Study Desk

Saul was ^(F1)thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for ^(F2)forty-two years over Israel.

Now Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of whom two thousand were with Saul in ^(C1)Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while a thousand were with Jonathan at ^(C2)Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent the rest of the people away, each to his tent.

And Jonathan attacked ^(C1)the garrison of the Philistines that was in ^(C2)Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul ^(C3)blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!"

And all Israel heard ^(F1)the news that Saul had attacked the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel ^(C1)had become repulsive to the Philistines. Then the people were summoned ^(F2)to Saul at Gilgal.

Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and ^(C1)people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of ^(C2)Beth-aven.

When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard-pressed), then ^(C1)the people kept themselves hidden in caves, in crevices, in cliffs, in crypts, and in pits.

And some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of ^(C1)Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling.

Now ^(C1)he waited for seven days, until the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.

So Saul said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings." And ^(C1)he offered the burnt offering.

But as soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and ^(C1)Saul went out to meet him and to ^(F1)greet him.

But Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "Since I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come at the appointed ^(F1)time, and that ^(C1)the Philistines were assembling at Michmash,

I ^(F1)thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not ^(F2)asked the favor of the LORD.' So I worked up the courage and offered the burnt offering."

But Samuel said to Saul, "^(C1)You have acted foolishly! ^(C2)You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for the LORD would now have established your kingdom ^(F1)over Israel ^(C3)forever.

"But ^(C1)now your kingdom shall not endure. ^(C2)The LORD has sought for Himself a man ^(F1)after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."

Then Samuel set out and went up from Gilgal to ^(C1)Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul ^(F1)counted the people who were ^(F2)present with him, ^(C2)about six hundred men.

Now Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were ^(F1)present with them were staying in ^(C1)Geba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash.

Then ^(F1)(C1)raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three ^(F2)companies: one ^(F3)company turned ^(F4)toward ^(C2)Ophrah, to the land of Shual,

and another ^(F1)company turned ^(F2)toward ^(C1)Beth-horon, and another ^(F1)company turned ^(F2)toward the border that overlooks the Valley of ^(C2)Zeboim toward the wilderness.

Now ^(C1)no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make ^(F1)(C2)swords or spears."

So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe.

The charge was ^(F1)two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the ^(F2)cattle goads.

So it came about on the day of battle that ^(C1)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.

And ^(C1)the garrison of the Philistines went out to ^(C2)the gorge of Michmash.

Then Samuel said to Saul, "^(C1)The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the ^(F1)words of the LORD.

"This is what the LORD of armies says: 'I will ^(F1)punish Amalek ^(C1)for what he did to Israel, in that he obstructed him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt.

'Now go and strike Amalek and ^(C1)completely destroy everything that he has, and do not spare him; but ^(C2)put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"

Then Saul summoned the people and ^(F1)counted them in ^(C1)Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah.

And Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ^(F1)wadi.

But Saul said to ^(C1)the Kenites, "Go, get away, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you along with them; for ^(C2)you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they went up from Egypt." So the Kenites got away from among the Amalekites.

Then ^(C1)Saul ^(F1)defeated the Amalekites, from ^(C2)Havilah ^(F2)going toward ^(C3)Shur, which is ^(F3)east of Egypt.

He captured ^(C1)Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and ^(C2)completely destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

But Saul and the people ^(C1)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.

Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying,

"^(C1)I regret that I have made Saul king, because ^(C2)he has turned back from ^(F1)following Me and has not carried out My commands." And Samuel was furious and ^(C3)cried out to the LORD all night.

Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was reported to Samuel, saying, "Saul came to ^(C1)Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on ^(F1)down to ^(C2)Gilgal."

So Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "^(C1)Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD."

But Samuel said, "^(C1)What then is this ^(F1)bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the ^(F1)bellowing of the oxen which I hear?"

Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for ^(C1)the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have completely destroyed."

Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop, and let me inform you of what the LORD said to me last night." And he said to him, "Speak!"

So Samuel said, "^(F1)Is it not true, ^(C1)though you were ^(F2)insignificant in your own eyes, that you became the head of the tribes of Israel? For the LORD anointed you as king over Israel.

"And the LORD sent you on a ^(F1)mission, and said, '^(C1)Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are eliminated.'

"Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? ^(C1)Instead, you loudly rushed upon the spoils and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD!"

Then Saul said to Samuel, "^(C1)I did obey the voice of the LORD, for I went on the ^(F1)mission on which the LORD sent me; and I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have completely destroyed the Amalekites.

"But ^(C1)the people took some of the spoils, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things designated for destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal."

Samuel said, "^(C1)Does the LORD have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, ^(C2)to obey is better than a sacrifice, And to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

-"For rebellion is as reprehensible as the sin of ^(C1)divination, And insubordination is as reprehensible as ^(C2)false religion and idolatry. Since you have rejected the word of the LORD, ^(C3)He has also rejected you from being king."

Then Saul said to Samuel, "^(C1)I have sinned, for ^(C2)I have violated the ^(F1)command of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.

"Now then, ^(C1)please pardon my sin and return with me, so that I may worship the LORD."

But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you; for ^(C1)you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel."

Then Samuel turned to go, but ^(C1)Saul grasped the edge of his robe, and it tore off.

So Samuel said to him, "^(C1)The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you.

"Also the ^(F1)(C1)Glory of Israel ^(C2)will not lie nor change His mind; for He is not a man, that He would change His mind."

Then Saul said, "I have sinned; ^(C1)but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before all Israel, and go back with me, ^(C2)so that I may worship the LORD your God."

So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.

Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites." And Agag came to him ^(F1)cheerfully. And Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is gone!"

But Samuel said, "^(C1)As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

Then Samuel went to ^(C1)Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at ^(C2)Gibeah of Saul.

And ^(C1)Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, though Samuel ^(C2)mourned for ^(F1)Saul. And the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.