

17So the messenger answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead; and the ark of God has been captured.”

Ichabod

19Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, due to be delivered; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her labor pains came upon her.

20And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “Do not fear, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer, nor did she regard it.

22And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”

The Philistines and the Ark

2When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.

3And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again.

4And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon’s torso was left of it.

5Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

7And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god.”

8Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried away to Gath.” So they carried the ark of the God of Israel away.

9So it was, after they had carried it away, that the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction; and He struck the men of the city, both small and great, and tumors broke out on them.

10Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. So it was, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!”

12And the men who did not die were stricken with the tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

The Ark Returned to Israel

2And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it to its place.”

3So they said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but by all means return it to Him with a trespass offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.”

4Then they said, “What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden rats, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For the same plague was on all of you and on your lords.

5“Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your rats that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand from you, from your gods, and from your land.

6“Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He did mighty things among them, did they not let the people go, that they might depart?

7“Now therefore, make a new cart, take two milk cows which have never been yoked, and hitch the cows to the cart; and take their calves home, away from them.

8“Then take the ark of the LORD and set it on the cart; and put the articles of gold which you are returning to Him as a trespass offering in a chest by its side. Then send it away, and let it go.

9“And watch: if it goes up the road to its own territory, to Beth Shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it is not His hand that struck us—it happened to us by chance.”

10Then the men did so; they took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.

11And they set the ark of the LORD on the cart, and the chest with the gold rats and the images of their tumors.

12Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or the left. And the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.

13Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.

14Then the cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there; a large stone was there. So they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD.

17These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned as a trespass offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron;

18and the golden rats, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and country villages, even as far as the large stone of Abel on which they set the ark of the LORD, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

The Ark at Kirjath Jearim

1Then the men of Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

Samuel Judges Israel

2So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

6So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the LORD. And they fasted that day, and said there, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah.

8So the children of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

9And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. Then Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him.

10Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel.

11And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car.

13So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

14Then the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

16He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places.

17But he always returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the LORD.

Israel Demands a King

2The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.

3But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,

7And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.

8“According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also.

11And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots.

12“He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

13“He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.

14“And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants.

15“He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants.

16“And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.

17“He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants.

18“And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day.”

20“that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD.

22So the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”

Saul Chosen to Be King

3Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, “Please take one of the servants with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.”

4So he passed through the mountains of Ephraim and through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.

5When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us return, lest my father cease caring about the donkeys and become worried about us.”

7Then Saul said to his servant, “But look, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread in our vessels is all gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?”

8And the servant answered Saul again and said, “Look, I have here at hand one-fourth of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way.”

9(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: “Come, let us go to the seer”; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)

10Then Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.

11As they went up the hill to the city, they met some young women going out to draw water, and said to them, “Is the seer here?”

12And they answered them and said, “Yes, there he is, just ahead of you. Hurry now; for today he came to this city, because there is a sacrifice of the people today on the high place.

13“As soon as you come into the city, you will surely find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now therefore, go up, for about this time you will find him.”

14So they went up to the city. As they were coming into the city, there was Samuel, coming out toward them on his way up to the high place.

15Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying,

16“Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.”

17So when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, “There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people.”

18Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, “Please tell me, where is the seer’s house?”

20“But as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father’s house?”

21And Saul answered and said, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?”

22Now Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and had them sit in the place of honor among those who were invited; there were about thirty persons.

23And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Set it apart.’ ”

24So the cook took up the thigh with its upper part and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, “Here it is, what was kept back. It was set apart for you. Eat; for until this time it has been kept for you, since I said I invited the people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

25When they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul on the top of the house.

26They arose early; and it was about the dawning of the day that Samuel called to Saul on the top of the house, saying, “Get up, that I may send you on your way.” And Saul arose, and both of them went outside, he and Samuel.

Saul Anointed King

27As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” And he went on. “But you stand here awhile, that I may announce to you the word of God.”

2“When you have departed from me today, you will find two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. And now your father has ceased caring about the donkeys and is worrying about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?” ’

4“And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive from their hands.

7“And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; for God is with you.

9So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.

10When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

12Then a man from there answered and said, “But who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

13And when he had finished prophesying, he went to the high place.

14Then Saul’s uncle said to him and his servant, “Where did you go?” So he said, “To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel.”

15And Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me, please, what Samuel said to you.”

16So Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of the kingdom, he did not tell him what Samuel had said.

Saul Proclaimed King

18and said to the children of Israel, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all kingdoms and from those who oppressed you.’

19“But you have today rejected your God, who Himself saved you from all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us!’ Now therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your clans.”

20And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.

21When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was chosen. And Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they sought him, he could not be found.

22Therefore they inquired of the LORD further, “Has the man come here yet?” And the LORD answered, “There he is, hidden among the equipment.”

23So they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.

24And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!”

26And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and valiant men went with him, whose hearts God had touched.

27But some rebels said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

Saul Saves Jabesh Gilead

2And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel.”

5Now there was Saul, coming behind the herd from the field; and Saul said, “What troubles the people, that they weep?” And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.

6Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused.

7So he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen.” And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

9And they said to the messengers who came, “Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have help.’ ” Then the messengers came and reported it to the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.

10Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do with us whatever seems good to you.”

11So it was, on the next day, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and killed Ammonites until the heat of the day. And it happened that those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

12Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.”

Samuel’s Address at Saul’s Coronation

2“And now here is the king, walking before you; and I am old and grayheaded, and look, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.

3“Here I am. Witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”

4And they said, “You have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.”

7“Now therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD which He did to you and your fathers:

8“When Jacob had gone into Egypt, and your fathers cried out to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.

9“And when they forgot the LORD their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.

10“Then they cried out to the LORD, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and Ashtoreths; but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.’

13“Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired. And take note, the LORD has set a king over you.

14“If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the LORD your God.

15“However, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

16“Now therefore, stand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes:

17“Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to the LORD, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking a king for yourselves.”

18So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

19And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.”

21“And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.

22“For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.

23“Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.

25“But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice

2Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent.

4Now all Israel heard it said that Saul had attacked a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel had also become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal.

5Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven.

6When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits.

7And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

9So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering.

11And Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash,

12“then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”

14“But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”

15Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people present with him, about six hundred men.

No Weapons for the Army

17Then raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned onto the road to Ophrah, to the land of Shual,

18another company turned to the road to Beth Horon, and another company turned to the road of the border that overlooks the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.”

20But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle;

21and the charge for a sharpening was a pim for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads.

22So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.

23And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

Jonathan Defeats the Philistines

2And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men.

3Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’s priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

4Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

5The front of one faced northward opposite Michmash, and the other southward opposite Gibeah.

7So his armorbearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.”

8Then Jonathan said, “Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them.

9“If they say thus to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them.

10“But if they say thus, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up. For the LORD has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us.”

11So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden.”

12Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you something.” Jonathan said to his armorbearer, “Come up after me, for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel.”

13And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armorbearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan. And as he came after him, his armorbearer killed them.

14That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within about half an acre of land.

15And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling.

17Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Now call the roll and see who has gone from us.” And when they had called the roll, surprisingly, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there.

20Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed every man’s sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion.

21Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country, they also joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

22Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in the battle.

23So the LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle shifted to Beth Aven.

Saul’s Rash Oath

25Now all the people of the land came to a forest; and there was honey on the ground.

27But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; therefore he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his countenance brightened.

28Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food this day.’ ” And the people were faint.

29But Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey.

30“How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?”

31Now they had driven back the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. So the people were very faint.

32And the people rushed on the spoil, and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood.

34Then Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, ‘Bring me here every man’s ox and every man’s sheep, slaughter them here, and eat; and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.’ ” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night, and slaughtered it there.

35Then Saul built an altar to the LORD. This was the first altar that he built to the LORD.

36Now Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” Then the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.”

37So Saul asked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But He did not answer him that day.

38And Saul said, “Come over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today.

39“For as the LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But not a man among all the people answered him.

40Then he said to all Israel, “You be on one side, and my son Jonathan and I will be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.”

42And Saul said, “Cast lots between my son Jonathan and me.” So Jonathan was taken.

43Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, and said, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. So now I must die!”

44Saul answered, “God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”

45But the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Israel? Certainly not! As the LORD lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.

46Then Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

Saul’s Continuing Wars

47So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he harassed them.

48And he gathered an army and attacked the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them.

49The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Jishui, and Malchishua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal.

50The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.

51Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

52Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him for himself.

Saul Spares King Agag

2“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt.

3‘Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”

4So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah.

5And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.

6Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

8He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

9But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fathngs, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

Saul Rejected as King

10Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying,

11“I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night.

12So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.”

14But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”

15And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”

16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Be quiet! And I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak on.”

18“Now the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’

19“Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?”

20And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

21“But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”

22So Samuel said:

“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

As in obeying the voice of the LORD?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

And to heed than the fat of rams.

23For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,

And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,

He also has rejected you from being king.”

25“Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD.”

26But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.”

27And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore.

28So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.

29“And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”

31So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.

32Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” So Agag came to him cautiously. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”

33But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

34Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

35And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

David Anointed King

2And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’

3“Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”

4So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”

5And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.

7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

8So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”

9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”

A Distressing Spirit Troubles Saul

15And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you.

16“Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”

17So Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”

19Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”

20And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul.

21So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer.

22Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.”

23And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

David and Goliath

1Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim.

2And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines.

3The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.

5He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.

6And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.

7Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him.

8Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.

9“If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”

10And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”

11When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

12Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse, and who had eight sons. And the man was old, advanced in years, in the days of Saul.

13The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

14David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul.

15But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

16And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening.

17Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp.

18“And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.”

19Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle.

21For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army.

22And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.

23Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them.

24And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.

25So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.”

27And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”

29And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”

30Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did.

31Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him.

32Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

33And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”

34But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,

35“I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.

36“Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”

37Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”

39David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.

40Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.

41So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him.

42And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking.

43So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

44And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

45Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

46“This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

47“Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

48So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

51Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

52Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron.

53Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents.

54And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.

55When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”

56So the king said, “Inquire whose son this young man is.”

57Then, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

58And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” So David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

Saul Resents David

2Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore.

3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

4And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.

6Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.

7So the women sang as they danced, and said:

“Saul has slain his thousands,

And David his ten thousands.”

9So Saul eyed David from that day forward.

10And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul’s hand.

11And Saul cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice.

12Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul.

14And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.

15Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him.

16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

David Marries Michal

18So David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?”

19But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.

21So Saul said, “I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, “You shall be my son-in-law today.”

22And Saul commanded his servants, “Communicate with David secretly, and say, ‘Look, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”

23So Saul’s servants spoke those words in the hearing of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?”

24And the servants of Saul told him, saying, “In this manner David spoke.”

25Then Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: ‘The king does not desire any dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

26So when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to become the king’s son-in-law. Now the days had not expired;

27therefore David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.

28Thus Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him;

29and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David’s enemy continually.

30Then the princes of the Philistines went out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed.

Saul Persecutes David

2So Jonathan told David, saying, “My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide.

3“And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you. Then what I observe, I will tell you.”

5“For he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?”

6So Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, “As the LORD lives, he shall not be killed.”

7Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these things. So Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.

8And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and struck them with a mighty blow, and they fled from him.

9Now the distressing spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand.

10Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul’s presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night.

12So Michal let David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped.

14So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.”

15Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.”

16And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats’ hair for his head.

17Then Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’ ”

19Now it was told Saul, saying, “Take note, David is at Naioth in Ramah!”

20Then Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

21And when Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.

22Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is at Sechu. So he asked, and said, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “Indeed they are at Naioth in Ramah.”

23So he went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

Jonathan’s Loyalty to David

3Then David took an oath again, and said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”

4So Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you.”

5And David said to Jonathan, “Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening.

