1 Samuel 15:4

THE MESSAGE

Saul called the army together at Telaim and prepared them to go to war—two hundred companies of infantry from Israel and another ten companies from Judah. Saul marched to Amalek City and hid in the canyon.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Saul summoned the troops and counted them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah.

Hebrew Names Version
Sha'ul summoned the people, and numbered them in Tela'im, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Yehudah.

King James Version
And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

Lexham English Bible
Saul summoned the army and mustered them at Telaim; two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah.

English Standard Version
So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah.

New Century Version
So Saul called the army together at Telaim. There were two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah.

New English Translation
So Saul assembled the army and mustered them at Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.

Amplified Bible
So Saul summoned the people and numbered them at Telaim—200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.

New American Standard Bible
Then Saul summoned the people and counted them in Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Saul assembled ye people, and nombred them in Telaim, two hundreth thousande footemen, and ten thousand men of Iudah.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.

Contemporary English Version
Saul sent messengers who told every town and village to send men to join the army at Telaim. There were two hundred ten thousand troops in all, and ten thousand of these were from Judah. Saul organized them,

Complete Jewish Bible
Sha'ul summoned the people and reviewed them in T'la'im — 200,000 foot soldiers, with another 10,000 men from Y'hudah.

Darby Translation
And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

Easy-to-Read Version
Saul gathered the army together at Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 other men, including the men from Judah.

George Lamsa Translation
And Saul summoned the people to war, and he numbered them in Telaye, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah.

Good News Translation
Saul called his forces together and inspected them at Telem: there were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 from Judah.

Literal Translation
And Saul heard and mustered the people in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand were men of Judah.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Saul commaunded the people the same, and nombred them at Talaim, two hudreth thousande fote men, & ten thousande men of Iuda.

American Standard Version
And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

Bible in Basic English
And Saul sent for the people and had them numbered in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Saul gathered the people together, and numbred them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footemen, and ten thousand men of Iuda.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

King James Version (1611)
And Saul gathered the people together, and numbred them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Iudah.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Saul summoned the people, and he numbered them in Galgala, four hundred thousand regular troops, and Juda thirty thousand regular troops.

English Revised Version
And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

Berean Standard Bible
So Saul summoned the troops and numbered them at Telaim-200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Saul comaundide to the puple, and he noumbride hem as lambren twei hundrid thousynde of foot men, and ten thousynde of men of Juda.

Young's Literal Translation
And Saul summoneth the people, and inspecteth them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand [are] men of Judah.

Update Bible Version
And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Saul assembled the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

World English Bible
Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

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

New Living Translation
So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah.

New Life Bible
So Saul called the people together and numbered them in Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.

New Revised Standard
So Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers, and ten thousand soldiers of Judah.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So then Saul called together the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, - and ten thousand men of Judah.

Douay-Rheims Bible
So Saul commanded the people, and numbered them as lambs: two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand of the men of Juda.

Revised Standard Version
So Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Tela'im, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.

