1 Samuel 11

1 Samuel 11 stands at the beginning of the monarchy in Israel. In 1 Samuel 10, Saul was chosen king by lot at Mizpeh, yet some people despised him (1 Samuel 10:27). This chapter goes on to recount the event in which Saul first demonstrates military leadership.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 Nahash the Ammonite besieges Jabesh-gilead. When the men of Jabesh ask to make a covenant, Nahash replies that he will do so only if he may thrust out all their right eyes. The elders of Jabesh obtain seven days' respite and send messengers throughout all the territory of Israel.
• Verses 4–7 When the messengers reach Gibeah, where Saul lives, the people weep aloud. Saul, coming in after the herd out of the field, is mightily stirred by the Spirit of God and cuts a yoke of oxen in pieces. He sends the pieces throughout all the borders of Israel to summon the people.
• Verses 8–11 Saul numbers the people at Bezek: the children of Israel number 300,000 and the men of Judah 30,000. The next day Saul divides the army into three companies, enters the enemy camp in the morning watch, and strikes the Ammonites until the heat of the day, scattering them.
• Verses 12–13 The people propose putting to death those who had despised Saul. Saul answers that no man shall be put to death that day, for the LORD has wrought salvation.
• Verses 14–15 At Samuel's suggestion, all the people gather at Gilgal. There they make Saul king before the LORD, offer peace offerings, and rejoice greatly.

Key Verses

• 1 Samuel 11:6 "And the Spirit of God came upon Saul" — Like the deliverers in the book of Judges, Saul is raised up by the Spirit of God.
• 1 Samuel 11:13 "There shall not a man be put to death this day" — Saul refuses retaliation immediately after his victory.
• 1 Samuel 11:14 "Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there" — This is the scene in which the monarchy is publicly confirmed.

People and Places

• Saul: A man of the tribe of Benjamin and the first king of Israel.
• Samuel: The prophet and judge who anointed Saul.
• Nahash: Leader of the Ammonites. In 1 Samuel 12:12 he is called "king of the children of Ammon."
• Jabesh-gilead: A town in the region of Gilead east of the Jordan River.
• Gibeah: Saul's hometown in the territory of Benjamin.
• Bezek: The place where Saul mustered and numbered the army.
• Gilgal: The place where Saul was made king again and peace offerings were offered.

Points for Reflection

• The relationship between Mizpeh and Gilgal: Saul had already been chosen king at Mizpeh in chapter 10, yet in this chapter he is made king again at Gilgal. Interpretations of this differ. One view sees it as a procedure that publicly confirmed his kingship after his military victory. Another regards it as the result of several traditions about the establishment of the monarchy being woven together.
• An additional passage in the Dead Sea Scrolls: A manuscript of Samuel among the Dead Sea Scrolls (4QSama) is known to contain an additional passage before verse 1 describing how Nahash oppressed the Gadites and Reubenites by gouging out their right eyes. Some English translations incorporate this passage into the text. The Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version do not include it.
• Connections with surrounding narratives: The scene of Saul cutting the oxen in pieces and sending them out recalls the Levite who divided his concubine's body and sent the pieces out in Judges 19. The ties between Jabesh and the tribe of Benjamin appear in Judges 21. Later, the men of Jabesh recover Saul's body and bury it (1 Samuel 31), an act commonly read as repaying the kindness they received in this chapter.
• New Testament: In his sermon at Antioch in Pisidia, Paul mentions that God gave Israel Saul as king (Acts 13:21).