6“If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked permission of me that he might run over to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’

7“If he says thus: ‘It is well,’ your servant will be safe. But if he is very angry, be sure that evil is determined by him.

8“Therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. Nevertheless, if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”

9But Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?”

10Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me, or what if your father answers you roughly?”

12Then Jonathan said to David: “The LORD God of Israel is witness! When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you,

13“may the LORD do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And the LORD be with you as He has been with my father.

14“And you shall not only show me the kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I may not die;

15“but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.”

17Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

18Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

19“And when you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid on the day of the deed; and remain by the stone Ezel.

20“Then I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target;

21“and there I will send a lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I expressly say to the lad, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them and come’—then, as the LORD lives, there is safety for you and no harm.

22“But if I say thus to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you’—go your way, for the LORD has sent you away.

23“And as for the matter which you and I have spoken of, indeed the LORD be between you and me forever.”

24Then David hid in the field. And when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat the feast.

25Now the king sat on his seat, as at other times, on a seat by the wall. And Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

26Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him; he is unclean, surely he is unclean.”

28So Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem.

29“And he said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”

32And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be killed? What has he done?”

33Then Saul cast a spear at him to kill him, by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David.

34So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully.

35And so it was, in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him.

36Then he said to his lad, “Now run, find the arrows which I shoot.” As the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

37When the lad had come to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?”

38And Jonathan cried out after the lad, “Make haste, hurry, do not delay!” So Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows and came back to his master.

39But the lad did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew of the matter.

40Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”

42Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.’ ” So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.

David and the Holy Bread

2So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.’ And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.

3“Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found.”

5Then David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect common, even though it was consecrated in the vessel this day.”

6So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread which had been taken from before the LORD, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away.

7Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD. And his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

8And David said to Ahimelech, “Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”

9So the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

David Flees to Gath

11And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:

‘Saul has slain his thousands,

And David his ten thousands’?”

12Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

13So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard.

14Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?

15“Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

David’s Four Hundred Men

4So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

Saul Murders the Priests

7then Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds?

8“All of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse; and there is not one of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day.”

9Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, “I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

10“And he inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

12And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub!” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”

13Then Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day?”

14So Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, who goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house?

15“Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to his servant, or to any in the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, little or much.”

17Then the king said to the guards who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not tell it to me.” But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the LORD.

19Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys and sheep—with the edge of the sword.

21And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the LORD’s priests.

22So David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s house.

23“Stay with me; do not fear. For he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you shall be safe.”

David Saves the City of Keilah

2Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

3But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”

4Then David inquired of the LORD once again. And the LORD answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

5And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

6Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.

8Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

9When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

10Then David said, “O LORD God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake.

12Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will deliver you.”

13So David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition.

David in Wilderness Strongholds

14And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

17And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.”

18So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.

19Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

20“Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.”

21And Saul said, “Blessed are you of the LORD, for you have compassion on me.

22“Please go and find out for sure, and see the place where his hideout is, and who has seen him there. For I am told he is very crafty.

23“See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides; and come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search for him throughout all the clans of Judah.”

24So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.

25When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David. Therefore he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon.

26Then Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. So David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to take them.

27But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!”

29Then David went up from there and dwelt in strongholds at En Gedi.

David Spares Saul

2Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

3So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.)

4Then the men of David said to him, “This is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.’ ” And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

6And he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.”

7So David restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way.

9And David said to Saul: “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Indeed David seeks your harm’?

10“Look, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed.’

12“Let the LORD judge between you and me, and let the LORD avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you.

13“As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand shall not be against you.

14“After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?

15“Therefore let the LORD be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.”

17Then he said to David: “You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil.

18“And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me.

19“For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? Therefore may the LORD reward you with good for what you have done to me this day.

20“And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.

21“Therefore swear now to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s house.”

Death of Samuel

David and the Wife of Nabal

4When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep,

5David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.

6“And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have!

7‘Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel.

8‘Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”

9So when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited.

10Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master.

11“Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?”

12So David’s young men turned on their heels and went back; and they came and told him all these words.

14Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled them.

15“But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied them, when we were in the fields.

16“They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep.

17“Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him.”

19And she said to her servants, “Go on before me; see, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

20So it was, as she rode on the donkey, that she went down under cover of the hill; and there were David and his men, coming down toward her, and she met them.

21Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good.

22“May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light.”

23Now when Abigail saw David, she dismounted quickly from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground.

24So she fell at his feet and said: “On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant.

25“Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.

26“Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, since the LORD has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal.

27“And now this present which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.

28“Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord fights the battles of the LORD, and evil is not found in you throughout your days.

29“Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling.

30“And it shall come to pass, when the LORD has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel,

31“that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.”

34“For indeed, as the LORD God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal!”

35So David received from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. See, I have heeded your voice and respected your person.”

36Now Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was, holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; therefore she told him nothing, little or much, until morning light.

37So it was, in the morning, when the wine had gone from Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became like a stone.

38Then it happened, after about ten days, that the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.

39So when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil! For the LORD has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head.” And David sent and proposed to Abigail, to take her as his wife.

41Then she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, “Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.”

42So Abigail rose in haste and rode on a donkey, attended by five of her maidens; and she followed the messengers of David, and became his wife.

43David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and so both of them were his wives.

44But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

David Spares Saul a Second Time

1Now the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding in the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?”

2Then Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.

3And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon, by the road. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

4David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had indeed come.

5So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the camp, with the people encamped all around him.

6Then David answered, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”

7So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him.

10David said furthermore, “As the LORD lives, the LORD shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish.

11“The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go.”

12So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.

13Now David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great distance being between them.

14And David called out to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Do you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered and said, “Who are you, calling out to the king?”

15So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.

16“This thing that you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, you deserve to die, because you have not guarded your master, the LORD’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the jug of water that was by his head.”

17Then Saul knew David’s voice, and said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.”

18And he said, “Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in my hand?

19“Now therefore, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the LORD, for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’

20“So now, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD. For the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

22And David answered and said, “Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it.

23“May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed.

David Allied with the Philistines

2Then David arose and went over with the six hundred men who were with him to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

3So David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow.

4And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more.

6So Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.

7Now the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was one full year and four months.

9Whenever David attacked the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the apparel, and returned and came to Achish.

10Then Achish would say, “Where have you made a raid today?” And David would say, “Against the southern area of Judah, or against the southern area of the Jerahmeelites, or against the southern area of the Kenites.”

11David would save neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath, saying, “Lest they should inform on us, saying, ‘Thus David did.’ ” And thus was his behavior all the time he dwelt in the country of the Philistines.

12So Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant forever.”

1Now it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.”

2So David said to Achish, “Surely you know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever.”

Saul Consults a Medium

4Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa.

5When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.

6And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.

8So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Please conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.”

10And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”

11Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”

12When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!”

13And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.”

14So he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.

16Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy?

17“And the LORD has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David.

18“Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day.

19“Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”

20Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, and was dreadfully afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night.

21And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was severely troubled, and said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hands and heeded the words which you spoke to me.

22“Now therefore, please, heed also the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.”

23But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” So his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded their voice. Then he arose from the ground and sat on the bed.

25So she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.

The Philistines Reject David

2And the lords of the Philistines passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but David and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish.

3Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years? And to this day I have found no fault in him since he defected to me.”

5“Is this not David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying:

‘Saul has slain his thousands,

And David his ten thousands’?”

6Then Achish called David and said to him, “Surely, as the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you.

7“Therefore return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.”

8So David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And to this day what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

10“Now therefore, rise early in the morning with your master’s servants who have come with you. And as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.”

11So David and his men rose early to depart in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David’s Conflict with the Amalekites

2and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.

4Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive.

7Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

8So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”

9So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind.

10But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor.

11Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water.

12And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights.

14“We made an invasion of the southern area of the Cherethites, in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.”

15And David said to him, “Can you take me down to this troop?” So he said, “Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this troop.”

17Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.

18So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives.

19And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all.

20Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

21Now David came to the two hundred men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near the people, he greeted them.

22Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man’s wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart.”

25So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

27to those who were in Bethel, those who were in Ramoth of the South, those who were in Jattir,

28those who were in Aroer, those who were in Siphmoth, those who were in Eshtemoa,

29those who were in Rachal, those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, those who were in the cities of the Kenites,

30those who were in Hormah, those who were in Chorashan, those who were in Athach,

31those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to rove.

The Tragic End of Saul and His Sons

2Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons.

4Then Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me.” But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it.

5And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him.

6So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that same day.

7And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

9And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines, to proclaim it in the temple of their idols and among the people.

10Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

13Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

Annotations for 1 Samuel

In many ways, Elkanah seems to be a good and godly man, except that he had two wives. Apparently Hannah was his first wife, and when she proved barren, he married Peninnah so he could have a family. We don’t know why Elkanah didn’t wait on the Lord and trust Him to work out His plan, but even Abraham married Hagar ()—and Jacob ended up with four wives! While polygamy and divorce were not prohibited by Jewish law (; ), God’s original plan was that one man be married to one woman for one lifetime ().

This annual visit to the tabernacle should have been a joyful event for Hannah, but each year Peninnah used it as an opportunity to irritate her rival and make fun of her barrenness. When Elkanah distributed the meat from the sacrifice, he had to give many portions to Peninnah and her children, while Hannah received only one portion.

The name “Hannah” means “a woman of grace,” and she did manifest grace in the way she dealt with her barrenness and with Peninnah’s attitude and cruel words. In everything she said and did, Hannah sought to glorify the Lord. Indeed, she was a remarkable woman who gave birth to a remarkable son.

During one of the festive meals at Shiloh, Hannah left the family and went to the tabernacle to pray. She had determined in her heart that the Lord wanted her to pray for a son so that she might give him back to God to serve Him all his life. It’s an awesome fact that, humanly speaking, the future of the nation rested with this godly woman’s prayers, yet how much in history has depended on the prayers of suffering and sacrificing people, especially mothers.

What an example Hannah is in her praying! Her prayer was born out of sorrow and suffering, but despite her feelings, she laid bare her soul before the Lord. Her prayer involved submission, for she presented herself to the Lord as His handmaid, to do whatever He wanted her to do (see ). Her prayer also involved sacrifice because she vowed to give her son back to the Lord, to be a Nazirite () and serve the Lord all his life.

Hannah’s faith and devotion were so strong that they rose above the misunderstanding and criticism of the nation’s highest spiritual leader. When you give your best to the Lord, expect to be criticized by people who ought to be encouraging you. See .

, When the family arrived home, God answered Hannah’s prayers and allowed her to conceive. When her son was born, she named him Samuel. The Hebrew word sa-al means “asked,” sama means “heard,” and el is one of the names for God; so Samuel means “heard of God” or “asked of God.” All his life, Samuel was both an answer to prayer and a great man of prayer.

Mothers usually weaned children at the age of three, and surely during those precious years, Hannah taught her son and prepared him for serving the Lord. Samuel did not have a personal knowledge of the Lord until later when God spoke to him (). Hannah was a woman of prayer () and taught her son to be a man of prayer.

When Elkanah and Hannah presented their son to the Lord, Hannah reminded Eli that she was the woman who had prayed for a son three years before. Did the old man remember the occasion, and did he recall how unfairly he had dealt with this sorrowing woman? If he did, the Bible has no record of it, but he received the boy to become a servant of the Lord at the tabernacle and be trained in the law of the Lord.

The story thus far makes it clear that the life and future of a nation depend on the character of the home, and the character of the home depends on the spiritual life of the parents. The future hope of the people of Israel rested with that young lad in the tabernacle learning to serve the Lord. Never underestimate the power of the home or the power of a little child dedicated to God.

