1 Samuel 11:5

Contemporary English Version

Just then, Saul came in from the fields, walking behind his oxen. "Why is everyone crying?" Saul asked. They told him what the men from Jabesh had said.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind his oxen. “What’s the matter with the people? Why are they weeping?” Saul inquired, and they repeated to him the words of the men from Jabesh.

Hebrew Names Version
Behold, Sha'ul came following the oxen out of the field; and Sha'ul said, What ails the people that they weep? They told him the words of the men of Yavesh.

King James Version
And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.

Lexham English Bible
Just then, Saul was coming from the field behind the cattle. Saul said, "What is the matter with the people, that they are weeping?" So they recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

English Standard Version
Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, "What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?" So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh.

New Century Version
Saul was coming home from plowing the fields with his oxen when he heard the people crying. He asked, "What's wrong with the people that they are crying?" Then they told Saul what the messengers from Jabesh had said.

New English Translation
Now Saul was walking behind the oxen as he came from the field. Saul asked, "What has happened to the people? Why are they weeping?" So they told him about the men of Jabesh.

Amplified Bible
Now Saul was coming out of the field behind the oxen, and he said, "What is the matter with the people that they are weeping?" So they told him about the report of the men of Jabesh.

New American Standard Bible
Now behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen, and Saul said, "What is the matter with the people that they weep?" So they reported to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And behold, Saul came following the cattell out of the fielde, and Saul saide, What aileth this people, that they weepe? And they tolde him the tidings of the men of Iabesh.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen, and he said, "What is the matter with the people that they weep?" So they recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

Complete Jewish Bible
As this was going on, Sha'ul came, following the oxen out of the field. Sha'ul asked, "What's wrong with the people to make them cry like that?" They told him what the men from Yavesh had said.

Darby Translation
And behold, Saul came after the oxen from the field; and Saul said, What [aileth] the people that they weep? And they related to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

Easy-to-Read Version
Saul had been out in the field with his oxen. When he came in from the field he heard the people crying and asked, "What's wrong with the people? Why are they crying?" Then the people told Saul what the messengers from Jabesh said.

George Lamsa Translation
And, behold, Saul was coming behind the oxen from the field; and Saul said, What ails the people that they are weeping? And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.

Good News Translation
Saul was just then coming in from the field with his oxen, and he asked, "What's wrong? Why is everyone crying?" They told him what the messengers from Jabesh had reported.

Literal Translation
And, behold, Saul came behind the oxen from the field. And Saul said, What is it to the people, that they weep? And they related to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And beholde, Saul came after the oxen out of the felde, and sayde: What ayleth the people that they wepe? So they tolde him the earande of the men of Iabes.

American Standard Version
And, behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.

Bible in Basic English
Now Saul came from the field, driving the oxen before him; and he said, Why are the people weeping? And they gave him word of what the men of Jabesh had said.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And beholde, Saul came folowing the cattell out of the fielde, and Saul sayde: what alyeth this people that thei wepe? And they tolde him the tydinges of the men of Iabes.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And, behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said: 'What aileth the people that they weep?' And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.

King James Version (1611)
And behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field, and Saul sayd, What aileth the people that they weep? and they told him the tidings of the men of Iabesh.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And, behold, Saul came after the early morning out of the field: and Saul said, Why does the people week? and they tell him the words of the men of Jabis.

English Revised Version
And, behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.

Berean Standard Bible
Just then Saul was returning from the field, behind his oxen. "What troubles the people?" asked Saul. "Why are they weeping?" And they relayed to him the words of the men from Jabesh.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And lo! Saul cam, `and suede oxis fro the feeld; and he seide, What hath the puple, for it wepith? And thei telden to hym the wordis of men of Jabes.

Young's Literal Translation
and lo, Saul hath come after the herd out of the field, and Saul saith, `What -- to the people, that they weep?' and they recount to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

Update Bible Version
And, look, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said, What ails the people that they weep? And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.

Webster's Bible Translation
And behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What [aileth] the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.

World English Bible
Behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said, What ails the people that they weep? They told him the words of the men of Jabesh.

New King James Version
Now 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.

New Living Translation
Saul had been plowing a field with his oxen, and when he returned to town, he asked, "What's the matter? Why is everyone crying?" So they told him about the message from Jabesh.

New Life Bible
Now Saul was coming from the field behind the cattle, and he said, "What troubles the people? Why are they crying?" So they told him the news the men had brought from Jabesh.

New Revised Standard
Now Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen; and Saul said, "What is the matter with the people, that they are weeping?" So they told him the message from the inhabitants of Jabesh.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But lo! Saul, came in, following the oxen, out of the field, and Saul said, What aileth the people, that they should weep? Then were recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And behold Saul came, following oxen out of the field, and he said: What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the words of the men of Jabes.