Contextual Overview

¹Samuel said to Saul, " God sent me to anoint you king over his people, Israel. Now, listen again to what God says. This is the God -of-the-Angel-Armies speaking: "‘I'm about to get even with Amalek for ambushing Israel when Israel came up out of Egypt. Here's what you are to do: Go to war against Amalek. Put everything connected with Amalek under a holy ban. And no exceptions! This is to be total destruction—men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys—the works.'" Saul called the army together at Telaim and prepared them to go to war—two hundred companies of infantry from Israel and another ten companies from Judah. Saul marched to Amalek City and hid in the canyon. Then Saul got word to the Kenites: "Get out of here while you can. Evacuate the city right now or you'll get lumped in with the Amalekites. I'm warning you because you showed real kindness to the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." And they did. The Kenites evacuated the place. Then Saul went after Amalek, from the canyon all the way to Shur near the Egyptian border. He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive. Everyone else was killed under the terms of the holy ban. Saul and the army made an exception for Agag, and for the choice sheep and cattle. They didn't include them under the terms of the holy ban. But all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban. Then God spoke to Samuel: "I'm sorry I ever made Saul king. He's turned his back on me. He refuses to do what I tell him." Samuel was angry when he heard this. He prayed his anger and disappointment all through the night. He got up early in the morning to confront Saul but was told, "Saul's gone. He went to Carmel to set up a victory monument in his own honor, and then was headed for Gilgal." By the time Samuel caught up with him, Saul had just finished an act of worship, having used Amalekite plunder for the burnt offerings sacrificed to God . As Samuel came close, Saul called out, " God 's blessings on you! I accomplished God 's plan to the letter!" Samuel said, "So what's this I'm hearing—this bleating of sheep, this mooing of cattle?" "Only some Amalekite loot," said Saul. "The soldiers saved back a few of the choice cattle and sheep to offer up in sacrifice to God . But everything else we destroyed under the holy ban." "Enough!" interrupted Samuel. "Let me tell you what God told me last night." Saul said, "Go ahead. Tell me." And Samuel told him. "When you started out in this, you were nothing—and you knew it. Then God put you at the head of Israel—made you king over Israel. Then God sent you off to do a job for him, ordering you, ‘Go and put those sinners, the Amalekites, under a holy ban. Go to war against them until you have totally wiped them out.' So why did you not obey God ? Why did you grab all this loot? Why, with God 's eyes on you all the time, did you brazenly carry out this evil?" Saul defended himself. "What are you talking about? I did obey God . I did the job God set for me. I brought in King Agag and destroyed the Amalekites under the terms of the holy ban. So the soldiers saved back a few choice sheep and cattle from the holy ban for sacrifice to God at Gilgal—what's wrong with that?" Then Samuel said, Do you think all God wants are sacrifices— empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production. Not doing what God tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult. Getting self-important around God is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors. Because you said No to God 's command, he says No to your kingship. Saul gave in and confessed, "I've sinned. I've trampled roughshod over God 's Word and your instructions. I cared more about pleasing the people. I let them tell me what to do. Oh, absolve me of my sin! Take my hand and lead me to the altar so I can worship God !" But Samuel refused: "No, I can't come alongside you in this. You rejected God 's command. Now God has rejected you as king over Israel." As Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed at his priestly robe and a piece tore off. Samuel said, " God has just now torn the kingdom from you, and handed it over to your neighbor, a better man than you are. Israel's God-of-Glory doesn't deceive and he doesn't dither. He says what he means and means what he says." ³ Saul tried again, "I have sinned. But don't abandon me! Support me with your presence before the leaders and the people. Come alongside me as I go back to worship God ." Samuel did. He went back with him. And Saul went to his knees before God and worshiped. Then Samuel said, "Present King Agag of Amalek to me." Agag came, dragging his feet, muttering that he'd be better off dead. Samuel said, "Just as your sword made many a woman childless, so your mother will be childless among those women!" And Samuel cut Agag down in the presence of God right there in Gilgal. Samuel left immediately for Ramah and Saul went home to Gibeah. Samuel had nothing to do with Saul from then on, though he grieved long and deeply over him. But God was sorry he had ever made Saul king in the first place. ⁴Saul called the army together at Telaim and prepared them to go to war—two hundred companies of infantry from Israel and another ten companies from Judah. Saul marched to Amalek City and hid in the canyon. ⁶ Then Saul got word to the Kenites: "Get out of here while you can. Evacuate the city right now or you'll get lumped in with the Amalekites. I'm warning you because you showed real kindness to the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." And they did. The Kenites evacuated the place. ⁷Then Saul went after Amalek, from the canyon all the way to Shur near the Egyptian border. He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive. Everyone else was killed under the terms of the holy ban. Saul and the army made an exception for Agag, and for the choice sheep and cattle. They didn't include them under the terms of the holy ban. But all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Telaim: Joshua 15:24, Telem