Hannah was praying and rejoicing at the same time! She was thinking of God’s blessing to the nation of Israel as well as to herself and her home. When prayer is selfish it isn’t spiritual and does not honor the Lord.

“I rejoice in your salvation” suggests more than Hannah’s being delivered from barrenness. Hannah sees the miracle of her pregnancy as the beginning of new victory for Israel, who time after time had been invaded, defeated, and abused by their enemies (). But the word “saved” is based on yeshua—Joshua—the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek name Jesus (both mean “the Lord is salvation”). King David would be God’s yeshua to deliver Israel from her enemies, and Jesus, the Son of David, would be God’s yeshua to deliver all people from the bondage of sin and death.

, Hannah gives us a healthy example of prayer. It’s good for us to begin our praying with praise because praise helps us focus on the glory of the Lord and not on the greatness of our needs. When we see the greatness of God, we start to see life with the right perspective.

When Hannah calls God her “rock,” she is speaking of the Lord’s strength, stability, and steadfastness and magnifying the fact that He does not change. We can depend on the Lord, for His character is unchangeable, and His promises never fail. “I am the Lord, I do not change” ().

Hannah rejoiced because this holy God is a just judge of the actions of His people. Unlike the people involved in human judicial proceedings, God knows everything and is able to weigh us and our actions accurately. The Lord weighs our motives () and our hearts (, ), and His scales are accurate. Like Hannah, we may be misunderstood and maligned by people, but the Lord will always act justly ().

Because He is sovereign, the Lord is in charge of life and death and everything in between. He can rescue us from the grave or permit us to die. If He allows us to live, He can make us rich or poor, exalted or abased, for He knows what’s best.

God has established the world so that it can’t be moved, and what happens on our planet is under His watchful care. We may think that God has abandoned the earth to Satan and his demonic powers, but this is still our Father’s world (, ), and He has set His King on heaven’s throne ().

This is a remarkable statement that the Lord will give an anointed king to Israel and strengthen him to serve God and the nation. Hannah certainly knew the law of Moses because in it she found the promises of a future king. See .

Catalyst

After Hannah left her son with Eli, she could have gone off alone and had a good cry; instead she burst into a song of praise to the Lord. She was letting go of a gift she had waited to receive for years! Most parents struggle to let go of their children after having them under their roof for almost two decades; Hannah left Samuel in Eli’s care when he was about three years old. She did what all parents eventually have to do; but she did it on an accelerated schedule. And she did it with joy!

The world doesn’t understand the relationship between sacrifice and song, how God’s people can sing their way into sacrifice and sacrifice their way into singing. Hannah’s song near the beginning of 1 Samuel should be compared with David’s song found in chapter , as well as with Mary’s song in . All three songs tell of God’s grace to undeserving people, God’s victory over the enemy, and the wonderful way God turns events upside down in order to accomplish His purposes. What Mary expressed in her song is especially close to what Hannah sang in her hymn of praise.

Go to the

Throughout this section, you will see a deliberate contrast between Samuel and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas. Eli’s sons “abhorred the offering of the LORD” (v. ), but Samuel “ministered before the LORD” (v. ).

Hophni and Phinehas not only showed disrespect for the sacrifices on the altar, but they also had no regard for the women who served at the door of the tabernacle (v. ; ). Instead of encouraging them in their spiritual walk, the two brothers seduced them.

God was about to bring judgment to the house of Eli, but the Lord blessed Elkanah and Hannah and her house, for he gave her five more children (see ). This was God’s gracious gift and an answer to the prayer of Eli (), who was pleased with Samuel and grateful for his ministry. Hannah gave one child to the Lord and the Lord gave back five!

Godly people told Eli about his sons’ sins, and He spoke to them about their conduct, but it did no good. He wasn’t much of a godly father or spiritual leader, and his sons disregarded his warnings. It’s tragic when a father—and a spiritual leader at that—loses his influence over his own family and can only wait for God’s hand of judgment to fall.

The privilege of the priesthood would remain with the tribe of Levi and the house of Aaron, but God would take it away from Eli’s branch of the family. Eli’s descendants would become weak and die off, and the family would have no more old men like Eli.

Samuel was probably twelve years old when the Lord spoke to him. The “lamp of God” was the seven-branched gold lampstand that stood in the Holy Place before the veil. It was the only source of light in the Holy Place, and the priests were ordered to keep it burning. The lamp was a symbol of the light of God’s truth given to the world through His people Israel. Alas, the light of God’s Word was burning dimly in those days, and God’s high priest was barely able to see!

Samuel obeyed Eli, went back to his sleeping place, and waited for the voice to come again. This time God spoke the boy’s name twice, for the Shepherd calls His sheep by name and gets their attention (, ). Don’t ever forget that God knows your name.

This was certainly a weighty message to give to a young boy, but in so doing, perhaps God was rebuking the spiritual lethargy of the adults—because to which of them could God give this message? When God can’t find an obedient adult, He sometimes calls a child. “I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them” ().

Samuel had heard the voice of God and received the message of God, but he still got up early and went back to his old tasks. He opened the doors of the sanctuary so the people could come to sacrifice, and he said nothing to Eli about what God had told him. This shows remarkable maturity on the part of a young boy.

Eli had his faults as we all do, but we must appreciate his positive attitude toward young Samuel, his successor as the spiritual leader in Israel. Not every veteran servant can graciously lay down his or her tools and let the young apprentice take over. Until the very end of his life, Eli at least had a concern for the ark of God and the future of the nation, and the news of Israel’s defeat and the capture of the ark caused his death. If Eli had shown some of this concern when his sons were young like Samuel, things might have been different.

For the second time we read that Samuel grew (; ), but the affirmation is added, “the LORD was with him.” This statement will also be made about youthful David (; , ).

, No sooner does God begin to reveal His Word to His people than the enemy shows up to attack them. The Philistines are mentioned in Scripture as early as the days of Abraham (; see ). In the books of Samuel they’re mentioned over 150 times.

Unlike Moses and Joshua, Eli’s sons didn’t seek the will of the Lord; they weren’t walking by faith, and they certainly weren’t seeking to glorify God. Even worse, the two wicked priests Hophni and Phinehas would be carrying the holy ark of God! How could God bless two sinful men whom He had already consigned to judgment (vv. , ; , )? But Israel’s hope was that the presence of the ark would save the Israelites from the hand of their enemies.

The ark of God was the throne of God (; also ; ), but now God’s throne was in enemy territory! The Israelites had forgotten that the ark was God’s throne in Israel only if Israel was submitted to him and obedient to His covenant. Anything else was nothing but ignorant superstition, similar to people trusting good-luck charms.

The death of Eli’s sons fulfilled the Word of God spoken to Eli by the anonymous prophet () and to Samuel when he was called by the Lord (). God had been longsuffering with Hophni and Phinehas as they desecrated His sacrifices and defiled His people, but now their time was up—their sins had found them out.

Eli must have suffered a stroke or a heart attack, for he fell back, broke his neck, and died. He was “overweight,” probably caused by eating too much meat from the sacrifices () and leading a sedentary life. The death of Eli and his two sons was the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s prophecy that Eli’s branch of the priesthood would be destroyed and a new line introduced.

The presence of God’s glory in the camp was a special sign that the Israelites were the people of God (; ), but now the glory had departed and with it, God’s special favor.

, At the beginning of the battle, the Philistines were frightened when they heard that the God of Israel was in the camp, but now they were making fun of Him and exalting their own gods. In their mythology, Dagon was the principal god of the Philistines and the father of Baal, the storm god, whose worship brought so much trouble to Israel.

The Lord not only humiliated the god of the Philistines, but He also judged the people who worshiped that god. When the Philistines captured the ark and arrogantly treated the Lord as though He were just another god, they invited God’s judgment.

God had vindicated Himself and proved that He was the One who had destroyed the statue of Dagon and had brought affliction to the Philistine people. Nobody could call the eruption of these plagues a mere coincidence. But the lords of the Philistines still had to figure out how to get rid of the ark without humiliating themselves and perhaps bringing more judgment on their land.

The experiences described in , occurred during a period of seven months, at the end of which the five lords decided it was time to get rid of the ark. They wouldn’t admit it, but Jehovah had vindicated Himself before the Philistines and humiliated their false god. Still wanting to save face, the lords sought some way to send the ark back to Israel without directly involving themselves or their people.

The Philistine wise men came up with a scheme that would test the God of Israel one more time. If Jehovah, represented by the ark, was indeed the true and living God, let him take the ark back to where it belonged! The lords set up a plan that would absolve them of responsibility and blame.

God is looking for a broken and contrite heart, not a slavish obedience to the letter of the law ().

The Philistine forces were near at hand, and the Israelite men didn’t dare leave the place to which God had directed the cows and the cart. A sense of security is a consistent byproduct when we seek and experience God’s presence.

The priests and Levites didn’t do their job well, and what should have been a great cause for joy turned out to be a cause of sorrow because of human foolishness. Eventually the ark would be given a safe resting place until King David would move it to a specially prepared place in Jerusalem (.).

The men of Beth Shemesh should have covered the ark because it wasn’t supposed to be seen by anyone except the high priest, and this mistake was costly. Some of the people became curious and looked into the ark and were slain. If the pagan Philistines were judged for the way they treated the ark, how much more responsible were the Israelites who knew the law and were living in a Levitical city!

While God doesn’t live in our church buildings or in any of its furnishings (), we ought to show respect for anything dedicated to the glory of God. The awesome event described here certainly warns us against religious curiosity and lack of reverence for the Lord.

The Lord could have withdrawn Himself from His people, but instead, He graciously allowed the ark to be taken about ten miles to Kirjath Jearim, where it remained in the home of Abinadab. The men of the city consecrated Abinadab’s son Eleazar to guard the ark.

The ark of the covenant represented the presence of the Lord with His people and the rule of the Lord over His people. The Lord had every right to abandon His sinful people, but He graciously remained with them, though not in the special tabernacle He had commanded them to build.

Idolatry had been Israel’s besetting sin. Jacob’s family carried false gods with them (), and when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, they adopted the gods and goddesses of the Egyptians and, after the exodus, worshiped some of these idols during the wilderness journeys (, ). Moses commanded Israel to destroy every evidence of Canaanite religion, but the people eventually lapsed back into idolatry and worshiped the gods of the defeated enemy.

Putting away their false gods was only the beginning of their return to the Lord; the Israelites also had to prepare their hearts for God and devote themselves to Him alone (v. ). This was in keeping with the first commandment, “You must not have any other god but me” (). An idol is a substitute for God—anything that we trust and serve in place of the Lord.

Samuel planned to lead the people in a time of worship and intercession for deliverance from their enemies. If they had iniquity in their hearts, however, the Lord would not hear them (). Just destroying their idols was not enough; the people also had to confess their sins and surrender themselves to the Lord.

, , When the Philistines learned about this large gathering of Israelites, they became suspicious that Israel was planning to attack, so the five Philistine lords summoned their troops and prepared to invade. But Israel’s greatest weapon was their faith in Jehovah God, a faith that was expressed in prayer.

“Ebenezer” means “stone of help” because the monument was a reminder to the Israelites that God had helped them that far and would continue to help them if they would trust Him and keep His covenant. Together, the Hebrew words “Ebenezer-Yahweh-Yireh” (, , ) used here say, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us, and He will see to it from now on.” What an encouragement to our faith!

This meeting at Mizpah probably marked the beginning of Samuel’s public ministry to the whole nation of Israel, so from that time on he was a focal point for political unity and spiritual authority. The nation knew that Samuel was God’s appointed leader ().

Knowing that Israel needed a stronger central government, the elders presented their request for a king to Samuel and backed it up with several arguments. The first two must have cut Samuel to the quick: He was now old and had no successor; his two sons were not godly men and took bribes.

