Study Desk

"They cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned, because we have abandoned the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now save us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.'

Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard-pressed), then the people kept themselves hidden in caves, in crevices, in cliffs, in crypts, and in pits.

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

"If they say to us, 'Wait until we come to you'; then we will stand in our place and not go up to them.

"But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, for the LORD has handed them over to us; and this shall be the sign to us."

Now Saul's watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude dissolved; they went here and there.

So Saul said to the people who were with him, "Look carefully now and see who has left us." And when they had looked, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.

Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines previously, who went up with them all around in the camp, even they also returned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

Then Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, 'Each one of you bring me his ox or his sheep, and slaughter it here and eat; and do not sin against the LORD by eating it with the blood.'" So all the people brought them that night, each one his ox with him, and they slaughtered them there.

Then Saul said, "Let's go down after the Philistines by night and take plunder among them until the morning light, and let's not leave a man among them alive." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." So the priest said, "Let's approach God here."

But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the more valuable animals, the lambs, and everything that was good, and were unwilling to destroy them completely; but everything despicable and weak, that they completely destroyed.

Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have completely destroyed."

"And the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are eliminated.'

When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is standing before Him."

Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

Saul and the men of Israel were assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, and they drew up in battle formation to confront the Philistines.

When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very fearful.

"For Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the Valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines."

When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were very fearful.