two: 1 Samuel 11:8, 1 Samuel 13:15

Reciprocal: Judges 20:17 - four hundred 2 Kings 3:6 - numbered

Cross-References

2 Samuel 7:12
God's Covenant with David Before long, the king made himself at home and God gave him peace from all his enemies. Then one day King David said to Nathan the prophet, "Look at this: Here I am, comfortable in a luxurious house of cedar, and the Chest of God sits in a plain tent." Nathan told the king, "Whatever is on your heart, go and do it. God is with you." But that night, the word of God came to Nathan saying, "Go and tell my servant David: This is God 's word on the matter: You're going to build a ‘house' for me to live in? Why, I haven't lived in a ‘house' from the time I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt till now. All that time I've moved about with nothing but a tent. And in all my travels with Israel, did I ever say to any of the leaders I commanded to shepherd Israel, ‘Why haven't you built me a house of cedar?' "So here is what you are to tell my servant David: The God -of-the-Angel-Armies has this word for you: I took you from the pasture, tagging along after sheep, and made you prince over my people Israel. I was with you everywhere you went and mowed your enemies down before you. Now I'm making you famous, to be ranked with the great names on earth. And I'm going to set aside a place for my people Israel and plant them there so they'll have their own home and not be knocked around any more. Nor will evil men afflict you as they always have, even during the days I set judges over my people Israel. Finally, I'm going to give you peace from all your enemies. "Furthermore, God has this message for you: God himself will build you a house! When your life is complete and you're buried with your ancestors, then I'll raise up your child, your own flesh and blood, to succeed you, and I'll firmly establish his rule. He will build a house to honor me, and I will guarantee his kingdom's rule permanently. I'll be a father to him, and he'll be a son to me. When he does wrong, I'll discipline him in the usual ways, the pitfalls and obstacles of this mortal life. But I'll never remove my gracious love from him, as I removed it from Saul, who preceded you and whom I most certainly did remove. Your family and your kingdom are permanently secured. I'm keeping my eye on them! And your royal throne will always be there, rock solid." Nathan gave David a complete and accurate account of everything he heard and saw in the vision. King David went in, took his place before God , and prayed: "Who am I, my Master God , and what is my family, that you have brought me to this place in life? But that's nothing compared to what's coming, for you've also spoken of my family far into the future, given me a glimpse into tomorrow, my Master God ! What can I possibly say in the face of all this? You know me, Master God , just as I am. You've done all this not because of who I am but because of who you are—out of your very heart!—but you've let me in on it. "This is what makes you so great, Master God ! There is none like you, no God but you, nothing to compare with what we've heard with our own ears. And who is like your people, like Israel, a nation unique in the earth, whom God set out to redeem for himself (and became most famous for it), performing great and fearsome acts, throwing out nations and their gods left and right as you saved your people from Egypt? You established for yourself a people—your very own Israel!—your people permanently. And you, God , became their God. "So now, great God , this word that you have spoken to me and my family, guarantee it permanently! Do exactly what you've promised! Then your reputation will flourish always as people exclaim, ‘The God -of-the-Angel-Armies is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant David will remain sure and solid in your watchful presence. For you, God -of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel's God, told me plainly, ‘I will build you a house.' That's how I was able to find the courage to pray this prayer to you. "And now, Master God , being the God you are, speaking sure words as you do, and having just said this wonderful thing to me, please, just one more thing: Bless my family; keep your eye on them always. You've already as much as said that you would, Master God ! Oh, may your blessing be on my family permanently!"

2 Samuel 16:11
"Besides," continued David to Abishai and the rest of his servants, "my own son, my flesh and bone, is right now trying to kill me; compared to that this Benjaminite is small potatoes. Don't bother with him; let him curse; he's preaching God 's word to me. And who knows, maybe God will see the trouble I'm in today and exchange the curses for something good."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Saul gathered the people together,.... Or "made them to hear" r, by the sound of a trumpet; or by sending heralds into all parts of the land to proclaim the above order of the Lord, and summon them to come to him, perhaps at Gilgal; so the Septuagint version, and Josephus s:

and numbered them in Telaim; thought to be the same with Telem, a place in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:24, the word signifies "lambs"; hence the Vulgate Latin version is,

"he numbered them as lambs;''

and the Jews t say, because it was forbid to number the children of Israel, which was the sin of David; therefore every man had a lamb given him, and so the lambs were numbered, by which it was known what was the number of the people; and the Targum says, this was done with the passover lambs, it being now the time of the passover; but the numbering here made was not of the people of the land in general, and so there was no occasion of such a precaution, only a numbering and mustering of the army when got together and rendezvoused in one place: the sum of which is here given,

two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah; which last were reckoned separately, as distinct from the other tribes of Israel, to show their obedience to Saul, who was of another tribe, though the kingdom was promised to theirs; but R. Isaiah observes, that the reason why so few of the men of Judah came, in comparison of the other tribes, was, because they envied the government being in one of the tribe of Benjamin, when they thought it should have been in one of theirs; the number is greatly increased in the Septuagint version, which makes the whole to be 400,000, and 30,000 men of Judah; and so Josephus u.

r וישמע "audire fecit", Vatablus, Drusius. s Antiqu. l. 6. c. 7. sect. 2. t T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 22. 2. Jarchi in loc. u Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 7. sect. 2.)

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Telaim - Probably the same as “Telem” Joshua 15:24, one of the uttermost cities of Judah, toward the coast of Edom. The name means “lambs,” and was probably so called from the numerous flocks.

Two hundred thousand ... - A wonderful contrast with the six hundred men who composed his whole army before 1 Samuel 13:15, and a proof how completely for a time the Philistines had been driven back. The separate mention of the men of Judah shows how little union there was between Juduh and Ephraim even at this time; a circumstance which throws light upon the whole after history.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 15:4. Two hundred thousand - and ten thousand — The Septuagint, in the London Polyglot, have FOUR HUNDRED thousand companies of Israel, and THIRTY thousand companies of Judah. The Codex Alexandrinus has TEN thousand of each. The Complutensian Polyglot has TWO HUNDRED thousand companies of Israel, and TEN thousand of Judah. And Josephus has FOUR HUNDRED thousand of Israel, and THIRTY thousand of Judah. All the other versions are the same with the Hebrew text; and there is no difference in the MSS.