When the elders asked to have a king “to judge us like all the nations,” they were forgetting that Israel’s strength was to be unlike the other nations (). The Israelites were God’s covenant people, and God was their King. The glory of God dwelt in their midst and the law of God was their wisdom. The elders forgot that the Lord was Israel’s King and the one giving her army the ability to defeat the enemy.

As a man of spiritual insight, Samuel knew that this demand for a king was evidence of spiritual decay among the leaders. They weren’t rejecting him; they were rejecting God, and this grieved Samuel as he prayed to the Lord for wisdom.

Israel’s request for a king wasn’t their greatest sin; it was their insisting that God give them a king immediately. The Lord had a king in mind for them, David the son of Jesse, but the time wasn’t ripe for him to appear. So, God gave them their request by appointing Saul to be king, and He used Saul to chasten the nation and prepare them for David, the man of his choosing.

While these consequences of having a king weren’t too evident under Saul and David, they certainly occurred under Solomon (). The day came when the people cried out for relief from the heavy yoke Solomon had put on them just to maintain the glory of his kingdom (; see ).

Pleasing the Lord wasn’t the priority in the people’s minds; they wanted guaranteed protection against their enemies. They wanted someone to judge them and fight their battles, someone they could see and follow. They found trusting an invisible God and obeying His wonderful commandments too demanding.

Saul, God’s choice for Israel’s king, was from the tribe of Benjamin, which had almost been exterminated because of their rebellion against the law (). Jacob compared Benjamin to “a ravenous wolf” (), and the tribe was involved in numerous battles.

Saul was tall, good-looking, and strong, the kind of king people would admire. Even Samuel, with all his spiritual perception, got carried away when he saw him (, ). Samuel’s weakness for admiring the physical qualities even showed up when he went to anoint David (). But before we belittle Samuel, we need to remember how often we are prone to be impressed by appearance and fail to look for underlying character.

Saul’s home was in Gibeah, about five miles from Ramah where Samuel lived; yet Saul didn’t even know what all Israel knew (), that a man of God named Samuel lived in Ramah (). How Saul could live so close to Israel’s spiritual leader and not know about him is a bit of a mystery and suggests that Saul simply lived and farmed with his family at Gibeah and minded his own business. Like many people today, he wasn’t against religion, but he didn’t make knowing the Lord a vital part of his life. Fortunately the servant knew about Samuel, and Saul heeded his advice!

, Samuel’s response to Saul’s request must have shocked the young man. Saul discovered that he was speaking to the man he was seeking, that he would feast with him that day, that Samuel had a special message for him, and that the missing donkeys had been found and returned to Saul’s father.

, To confirm God’s Word, Samuel told Saul he would first meet two men who would tell him that the lost animals had been found, news that Saul had already heard from Samuel. This was a good experience for the young leader, for it assured him that God could solve his problems. One of Saul’s greatest failures as a leader was his inability to take his hands off of situations and let God work.

, God was showing Saul that not only could He solve his problems, but He could also supply his needs. As the first king of Israel, Saul would have to raise up an army and provide the food and equipment the men needed, and He would have to depend on the Lord.

Through this sign, God was telling Saul that He could endue him with the power He needed for service. “Who is sufficient for these things?” is the question in the heart of every servant of God (), and the only correct answer is, “Our sufficiency is from God” (). Later, however, Saul would become very self-sufficient and rebellious, and the Lord would take the Spirit from him (; ).

Believers today, who are under the new covenant, have the Holy Spirit abiding within forever (, ) as God’s seal that we are His children (, ). When David asked God not to take the Holy Spirit from him (), he was thinking especially of what the Lord had done to Saul (; ). Believers today may grieve the Spirit () and quench the Spirit (), but they cannot drive Him away.

One more task awaited Saul, and that was to meet Samuel at Gilgal at a time that would be shown him. This would be a test to see if Saul was truly devoted to the Lord and willing to obey orders. Unfortunately, he failed.

, When the news got out that Saul had prophesied with a company of prophets, some of his friends spoke about him with disdain. No evidence is presented that Saul was wicked, but Saul was a secular person, not a spiritual person, and he was the last man his friends ever expected to have that kind of experience.

Samuel called another convocation at Mizpah for the purpose of presenting the new king to the people. True to his prophetic calling, Samuel first preached a sermon, reminding the people of their redemption from Egypt by God’s grace and power as well as their obligation under the covenant to obey the Lord.

Samuel linked the kingship with the divine covenant. His first speech about the king had been negative (), but this address and document were positive and pointed out the duties of both king and people. Samuel no doubt elaborated on Moses’ words from and reminded the people that even the king had to submit to the Lord and His Word. There was one God, one nation, and one covenant, and the Lord was still in charge.

The Ammonites were descendants of Abraham’s nephew Lot () and were therefore related to the Israelites. The dangers posed by Nahash (“snake”) and his army had helped to motivate the Israelites to ask for a king.

It is interesting that nobody from Jabesh Gilead had responded to the call to arms when the nation had to punish the wickedness of Gibeah in the land of Benjamin (, ), but now they were asking their fellow Israelites to come and rescue them!

The messengers from Jabesh Gilead didn’t rush to contact Samuel and Saul. Samuel their prophet had prayed and God had given victory over the Philistines, and Saul their new king had the nucleus of an army. Apparently the Israelites would need some time to get accustomed to the new form of government.

Saul succeeded because he was empowered by the Spirit of God who both used Saul’s natural gifts and gave him the wisdom and strength he needed. Being at the head of an inexperienced army of 330,000 men wouldn’t be an easy task, but God gave the victory. The will of God will never lead us where the grace of God can’t keep us and use us.

When Saul was chosen king, he was given authority from God and from the nation, but when he won this great victory, he gained stature before the people. An effective leader needs both. The difficulties began later when Saul’s pride inflated his authority and began to destroy his character and his stature. We admire Saul for not using the victory as a means of getting rid of his enemies but for giving glory to the Lord. Effective leaders use their authority to honor God and build up their people.

Samuel had anointed Saul privately () and then had presented him to the people (). Here Samuel led the nation in an act of dedication to the Lord. This was a time of spiritual revival and national rejoicing.

The peace offerings were part of a covenant ceremony in which the people would sacrifice to God and then have a meal of some of the portions of the animals they had given to God. Everybody could see that the king and the nation had entered into a renewed covenant relationship with the Lord and were responsible to obey Him.

It must have been painful for Samuel to conduct this last meeting as their leader and transfer the civil authority to Saul. The twelve tribes had been governed by judges for nearly 500 years, but times had changed, and the people wanted a king. Before leaving office as judge, Samuel had to set the record straight and bear witness that his hands were clean and the people could find no fault in him.

Like Jesus, Samuel stood before the people and asked, “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (). The people heard what Samuel said and bore witness that he had spoken the truth. Samuel was a man of integrity; Saul would turn out to be a man of hypocrisy and duplicity. How wonderful it would be to get to the closing years of life and be able to review your life and ministry and not be afraid or ashamed.

It was God, not the people, who appointed Moses and Aaron and who enabled them to do the mighty works they did for the people of Israel. Samuel wasn’t afraid to point out Israel’s sins and then challenge them to devote themselves to the Lord and to His covenant.

Samuel was going to prove to the people that the Lord had been righteous and faithful in all His dealings with Israel, but that the Israelites had been faithless and disobedient. Samuel’s point was that God always provided a leader when one was needed, and the nation wouldn’t have needed a judge if the people had been faithful to God. In this verse, Bedan probably refers to Barak. Samuel included himself, for he was the last of the judges ().

Israel should have expressed gratitude to the Lord and trusted Him to continue to care for them. They should have confessed their sin of unbelief and trusted Him alone. But no sooner did the Ammonites attack than the Israelites asked for a king and exchanged the rule of the Lord their King for the leadership of a mere man! God gave them what they asked for, but Israel lost something in the transaction.

Samuel moved from “fear the LORD” (vv. ) to “do not fear” as he encouraged the people to accept the situation their unbelief had created and make the most of it. How many times do we get what we asked for and then wish we didn’t have it! The Lord would not reject or forsake His people because of His holy covenant and His great faithfulness.

, God’s covenant with His people Israel was still in force: If they obeyed, He would bless; if they disobeyed, He would chasten. “But if you still do wickedly,” warned Samuel, “you shall be swept away, both you and your king” (v. ). From time to time, churches and other Christian ministries face new situations and decide they must reorganize and adapt. Each ministry needs a Samuel to remind them of the spiritual principles that never change: the character of God, the Word of God, the necessity of faith, and the importance of obedience.

Pride has been the downfall of countless leaders. Saul had reigned two years when he began to establish a standing army. The fact that Israel was mustering an army put the Philistines on the alert. They had garrisons in different parts of the country and monitored the situation carefully.

, Who blew the trumpet and seemed to take the credit for the victory? Saul, son of Kish! As commander-in-chief, he was calling for more men because he knew that many battles lay ahead, but he should have given proper credit to his courageous son.

Saul called his fellow Israelites “Hebrews” instead of “men of Israel.” The name may have come from Abraham’s ancestor Eber (), or perhaps from the word meaning “to cross over.” The ancestors of Abraham were those who crossed over the Euphrates River and entered the land of Canaan (, ).

As Samuel had commanded, Saul waited for seven days (), and the longer he waited, the more concerned he became. His army was melting away, the enemy was mobilizing, and the situation seemed hopeless. This rendezvous was God’s way of testing Saul’s faith and patience. Without faith and patience, we can’t receive what the Lord promises (), and unbelief and impatience are marks of spiritual immaturity (). Until we learn to trust God and wait on His timing, we can’t learn the other lessons He wants to teach us, nor can we receive the blessings He’s planned for us.

As Saul decays in character, we shall see him deceiving himself and others more and more. Disobedience and willfulness always carry us farther from God.

, Saul foolishly thought that he could disobey God and get away with it, and that his disobedience could bring God’s blessing on himself and his army.

In the way it functions or doesn’t function, the church of Jesus Christ today may sometimes resemble Saul’s army; if we do, it’s our own fault. Through His great work on the cross, our Lord has defeated every enemy, and His power is available to His people. We have the armor and the weapons we need (.), and His Word tells us all we need to know about the strategy of the enemy and the resources we have in Christ. All He asks is that we trust Him and obey His orders, and He will help us win the battle.

This chapter focuses on Jonathan, Saul’s oldest son, who had won the first major battle against the Philistines, but his father had taken the credit (). It is a remarkable blessing of the grace of God that a man like Saul should have a son as magnificent as Jonathan. He was a courageous warrior (), a born leader, and a man of faith who sought to do the will of God. Saul is a tragic example of the popular man of the world who tries to appear religious and do God’s work, but who lacks a living faith in God and a heart to honor Him. Unfortunately, church history records the lives of too many gifted people who “used God” to achieve their own purposes, but in the end abandoned Him and ended life in disgrace.

Saul in unbelief would have vetoed such a daring venture of faith, and Jonathan had no desire to disagree with him at such a crucial time. Jonathan probably would have been insubordinate to his father and commander-in-chief, but his plan was still the wisest approach to take.

This kind of arrogant self-confidence was exactly what Jonathan wanted to see because this gave him and his armor bearer opportunity to get close to the guards before attacking. Who would fear one soldier and his armor bearer? But these two men had almighty God on their side!

As we study Saul’s life, we will see more and more evidence that he was what some people call a “control freak.” He envied other people’s success, he was suspicious of any strategy that he didn’t originate or at least approve, and he was ruthless when it came to removing people who challenged his leadership or exposed his folly.