Revised Standard Version
Now Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen; and Saul said, "What ails the people, that they are weeping?" So they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen, and he said, "What is the matter with the people that they weep?" So they related to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

Contextual Overview

⁵ Just then, Saul came in from the fields, walking behind his oxen. "Why is everyone crying?" Saul asked. They told him what the men from Jabesh had said. ⁶ Then the Spirit of God suddenly took control of Saul and made him furious. ⁷ Saul killed two of his oxen, cut them up in pieces, and gave the pieces to the messengers. He told them to show the pieces to everyone in Israel and say, "Saul and Samuel are getting an army together. Come and join them. If you don't, this is what will happen to your oxen!" The Lord made the people of Israel terribly afraid. So all the men came together ⁸ at Bezek. Saul had them organized and counted. There were three hundred thousand from Israel and thirty thousand from Judah. ⁹ Saul and his officers sent the messengers back to Jabesh with this promise: "We will rescue you tomorrow afternoon." The messengers went back to the people at Jabesh and told them that they were going to be rescued. Everyone was encouraged! ¹⁰ So they told the Ammonites, "We will surrender to you tomorrow, and then you can do whatever you want to." ¹¹ The next day, Saul divided his army into three groups and attacked before daylight. They started killing Ammonites and kept it up until afternoon. A few Ammonites managed to escape, but they were scattered far from each other.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

after the herd: 1 Samuel 9:1, 1 Kings 19:19, Psalms 78:71

What aileth: Genesis 21:17, Judges 18:23, Isaiah 22:1

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 6:14 - offered 1 Samuel 21:7 - herdmen

Cross-References

Genesis 11:13
Arpachshad had more children and died at the age of four hundred thirty-eight.

Genesis 11:14
When Shelah was thirty, he had a son named Eber.

Genesis 11:23
Serug had more children and died at the age of two hundred thirty.

Genesis 11:24
When Nahor was twenty-nine, he had a son named Terah.

Genesis 18:21
Now I am going down to see for myself if those people really are that bad. If they aren't, I want to know about it."

Exodus 3:8
and I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians. I will bring my people out of Egypt into a country where there is good land, rich with milk and honey. I will give them the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.

Exodus 19:11
and be ready by the day after tomorrow, when I will come down to Mount Sinai, where all of them can see me.

Exodus 19:18
Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had come down in a flaming fire. Smoke poured out of the mountain just like a furnace, and the whole mountain shook.

Exodus 19:20
The Lord came down to the top of Mount Sinai and told Moses to meet him there.

Psalms 11:4
The Lord is sitting in his sacred temple on his throne in heaven. He knows everything we do because he sees us all.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And, behold, Saul came after the herd out the field,.... Where he had been to look after the and take care of them, and see what condition they were in, and followed them on their return home; for though he was elected king, he was not inaugurated, and did not take upon him any state; and being despised by some, and no provision as yet made for his support and maintenance as a king, and no business as such for him to do, Samuel still acting in his office, he returned to his father's house, and employed himself in rustic affairs, as he used to do: though some think this was casual, that he had been in the field to recreate himself, or to meditate on the affairs of government, and happened to return just as the herd came out of the field, and so followed them; thus Jarchi interprets it not of his coming after the herd, but of his coming after the fixed and usual time of the herd's coming out of the field; but Josephus r is clear for it, that he had been about some rustic business, some part of husbandry in the field, and returned to the city; nor has it been unusual for emperors and kings, and persons in high offices among Greeks and Romans, and other nations, in times of peace, to employ themselves in husbandry; so did the judges of Israel, as Shamgar, and Gideon, and Boaz, Judges 3:31 so Quinctius Cincinnatus being taken from the plough and made dictator, after he had conquered his enemies, returned to his husbandry s:

and Saul said, what aileth the people, that they weep? he supposed some evil had befallen them, and desired to know what it was, that, if it lay in his power to help them, he might:

and they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh; the message they brought, and the account they gave of the distressed case of their city.

r Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 5.) sect. 2. s Flor. Hist. Roman. l. 1. c. 11. Aurel. Victor. de Vir. Illustr. c. 20. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 3. c. 11.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 11:5. Saul came after the herd — He had been bred up to an agricultural life, and after his consecration he returned to it, waiting for a call of Divine providence, which he considered he had now received in the message from Jabesh-gilead.

It has often been remarked, that mighty kings and accomplished generals have been chosen from among those who were engaged in agricultural concerns. In these observations one fact is lost sight of, viz., that in ancient times agriculture was the only employment. Trade and commerce were scarcely known; therefore all descriptions of official dignities must be chosen out of this class, there being no other to choose them from. We need not wonder at these words of the poet: -

Jura dabat populis posito modo consul aratro;

Pascebatque suas ipse senator oves.

"The consul, having now laid aside his plough,

gives laws to the people;

And the senator himself feeds his own sheep."

OVID, Fast. lib. i., v. 204-207.