Saul asked the priest to bring him the ark of the Lord. He was probably planning to take it to the battlefield with the army, a foolish tactic that had brought judgment in Eli’s day (ch. ).

The priest never had a chance to determine God’s will, for when Saul heard the noise of the battle increasing, he interrupted the divine proceedings and made his own decision. Saul’s impatience and self-confidence got the best of him, and he acted without knowing God’s will or receiving God’s blessing (, ).

The spiritual conditions of our hearts are revealed not only by the actions we perform but also by the words we speak. “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (). When you read King Saul’s words recorded in Scripture, they often reveal a heart controlled by pride, foolishness, and deceit. He would say foolish things just to impress people with his “spirituality,” when in reality he was walking far from the Lord.

Saul didn’t impose this fast because that’s what God wanted but because he wanted his soldiers to think he was a man wholly dedicated to the Lord. This command gives more evidence of Saul’s confused and superstitious faith. When we obey God’s commands, we walk by faith, but when we obey unnatural human regulations, we only tempt the Lord. The first is confidence but the second is presumption. All of us need to heed the admonition given in : “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.”

As he often did, the king assumed “spiritual leadership” and commanded the men to bring the animals to a great rock to be slain and the blood easily drained out. He then built an altar so that the animals could be offered as peace offerings (; ), parts of which the people were allowed to eat in a fellowship feast. Saul was feebly trying to turn this voracious eating into a worship service, but the men were famished and more interested in eating than in worshiping the Lord. God will resist those who want to use Him for their own purposes.

The second lot fell upon Jonathan. God could have changed the results (), but he wanted to bring everything out in the open and humiliate King Saul, whose pride had caused the problem to begin with. The people praised Jonathan, not Saul, as the man who had brought the great victory to Israel.

This is a pivotal chapter in Saul’s story. The Lord gave him another opportunity to prove himself, but he failed again, lied about it, and was judged. Saul had a habit of substituting saying for doing and of making excuses instead of confessing his sins. No matter what happened, any negative consequence was always someone else’s fault. Saul was more concerned about looking good before the people than being good before God. Consider the stages in this event that cost Saul the kingdom and eventually his life.

Some people find it difficult to believe that God would command an entire nation to be destroyed just because of what their ancestors had done centuries before. Some of these critics may depend more on sentiment than on spiritual truth, not realizing how longsuffering the Lord had been with these nations and how unspeakably wicked they were (vv. , ; ).

Serving God acceptably involves doing the will of God in the right way, at the right time, and for the right motive. God had given Saul another chance, and he had failed miserably. No wonder his mentor Samuel was angry and brokenhearted. Saul was God’s choice for king, and Samuel wanted him to succeed. In the end, Saul’s failure to exterminate all the Amalekites resulted in his own death ().

Saul’s greeting was sheer hypocrisy. He had no blessing to give Samuel, and he had not performed the will of the Lord. First he lied to himself in thinking he could get away with the deception; then he lied to Samuel who already knew the truth. He even tried to lie to God by saying he would use the spared animals for sacrifices!

Saul had once been a modest young man (), but now for the second time he had willfully disobeyed the Lord’s will and even erected a monument in honor of the event. He was supposed to annihilate a nation that for centuries had done evil, but he ended up doing evil himself. Confronted with this accusation, Saul began to argue with God’s servant and deny that he had done anything wrong.

King Saul now moves from “But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord” (v. ) to “I have sinned.” This was not a true expression of repentance and sorrow for sin, however, because when he repeated it later, he added, “Honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel” (v. ).

The Word of God simply had not penetrated Saul’s mind and heart, and he continued to worry about maintaining his reputation rather than getting right with the Lord. Why Samuel changed his mind and decided to worship with Saul is a bit of a mystery, but Samuel’s actions after that left no doubt where he stood with reference to the king.

Had an election been held in Israel to choose a replacement for King Saul, the people probably would not have chosen David—but he was God’s first choice. “He chose His servant David, calling him from the sheep pens. He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—God’s own people, Israel” (, ).

David himself would make Bethlehem a famous place, and so would Jesus, the Son of David, who would be born there as the Scriptures promised (; ). Bethlehem means “house of bread,” and there the Living Bread from heaven came to dwell in human flesh.

Before the guests sat down to enjoy the fellowship feast, Samuel looked over seven of Jesse’s sons, thinking that the whole family was present; but he was operating by sight and not by faith.

No doubt no other family in Bethlehem could boast having seven such brothers, men of strength and stature; yet none of them was God’s chosen king! Samuel may have looked at their faces and forms, but the Lord examined their hearts. God alone can search the human heart and know a person’s true character and motives (; ; ; ).

So insignificant was David in the family that Jesse didn’t even call him from the flock to the feast! Saul was hiding among the baggage when Samuel called for him, but David was busy caring for his father’s sheep. In Old Testament times, kings and their officers were looked upon as “shepherds” of the people (see ; ), and David was a man with the heart of a shepherd (see ; ; ). God’s church today is a flock, and each spiritual leader needs to have the heart of a shepherd, lovingly caring for God’s lambs and sheep (; ; ).

You can drive cattle, but you have to lead sheep or they will scatter. The shepherd must know his sheep individually, love them, and take care of them according to their needs. For the most part, sheep are defenseless and do not see well, so they depend on the shepherd to guide and protect them.

David had been faithful as a servant over a few things, and God promoted him to being a ruler over many things—from a flock to a whole nation ()! Unlike Saul, David could be trusted with exercising authority because he had been under authority and had proven himself faithful.

In Scripture, only prophets, priests, and kings were anointed, and the anointing had to be performed by a person authorized by the Lord. In biblical imagery, oil can symbolize the Holy Spirit and the endowment of His power upon His servants (). Without the power of the Spirit, the servant of God is helpless to do the will of God and glorify Christ. As we abide in Christ, we receive the power we need, for Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing” ().

Saul’s attendants knew that something was seriously wrong with their master, and they rightly attributed it to the attacks of an evil spirit. God had permitted this spirit to trouble Saul (vv. , ; ; ) as part of His discipline because of the king’s rebellion. By nature, Saul was a suspicious and revengeful man, and this gave the evil spirit a beachhead for his operations ().

“The Lord is with him,” reported one of Saul’s servants. David knew his gifts (see ), and he experienced the power of God in using these gifts in his daily life. He loved the Lord and worshiped Him, and he surrendered himself to do the work God had called him to do. As long as he followed the Lord, God blessed and used him for His glory.

Goliath is described as standing nine feet, nine inches tall, wearing a coat of mail that weighed 125 pounds and carrying a spear that weighed 15 pounds. He was a formidable opponent indeed.

David’s response to Goliath’s arrogant speech was that of total disgust. Who was this uncircumcised Philistine to blaspheme the name of the God of Israel? Keep in mind that David was too young to serve in the army, but he was acting as though anybody in the camp who had faith in Jehovah could challenge Goliath and defeat him!

Whenever you step out by faith to fight the enemy, somebody will always be there to try to discourage you, often someone in your own home. David didn’t allow Eliab’s harsh words to discourage him, for he knew that God could help him defeat the giant.

Catalyst

When we walk by sight, we calculate everything from the human perspective, and this always leads to discouragement. But when we walk by faith, God comes into the equation, and that changes the results. From the human perspective, Goliath looked like a giant too big and powerful to defeat; but from David’s godly perspective, Goliath looked like a target too big to miss! David’s encouragement came from God, and this is one of the secrets of his life. “But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God” (). Despite criticism and discouraging counsel and bad advice, David trusted the Lord his God; and God rewarded his faith.

Today you will consider reasons to live by faith or by sight. Life is a continual presentation of choices. When we choose to live by sight, transformation goes in the direction of ineffectiveness, immobility, and insignificance. But when we choose to live by faith, trusting in God to direct our lives, transformation goes in the direction of godly usefulness, action, and significance. Whatever giants you face right now, take a moment to look higher and see that they are dwarfed by the God who cares for you and loves you.

Go to the

David had experienced the power of God, and he knew that the Lord could turn weakness into power. Saul knew nothing personally about this wonderful power of God, so he advised David to wear his armor. Saul didn’t have the faith to believe that God could do something new, so he suggested the old-fashioned, time-honored method of warfare.

God wants to use His people to magnify His name to all the nations of the earth. The very weapon that David used—a sling—was a shepherd’s weapon, almost the toy of a child; yet God used it to defeat the giant and rout the Philistine army. The Lord doesn’t need swords and spears but can deliver His people in His own way through the humblest of means. No wonder David and Jonathan became such fast friends, for they both had faith in a mighty God and wanted to fight His battles to glorify Him (; ; ).

Jonathan had to be at least twenty years old to be in his father’s army, and the fact that Jonathan was already commanding one-third of that army and had won two great victories (; .) indicates that he was a seasoned soldier and not a callow adolescent. Some biblical chronologists calculate that the age difference between David and Jonathan could have been twenty-five to twenty-eight years. When Jonathan gave his official garments and his armor to David, making him a friend and equal, Jonathan was acknowledging that David would one day take his place, indicating that David must have told Jonathan about his anointing.

How we respond to praise reveals what we’re made of and whether or not we’re ready to take on new responsibilities. If praise humbles us, then God can use us. If praise puffs us up, however, we’re not yet ready for a promotion.

Envy is a dangerous and insidious enemy, a cancer that slowly eats out our inner life and leads us to say and do terrible things. rightly calls it “rottenness to the bones.” Envy is the pain we feel within when somebody achieves or receives what we think belongs to us. Envy is the sin of successful people who can’t stand to see others reach the heights they have reached and eventually replace them. Envy easily leads to anger, and anger is often the first step toward murder ().

Possessed by anger and envy, and determined to hold on to his crown, Saul decided that young David had to be killed. Instead of eliminating David or diminishing his popularity, Saul’s scheme only made David a greater hero to the people. This increased Saul’s fear of David even more.

Saul demanded an impossible feat. The king had promised to give one of his daughters in marriage to the man who killed Goliath (), but this promise had not yet been fulfilled. The details aren’t given, but it seems that David had to fight a certain number of battles for Merab; of course, the king was hoping that David would be slain during one of those battles. David humbly declined the offer, however, saying that his family wasn’t worthy to be related to the king, so Saul gave Merab to another suitor.

Saul happily discovered that his younger daughter Michal was in love with David! David put the king’s messengers off by telling the truth: He was from a lowly family and he didn’t have any money to pay the bride price (; ). Saul, the devious king, saw in it a great opportunity to attack his enemies and get rid of David at the same time. Saul told his servants to tell David that all that the king required for a bride price was 100 foreskins from the “uncircumcised Philistines.” Saul was certain that at some point in this endeavor, David would meet his death.

Saul was now through with behind-the-scenes plots and was out to destroy David in the quickest way possible, and he ordered Jonathan and the royal attendants to join him in his endeavor. The hope of Israel lay in the heart and ministry of David, and yet Saul wanted to kill him!

Surely Saul knew that Jonathan would pass the word along to his beloved friend David, but perhaps that’s what the king desired. If he couldn’t kill David, perhaps he could so frighten him that he would leave the land and never be seen again. Had Jonathan been a selfish man, he could have helped to eliminate David and secure the crown for himself, but he submitted to the will of God and assisted David.

, Jonathan presented his father with two arguments: (1) David was innocent and not deserving of death, and (2) David had served Saul faithfully by winning great victories against Israel’s enemies. David was a valuable man to have around and had never sinned against the king. Jonathan walked the fine line between being a loyal son and a loyal friend.

David’s faith was in the Lord, for only God could be his defense and his refuge. This doesn’t mean that David rejected any plans for escape, because the Lord uses human means to accomplish His divine ends. It does mean, however, that David’s faith was not in himself or in Michal’s schemes, but in the Lord of the armies of Israel.

What Michal was doing with an image (teraphim) is a mystery. Evidently Michal was still depending on idols while married to a man after God’s own heart, and like her father, she was a schemer.

David fled to Ramah to find Samuel, a godly friend he knew he could depend on, and Samuel took him to the fellowship of the prophets where they could worship God and seek His face. The word naioth means “dwellings” and was probably a section in Ramah where the “school of the prophets” assembled.

Saul had had a similar experience after Samuel had anointed him king (). These two events prove that a person can have a remarkable religious experience and yet have no change in character. In Saul’s case, both experiences were actually sent by the Lord, but Saul didn’t profit from them. Special religious manifestations aren’t evidences that a person is even saved ().

David and Jonathan stand out as examples of devoted friends. Jonathan had the more difficult situation because he wanted to be loyal to his father while at the same time being a friend to the next king of Israel. Conflict of loyalties, especially in the family, is one of the most painful difficulties we face in the life of faith (), but Christ calls for supreme devotion to Him and His will for our lives.

Jonathan’s reply sounds rather naive, especially in the light of Saul’s statement in and his behavior at Ramah. Jonathan mistakenly thought that his own relationship to his father was closer than it really was and that Saul would confide in him; but subsequent events proved him wrong, for Saul would even try to kill Jonathan!

David was silent while Jonathan reviewed the covenant they had made with each other (). Jonathan even took an oath and promised to give David the correct message on the third day of the feast, so he would know whether the king was friendly or angry.

Jonathan reaffirmed his oath and included the whole house of David, and he asked David to repeat his covenant oath as well. The text makes no mention of the offering of a covenant sacrifice () or the signing of a covenant document, because the love the two men had for the Lord and each other was sufficient.

When the men met for their meal the second day, again David was missing, which suggested to Saul that his son-in-law’s absence was caused by something more serious than simple ritual defilement. An unclean person could remove the defilement in a day, but David had been missing for two days.

When hateful feelings are in the heart, angry words come easily out of the mouth (, ). Saul had probably been brooding over how David had insulted him by refusing to attend the feast, and the longer he brooded, the more the fire raged within.

Saul’s great concern was the preservation of the kingdom that the Lord had already taken from him. God had clearly stated that none of Saul’s sons would ever inherit the throne and that David was His choice to be king, so Saul was fighting the will of God and asking Jonathan to do the same thing.

, This was not Jonathan and David’s last meeting (see ), but it was certainly a profoundly emotional farewell. They both wept, but David wept the most. He didn’t know how many years of exile lay before him, and perhaps he might never see his beloved friend again. Eastern peoples aren’t ashamed to weep, embrace, and kiss one another when they meet or when they part (; ).

David’s flight to Nob marked the beginning of an exile that lasted about ten years (). Not all of David’s wilderness experiences are recorded, but enough history has been given to show us that he was a man of faith and courage.

Because of his friendship with Samuel, David knew he would find refuge and help among the priests in Nob. Also, he had a strong personal devotion to the sanctuary of the Lord (). Ahimelech knew David’s reputation and position and wondered why he was traveling without a royal entourage.

David needed food, so Ahimelech gave him the sacred loaves from the tabernacle, food that was reserved only for the priests (). If the people had been bringing their tithes to the tabernacle as the law commanded, more food would have been available, but it was a time of spiritual decline in the land. Jesus used this incident to teach a lesson on true obedience and spiritual discernment (; ; ).

and both came out of this bizarre experience. is David’s prayer for God’s help when the situation became dangerous, and is his hymn of praise after God had delivered him. Although these psalms mention “fear” (, ) and deliverance from trouble (, , ). David learned that the fear of the Lord conquers every other fear (). The Lord was indeed merciful to David, to enable him to escape to his own land. No matter how we feel or how dismal the circumstances appear, the safest place in the world is in the will of God.

All of David’s family joined him at the cave, which meant that his brothers deserted Saul’s army and became fugitives like David. They knew that David was God’s anointed king, so they linked up with the future of the nation. Many others saw in David the only hope for a successful kingdom, so they came to him as well: those who were in distress because of Saul, those in debt, and those discontented because of the way Saul was ruining the nation.

True leaders attract the best people who see in the leader those qualities of character that they most admire. The people around David would never have been noticed in history were it not for their association with him, just as our Lord’s disciples would have died unknown had they not walked with Jesus. God usually doesn’t call the great and the powerful to be His servants, but those who have a heart for Him and an eagerness to obey His will.

In the days of Moses, the Moabites were not a people favored by the Israelites (). But David’s great-grandmother Ruth came from Moab (), and this may have helped David to gain their support.

The prophet Gad warned David that the wilderness fortress wasn’t safe and that he should return to the land of Judah, so he relocated in the forest of Hereth in the vicinity of the cave of Adullam Hereth, which means “thicket.”

Saul reminded the men that he was king and therefore was the only one who could reward them for their faithful service. David attracted men who were willing to risk their lives for him, but Saul had to use bribery and fear to keep his forces together. Neither genuine love nor genuine loyalty is for sale.

Saul was actually conducting an illegal trial, presenting four charges: Ahimelech gave David bread, provided him with a weapon, and inquired of God for him; therefore, he was part of David’s “conspiracy” to kill Saul so he could become king. Never was Saul’s paranoia more evident or more dangerous.

No evidence was presented that Ahimelech had ever committed a capital crime, but Saul announced that he and his household must die. Even if the high priest had been guilty, which he was not, punishing the whole family for the father’s crime was illegal ().

While this unjust trial and illegal sentence disturbs us, we must keep in mind that it was part of God’s plan. This slaughter of the priests was a partial fulfillment of the ominous prophecy that had been given to unfaithful Eli (; ), for God promised to replace the house of Eli with the house of Zadok (, ; ).

The only survivor of the massacre at Nob was Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech, who then became the high priest. He knew that his only hope was to join David, so he fled to Keilah where David was now camped (). David took the blame for the slaughter of the priests, but he also took the responsibility of caring for Abiathar and making sure he was safe.

Spies of both David and Saul were active in the land, and David’s spies reported that the Philistines were attacking Keilah. David paused to determine the will of God, a practice every leader needs to imitate because our own personal interests can easily get in the way of God’s will.

Saul was not only willing to slaughter the priests of Nob, but he would have destroyed his own people in the city of Keilah just to lay hands on David. People who are controlled by malice and hatred quickly lose their perspective and begin to abuse their authority.

The Lord warned David to get out of the city because the people were prepared to turn him over to the king. No doubt the people of Keilah were afraid that if they didn’t cooperate with Saul, he would massacre them as he did the people in Nob. David recalled how pained he was because of the tragedy at Nob, and he didn’t want another city wiped out because of him.

Ziph was a town fifteen miles southeast of Keilah in “the hill country” which was part of “the wilderness” of Judah. This is a destitute area adjacent to the Dead Sea where David’s faith and courage were greatly tested.

David’s beloved friend Jonathan risked his life to visit David in the wilderness, and he “strengthened [David’s] hand in God.” This was their last recorded meeting. Jonathan isn’t mentioned again in 1 Samuel until , where we’re told he died on the battlefield. Genuine friendships are rare, so they should be enjoyed and treasured.

The Lord was in control, and he brought the Philistines to attack somewhere in Judah, so Saul and his men had to abandon the attack on David. This was a close call for David, but God kept his promises. To commemorate this great escape, the Israelites called the place Sela-hammahlekoth, which means “the Rock of Escape.” The Hebrew carries the idea of “a smooth rock” and therefore “a slippery rock,” in other words, “the rock of slipping away.” David quickly moved from Maon to En Gedi, next to the Dead Sea, a place of safety with an ample water supply.

David and his men were hiding in a large cave—that area has many—when Saul chose to use that very cave as a place where he could relieve himself. The Law of Moses was very strict regarding matters of sanitation. This meant that Saul was away from the camp and therefore quite vulnerable. The fact that he walked right into David’s hiding place proved that God was in control.

David never planned to kill Saul, for he was sure that the Lord would remove him from the scene in His own way and His own time ().

By using the title “my lord the king” and bowing to the earth, David emphasized what he had said to his men and let Saul know that he was not a rebel. Even if you can’t respect the man or woman in office, you must show respect to the office (; ).

The piece of cloth was proof that David did not intend to kill the king and that the flatterers in the court were all liars. David’s men would have killed Saul in a moment, but their wise captain restrained them. Leaders must know how to interpret events and respond in the right way.

King Saul once again revealed his confused mental state by lifting up his voice and calling to David, who had certainly spoken long enough for Saul to discern that this was indeed his son-in-law. As for Saul’s weeping, he had manifested temporary emotional reactions like that before, but they never brought about repentance or a change of heart.

David had won many battles, but one of his greatest victories occurred in that cave when he restrained himself and his men from killing Saul. “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (). This is a good example for all to follow, but especially those the Lord has entrusted with leadership.

The death of Samuel, Israel’s prophet and judge, is mentioned twice in the book (see ). Both references state that all Israel mourned his death and gathered to bury him. Of course, not every Israelite attended the funeral service, but the leaders of the tribes were present to pay their last respects to a great man. Samuel’s faith and courage had helped the nation transition from political disunity to a somewhat united monarchy.

Samuel didn’t prepare an elaborate tomb for himself at some important public place, but instead asked to be buried at his own house in Ramah, probably in the garden or in a courtyard. In his pride, King Saul had prepared a public monument to himself at Carmel (). But Samuel, who truly deserved recognition, humbly asked to be laid to rest at his own home.

During David’s previous stay in the wilderness of Maon (.), which is in the vicinity of Carmel, his men had been a wall of protection for Nabal’s flocks and those caring for them. Nabal was a very wealthy man, but he was not generous. David hoped that Nabal would reward him and his men for their service.

The name “Caleb” also means “a dog,” so perhaps the writer was conveying this meaning as well. The man was like a stubborn vicious animal that nobody could safely approach (v. ). One of his own servants and his own wife both said of him, “he is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him . . . folly is with him” (vv. , ).

David’s anger got the best of him. Not stopping to consult the Lord, he rushed out to satisfy his passion for revenge. Had David succeeded, he would have committed a terrible sin and done great damage to his character and his career. Mercifully, the Lord stopped him.

Abigail put together enough food for David’s men but said nothing to her husband. She was the mistress of the house and could dispose of the family provisions as she saw fit, even to the extent of sharing it with others. She wasn’t stealing from her husband; she was paying a debt that he refused to pay.

In the rest of her speech, Abigail focused on David and the Lord and not on David and Nabal, and her emphasis was on David’s future. By now David was calming down and starting to realize that he was in the presence of a remarkable woman. She pointed out that the Lord had stopped David from avenging himself, and David admitted this was true.

David wrote in , “Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.” How we receive reproof and counsel is a test of our relationship to God and our willingness to live by His Word. David admitted that he was wrong, the Lord forgave him, and the Lord worked out the problem for him.

In marrying Abigail, David not only acquired a good wife, but he also got possession of all of Nabal’s wealth and property, which was situated near Hebron, where David later established his royal residence (; ).

Abishai was sure that God wanted him to kill Saul and put an end to his selfish rule and relentless persecution of Israel’s true king, but David stopped him. David had settled this matter in the cave () and had no need to consider it again.

David knew that laying hands on God’s anointed was wrong, even though the king wasn’t serving as God wanted him to serve. David might not have been able to respect the man, but he did respect the office and the God who had given that office to Saul.

, Saul lapsed into one of his sentimental moods (see ) and confessed that he was a fool and a sinner. He promised that he wouldn’t harm David, but David didn’t believe him. David’s only reply was, “Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it.” When David had cut Saul’s robe in the cave, he had reminded Saul that his kingdom would be severed from him. But in taking the spear, David humiliated the king by robbing him of the symbol of his authority.

David spared Saul’s life twice, and David knew that the Lord would reward him for what he had done (). But David didn’t expect Saul to value his life as he had valued Saul’s life, because he knew Saul couldn’t be trusted. Rather, he asked that the Lord reward him with protection and safety just as he had protected the king (see ).

These are the last recorded words of Saul to David, a statement that affirms the greatness of David’s deeds and the certainty of his kingship. The two men parted, Saul heading for ultimate disgrace and death, and David to ultimate glory and victory. One day David would look back on those difficult years and see in his painful experiences only the goodness and mercy of the Lord ().

David had been a fugitive for about seven years when he decided to flee to Gath, even though he had every reason to stay in the land and continue to trust God for protection and provision. But the idea of leaving Israel had probably been in his mind (). God’s children must be careful not to yield to despondency. Moses was discouraged over his heavy workload and wanted to die (), and Elijah ran from the place of duty because of fear and discouragement (). When we start to look at God through our circumstances instead of looking at our circumstances through God’s eyes, we will lose faith, patience, and courage, and the enemy will triumph. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” ().

David didn’t want to stay in Gath because there the king and his officers could investigate what he was doing, so he requested that the king give him and his people a city of their own. He was very diplomatic in the way he phrased his request, humbling himself before the king (saying, basically “I am not worthy to live in the royal city”) and assuring Achish that his services were always available.

Achish thought that David and his band were attacking cities and towns in Judah when really they were raiding the towns and camps of the allies of Achish! David was wiping out the people that Joshua and his successors had failed to exterminate when they had entered the land, following the orders given by Moses in .

Saul attempted to get in touch with the Lord through dreams, but he received no answer. He had no prophet with him, as David did (), and David also had a priest with an ephod (). The “Urim” mentioned in must refer to a new ephod that somebody had made for Saul because the ephod from the tabernacle was with David. No matter what means Saul tried, he received no answer from God. Not to hear from God is like death (, ).

The information in verse about Saul putting away the people involved in spiritistic practices prepares us for the shock of Saul seeking for a spirit medium to assist him. The law of Moses condemns all forms of spiritism (; ; ; ), so Saul was right in having these people expelled—but he was wrong to seek their help. In doing so, he was both a deliberate sinner and a hypocrite.

, The woman was no fool. She wanted to be sure this wasn’t a trap to catch her and condemn her, because spiritism was a capital crime in Israel. Saul took an oath using the name of the Lord whose law he was breaking, that she would not be prosecuted, so she agreed to cooperate. Saul not only violated the law himself, but he also encouraged the woman to violate it.

The plain meaning of the text seems to indicate that Samuel did, in fact, appear to the woman, but she was shocked when it happened. Samuel didn’t come up from the realm of the dead because of this woman’s ability or skill but because the Lord willed it to happen. This was not a demon imitating Samuel or the medium using clever tricks; otherwise the woman wouldn’t have been shocked.

, The woman must have been fairly well-to-do to have a fattened calf readily available, because this was the diet of the wealthy and a rare delicacy for the common people. Indeed, the meal was fit for a king, but it was also Saul’s “last supper” before leaving this life.

We can’t help but feel sorry for Saul; yet at the same time, we must admit that he brought his plight on himself. Had Saul obeyed the Lord, he wouldn’t have lost the kingdom; had he stopped pursuing David and invested his time developing his army, he would have been better equipped to meet the Philistines at Jezreel. Despite all the blessings God gave to Saul and all the opportunities to grow spiritually, Saul was unprepared to lead, unprepared to fight, and unprepared to die.

This is the battle in which Saul and his sons were killed (), and it was the providential hand of the Lord that kept David and his men from having to participate. Achish assured David that he and his men were expected to fight alongside the Philistine troops, but David’s reply was evasive: “Surely you know what your servant can do” ().

, This question must have shocked Achish because he had the utmost confidence in David. He hastened to assure his commanders that he had watched David for over a year, in fact, from the first day David left Saul (), and he trusted him.

The Lord was gracious to deliver David and his men from participating in this battle. But God isn’t obligated to step in and extricate his people from situations caused by their own sinful decisions—we reap what we sow. In later years, David suffered from being deceived by members of his staff and even his own family.

The Amalekite leaders knew that David was at Gath and that all attention was focused on the confrontation between Israel and the Philistines. This was a perfect time to retaliate against David for his raids and to pick up some booty as well. Since most of the men were with David, the residents of Ziklag could put up no resistance, and the invaders simply kidnapped the people and took whatever wealth they could find.

Their city was burned, their wealth had been confiscated, and their wives and children had been kidnapped. Only because of the Lord’s mercy did the Amalekites spare the lives of the women and children, for in their raids David and his men had certainly killed their share of enemy women and children ().

We don’t blame the men for being grieved, but we question their allowing their hearts to run ahead of their heads. David knew that the encouragement he needed could only come from the Lord.

The slave’s master must have been an important man because his servant knew the plans of the Amalekite raiding party and could lead David to their camp. The master hoped that the man would die, but the Lord kept him alive so David could rescue the families that had been kidnapped.

David and his men killed all the Amalekites, except 400 young men who escaped, rescued all the people who had been kidnapped, and recovered all the belongings that had been taken from Ziklag. David’s victory was total and profitable because David took the wealth and booty of the Amalekites and claimed it for himself.

God encouraged David so that he didn’t despair but trusted the Lord to help him. Whenever a crisis comes, we need the courage to face it, and we must not try to blame others or pretend that nothing is wrong. The Lord also gave David wisdom to know what to do and the strength to do it.

, David politely laid down the rule in his army that all the spoils would be divided among all the men, including those who hadn’t actually fought the enemy. After all, God had given them the victory, so nobody had the right to claim the spoils for himself as if the Lord owed it to him. God was gracious and generous to deliver the enemy into their hands, and they should be gracious and generous to share the wealth with others.

David returned to Ziklag to await news of the battle between Israel and the Philistines. He was sure he wouldn’t have to wait there very long, and he was right, for the news came on the third day (, ). After he heard the report of the death of Saul and his sons, he sought God’s guidance, and the Lord sent him to Hebron (). David reigned over Judah for seven and a half years, and Hebron was his capital city ().

Saul’s soldiers were no match for the Philistine army with its large divisions and its many chariots. Some of the men deserted and many others died on the battlefield. The Philistines preferred to fight on level ground because they depended on their chariots, while Israel tried to lure them into the hill country around Mount Gilboa. Without Samuel’s prayers and David’s anointed leadership, the army of Israel was destined for defeat.

, One of the first rules of ancient warfare was, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king” (see ). The Philistines were notorious for abusing and humiliating victims, especially officers and kings. Saul feared that he would be tortured to death; so when the young man failed to respond to his plea, he fell on his sword and died. The young man immediately took his own life, and eventually all of Saul’s bodyguards and officers around him met their deaths. It was total victory for the Philistines.

For an Israelite not to receive proper burial was both humiliating and sacrilegious, and for the body to be mutilated and then exposed was even more scandalous. The Philistines were letting their people and their idols know that they had won a great victory over their chief enemy, the people of Israel. They wrongly concluded that Dagon had triumphed over Jehovah!

These valiant men traveled about twenty miles at night to the city of Beth Shan and took possession of the four mutilated and decaying bodies. In order to make this trip, they had to cross the Jordan River and go through enemy territory. Saul hadn’t been a spiritual leader, but he was a courageous leader and the first king of Israel. Even if we can’t respect the man, we must show respect for the office.

, The men burned the bodies to remove the mutilated and decayed flesh, and they left the bones for burial. They didn’t cremate the bodies, because cremation wasn’t a Jewish practice. In times of emergency, the Israelites would burn corpses that were so mutilated and decayed they couldn’t be properly washed and anointed for burial; then they would give honorable burial to the bones.

1 Samuel 1

1:1 , ;

1:1 ,

1:1

1:1 Spelled Eliel in

1:1 Spelled Toah in

1:2

1:3

1:3 ;

1:3

1:4 ,

1:5 ; ,

1:6

1:8

1:9

1:9 Hebrew heykal, palace or temple

1:10

1:11

1:11

1:11

1:11

1:15 ;

1:16

1:16 Literally daughter of Belial

1:17

1:17

1:18

1:18

1:19

1:19 ;

1:20 Literally Heard by God

1:21

1:22

1:22 ,

1:22

1:23 , ,

1:23 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, and Syriac read your.

1:24 ,

1:24

1:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, and Syriac read a three-year-old bull.

1:25

1:26 , , ;

1:27 []

1:28 ,

1 Samuel 2

2:1

2:1

2:1 ; , ; ;

2:1 ; ;

2:1 That is, strength

2:2

2:2

2:2 , ,

2:3

2:3

2:4 ;

2:5

2:5

2:6

2:7 ,

2:7

2:8

2:8

2:8

2:9 []

2:9 []

2:10

2:10 ,

2:10 ;

2:10 []

2:10 ,

2:10

2:12

2:12

2:12 Literally sons of Belial

2:14

2:15 ,

2:17

2:17 []

2:18 ;

2:18

2:19 ,

2:20

2:20 , ,

2:21

2:21 ;

2:22

2:22 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint omit the rest of this verse.

2:25 ; ,

2:25

2:25

2:26

2:26

2:27

2:27 ;

2:28 ,

2:28

2:29

2:29

2:29

2:30

2:30 ,

2:30

2:31 ,

2:32

2:34

2:34 ,

2:35

2:35

2:35

2:36

1 Samuel 3

3:1 ,

3:1

3:2

3:3 ,

3:3 Hebrew heykal, palace or temple

3:7

3:9

3:11

3:12

3:13

3:13

3:13 , ,

3:13 ,

3:14 ,

3:15 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint adds and he arose in the morning.

3:17

3:18

3:19

3:19 ; ; , ,

3:19

3:20

3:21 ,

1 Samuel 4

4:1

4:1 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint and Vulgate add And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight; Septuagint adds further against Israel.

4:2

4:3

4:4

4:4

4:4

4:7

4:9

4:9

4:10 ,

4:11 ,

4:11

4:12

4:12

4:13 ;

4:13 Following Masoretic Text and Vulgate; Septuagint reads beside the gate watching the road.

4:15

4:16

4:20

4:21

4:21 ;

4:21 Literally Inglorious

1 Samuel 5

5:1 ;

5:2

5:2 A Philistine idol

5:3 ; ,

5:3

5:4

5:4 Following Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate; Masoretic Text reads Dagon.

5:5

5:6

5:6

5:6 ;

5:6 ,

5:6 Probably bubonic plague. Septuagint and Vulgate add here And in the midst of their land rats sprang up, and there was a great death panic in the city.

5:7

5:8

5:8

5:9

5:12

1 Samuel 6

6:2

6:3

6:3 ,

6:4 , , ;

6:5

6:5

6:5 ,

6:5 , ,

6:6 ; ; ;

6:6

6:7

6:7

6:8 ,

6:9 ;

6:9

6:12

6:13

6:16

6:17

6:17

6:19

6:19

6:19 Or He struck seventy men of the people and fifty oxen of a man

6:20

6:21 ,

1 Samuel 7

7:1

7:1 ,

7:1

7:3

7:3

7:3

7:3

7:3

7:3 Canaanite goddesses

7:4 ;

7:4 Canaanite goddesses

7:5 ;

7:5

7:6

7:6 ,

7:6

7:8

7:9

7:9

7:10 ,

7:12 ;

7:12 Literally Stone of Help

7:13

7:13

7:15

7:17

7:17

1 Samuel 8

8:1

8:1 ,

8:1

8:3

8:3

8:3

8:5 ,

8:6

8:6

8:7

8:7

8:9

8:11

8:11

8:11

8:12

8:14

8:16 Septuagint reads cattle.

8:18

8:19

8:20

8:22

1 Samuel 9

9:1 ;

9:2

9:4

9:5

9:5

9:6

9:6

9:7 ;

9:9

9:9

9:11

9:12

9:12

9:15

9:16

9:16

9:16 ; ,

9:17

9:20

9:20 , ;

9:21

9:21

9:21

9:21 Literally tribes

9:24 ,

9:25

9:25 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint omits He spoke with Saul on the top of the house; Septuagint and Vulgate add And he prepared a bed for Saul on the top of the house, and he slept.

1 Samuel 10

10:1 ,

10:1

10:1

10:1

10:1 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint reads His people Israel; and you shall rule the people of the Lord; Septuagint and Vulgate add And you shall deliver His people from the hands of their enemies all around them. And this shall be a sign to you, that God has anointed you to be a prince.

10:2 ;

10:2

10:2

10:3 ; , ,

10:5 ,

10:5 ,

10:5

10:6 ,

10:6 ; ,

10:7

10:7

10:8 , ;

10:8

10:10

10:10

10:11

10:12 ,

10:14

10:16

10:17

10:17 ,

10:18 ,

10:19 , ;

10:19 Literally thousands

10:20 ,

10:22 , , ,

10:23

10:24

10:24 ,

10:25

10:26

10:27

10:27

10:27 ;

1 Samuel 11

11:1

11:1

11:1

11:2

11:4 ;

11:4 ; , ;

11:6 ; ; ; ;

11:7

11:7 , ,

11:8

11:8

11:11

11:11 ,

11:12

11:12

11:13

11:13 ,

11:14 ;

11:15

11:15

1 Samuel 12

12:1 , , , ,

12:1 ; ,

12:2

12:2 ,

12:3 ;

12:3

12:3

12:3

12:4

12:5 ;

12:5

12:6

12:7

12:7

12:8 ,

12:8

12:8 ;

12:8 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint adds and the Egyptians afflicted them.

12:9

12:9

12:9 ; ;

12:9

12:10

12:10 ;

12:10 Canaanite goddesses

12:11

12:11

12:11 Syriac reads Deborah; Targum reads Gideon.

12:11 Septuagint and Syriac read Barak; Targum reads Simson.

12:11 Syriac reads Simson.

12:12 ,

12:12 , ,

12:12

12:13

12:13 ; ,

12:13

12:14

12:15

12:15

12:16 ,

12:17

12:17 []

12:17

12:17

12:18

12:19

12:20

12:21

12:21

12:22

12:22

12:22

12:22

12:23

12:23

12:23

12:24

12:24

12:24

12:25

12:25

1 Samuel 13

13:1 The Hebrew is difficult (compare ; ; see also ; ).

13:2 ,

13:2

13:2

13:3

13:3

13:5

13:5

13:5 Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate; Syriac and some manuscripts of the Septuagint read three.

13:6

13:7

13:8

13:13

13:13 , ,

13:14 ;

13:14

13:14 ;

13:14 ,

13:15 , , ;

13:15 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint and Vulgate add And the rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the people who fought against them, going from Gilgal to Gibeah in the hill of Benjamin.

13:17

13:18 ; ,

13:18

13:19

13:21 About two-thirds shekel weight

13:22

13:23 ,

1 Samuel 14

14:2 ,

14:3 , ,

14:3

14:3

14:4

14:6 ,

14:6 ,

14:10

14:11 ;

14:13

14:14 Literally half the area plowed by a yoke (of oxen in a day)

14:15

14:15

14:15

14:16

14:18 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint reads ephod.

14:19

14:20

14:22

14:23

14:23

14:24

14:25

14:25

14:32 , ,

14:35 ,

14:37

14:37

14:38

14:39

14:41

14:41 ,

14:41 Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint and Vulgate read Why do You not answer Your servant today? If the injustice is with me or Jonathan my son, O LORD God of Israel, give proof; and if You say it is with Your people Israel, give holiness.

14:43

14:43

14:44

14:44

14:45

14:45 []

14:47

14:47

14:47 Septuagint and Vulgate read prospered.

14:48

14:49

14:49 , ;

14:49 Called Abinadab in and

14:50

14:51 ,

14:52

1 Samuel 15

15:1 ;

15:2

15:3

15:3

15:6

15:6 ; ,

15:6 ,

15:7

15:7 ; ,

15:7

15:8 ,

15:8 ,

15:9 , ,

15:11 ,

15:11

15:11 ; ,

15:11 ;

15:12

15:13

15:15 [, ]; ,

15:17 ;

15:20

15:21

15:22 []

15:22 []

15:23 ;

15:24

15:24 [, ]

15:26

15:27 ,

15:28

15:29

15:30 [; ]

15:33 []

15:34

15:34

15:35

1 Samuel 16

16:1 ,

16:1 ;

16:1

16:1

16:2

16:4

16:4

16:5

16:6 ,

16:6

16:7

16:7 ,

16:7

16:7

16:7 Septuagint reads For God does not see as man sees; Targum reads It is not by the appearance of a man; Vulgate reads Nor do I judge according to the looks of a man.

16:11

16:11 Following Septuagint and Vulgate; Masoretic Text reads turn around; Targum and Syriac read turn away.

16:12

16:12

16:12

16:13

16:14

16:14

16:16 ;

16:18 ; ,

16:20 ,

16:21

1 Samuel 17

17:1

17:4

17:4 ,

17:8

17:9

17:10 , ,

17:12

17:12

17:12 ,

17:13 , ,

17:15 ,

17:18 ,

17:23

17:25

17:26

17:26 ;

17:26

17:26

17:27

17:28 []

17:29

17:30 ,

17:32

17:32

17:33

17:34

17:37 []

17:37 ,

17:42 []

17:42

17:43

17:44 ,

17:45 ,

17:45

17:46

17:46

17:47

17:47

17:48

17:50 ; ;

17:51

17:51

17:52

17:52 Following Masoretic Text, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint reads Gath.

17:55

17:55 ,

17:57

17:58

1 Samuel 18

18:1

18:1

18:2

18:3

18:6 ,

18:7

18:7 ;

18:8

18:8

18:10

18:10

18:10

18:10 ,

18:11 ;

18:12 ,

18:12 ,

18:12 ;

18:13

18:14

18:16

18:17 ;

18:17 , ,

18:17 ,

18:18

18:19

18:19

18:20

18:21

18:21

18:25

18:25

18:25

18:26

18:27

18:27

18:30

18:30

1 Samuel 19

19:1 ,

19:1

19:3

19:4 [, ]

19:4 []

19:5 ;

19:5 ,

19:5

19:5

19:5 []

19:7 ; , ,

19:8 ;

19:9 ; ,

19:11

19:12

19:17

19:18

19:18

19:20

19:20 , ,

19:20

19:23

19:24

19:24

19:24

19:24 Compare

1 Samuel 20

20:3

20:5 ;

20:5 ,

20:6 ;

20:7

20:7

20:8

20:8 ; ;

20:8

20:13

20:13

20:13

20:15 , , ;

20:16 ;

20:17

20:18 ,

20:19

20:21

20:23 ,

20:25 Following Masoretic Text, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint reads he sat across from Jonathan.

20:26 , ;

20:28

20:32

20:33 ;

20:33

20:42

1 Samuel 21

21:1

21:1

21:4

21:4

21:5

21:5

21:6 ,

21:6 ,

21:7 ;

21:9 ,

21:9

21:11

21:11 ;

21:11 Compare

21:12

21:13

1 Samuel 22

22:1 ;

22:1

22:2

22:2

22:3

22:5

22:6

22:7

22:8 ; ,

22:9 ;

22:9

22:9

22:10

22:10 ,

22:14 , ; ;

22:16

22:17

22:18

22:19 ,

22:20 , ;

22:20

22:23

1 Samuel 23

23:1

23:2 ,

23:5

23:6

23:9 ;

23:10

23:13 ;

23:14

23:14

23:14 ; ,

23:15 Or in Horesh

23:17 []

23:17 ;

23:18 ;

23:19

23:20

23:23 Literally thousands

23:24

23:26

23:26

23:27

23:28 Hebrew Sela Hammahlekoth

23:29

1 Samuel 24

24:1 , ,

24:2

24:3

24:3

24:3 ;

24:4

24:5

24:6

24:7 []

24:9

24:11 ;

24:11

24:12

24:13 []

24:14

24:14

24:15

24:15

24:15 ; ;

24:16

24:17

24:17

24:17 []

24:18

24:20

24:21

24:21

24:22

1 Samuel 25

25:1

25:1

25:1

25:1 Following Masoretic Text, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint reads Maon.

25:2

25:2

25:3

25:4

25:6

25:7 ,

25:8 ; ,

25:10

25:11 ,

25:13

25:15 ,

25:16

25:17

25:17

25:17 Literally son of Belial

25:18

25:19 ,

25:21

25:22 ; ,

25:22

25:22 ;

25:23

25:25 Literally Fool

25:26

25:26

25:26 []

25:26

25:27

25:28 ,

25:28

25:28

25:29 []

25:29

25:30 ;

25:32

25:33

25:34

25:34

25:35

25:35

25:36

25:38

25:39

25:39

25:39 ,

25:39

25:41 ,

25:43

25:43 ;

25:44

25:44

25:44 Spelled Paltiel in

1 Samuel 26

26:1

26:2 ;

26:5 , ;

26:6

26:6

26:6 ,

26:6 ,

26:8

26:9 ,

26:10 ,

26:10 [; ]

26:10

26:11

26:12 ;

26:17

26:18 ,

26:19 ;

26:19 ,

26:19 ;

26:20

26:21 , ;

26:23 ; ;

26:23

26:25

1 Samuel 27

27:2

27:2

27:3 ,

27:6 ;

27:7

27:8 ,

27:8

27:8 ,

27:8

27:8 Or Gezrites

27:10 ,

27:10

1 Samuel 28

28:1 ,

28:3

28:3

28:3 ,

28:4

28:4

28:5

28:6

28:6

28:6

28:7

28:8 ,

28:9

28:13

28:13 Hebrew elohim

28:14

28:15

28:15 ;

28:15

28:17

28:17 Or him, that is, David

28:18

28:18

28:19

28:21

1 Samuel 29

29:1

29:1

29:2 ;

29:2 ,

29:3

29:3

29:4

29:4

29:4

29:4 ,

29:5

29:5

29:5 Compare

29:6

29:6

29:9 , ;

29:9

29:10 ,

29:10 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint adds and go to the place which I have selected for you there; and set no bothersome word in your heart, for you are good before me. And rise on your way.

29:11

1 Samuel 30

30:1

30:1 ;

30:2 ,

30:5 ,

30:6

30:6

30:7

30:7

30:8 ,

30:10 ,

30:12

30:12

30:14

30:14 ;

30:15

30:16

30:19

30:21

30:22

30:22 Literally men of Belial

30:24

30:27

30:27 ;

30:28

30:28

30:28

30:29

30:29

30:30

30:30 Or Borashan

30:31

30:31

1 Samuel 31

31:1

31:1

31:2

31:3

31:4

31:4 ; ,

31:4

31:4 ,

31:9

31:10

31:10

31:10

31:10

31:10 Spelled Beth Shean in and elsewhere

31:11

31:12

31:12

31:13 , ;

31:13

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