1 Samuel 11

ENGWEBEnglish15 verses

1Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh Gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”

2Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make it with you, that all your right eyes be put out; and I will lay it for a reproach on all Israel.”

3The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days, that we may send messengers to all the borders of Israel; and then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.”

4Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

5Behold, 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.

6The Spirit of God came mightily on Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly.

7He took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever doesn’t come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.” The dread of Yahweh fell on the people, and they came out as one man.

8He numbered them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

9They said to the messengers who came, “Thus you shall tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance.’” The messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.

10Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you shall do with us all that seems good to you.”

11On the next day, Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the middle of the camp in the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who remained were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

12The people said to Samuel, “Who is he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring those men, that we may put them to death!”

13Saul said, “There shall not a man be put to death this day; for today Yahweh has worked deliverance in Israel.”

14Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.”

15All the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal; and there they offered sacrifices of peace offerings before Yahweh; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Commentary

11:1-11 The first fruit of Saul's government was the rescue of Jabesh-gilead from the Ammonites. To save their lives, men will part with liberty, and even consent to have their eyes put out; is it then no wisdom to part with that sin which is as dear to us as our right eye, rather than to be cast into hell-fire? See the faith and confidence of Saul, and, grounded thereon, his courage and resolution. See also his activity in this business. When the Spirit of the Lord comes upon men, it will make them expert, even without experience. When zeal for the glory of God, and love for the brethren, urge men to earnest efforts, and when God is pleased to help, great effects may speedily be produced.

11:1 Then - That is, about that time; for that this happened before, and was the occasion of their desire of a king, may seem from chap.12:12, although it is possible, that Nahash's preparation, might cause that desire, and that he did not actually come 'till their king was chosen. Will serve - The occasion of this offer was, that they saw no likelihood of relief from their brethren in Canaan.

CHAPTER 111Sa 11:1-4. Nahash Offers Them of Jabesh-gilead a Reproachful Condition.1. Then Nahash the Ammonite came up—Nahash ("serpent"); (see Jud 8:3). The Ammonites had long claimed the right of original possession in Gilead. Though repressed by Jephthah (Jud 11:33), they now, after ninety years, renew their pretensions; and it was the report of their threatened invasion that hastened the appointment of a king (1Sa 12:12).Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee—They saw no prospect of aid from the western Israelites, who were not only remote, but scarcely able to repel the incursions of the Philistines from themselves.

2. thrust out all your right eyes—literally, "scoop" or "hollow out" the ball. This barbarous mutilation is the usual punishment of usurpers in the East, inflicted on chiefs; sometimes, also, even in modern history, on the whole male population of a town. Nahash meant to keep the Jabeshites useful as tributaries, whence he did not wish to render them wholly blind, but only to deprive them of their right eye, which would disqualify them for war. Besides, his object was, through the people of Jabesh-gilead, to insult the Israelitish nation.

3, 4. send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel—a curious proof of the general dissatisfaction that prevailed as to the appointment of Saul.

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Translations8 · 5

AMHEVG እንዲህም ሆነ፤ ከአንድ ወር በኋላ አሞናዊው ናዖስ ወጣ፥ በኢያቢስ ገለዓድም ሰፈረ፤ የኢያቢስም ሰዎች ሁሉ፦ ቃል ኪዳን አድርግልን፥ እኛም እንገዛልሃለን፡ አሉት። አማርኛ ENGNIV Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, … English BCV ከምዙይ ድማ ኾነ፦ ብድሕሪ ሓደ ወርሒ ናዖስ ንጉስ ኣሞናውያን ደዪቡ ነታ ኣብ ገለዓድ ዘላ ኸተማ ኢያቤስ ከበባ። ኵሎም ሰብ ኢያቤስ ከዓ ንናዖስ “ክንግዝአልካስ ኪዳን እተወልና” በልዎ። ትግርኛ GAZBIB Baras Nahaash mootiin Amoonotaa mandara Yaabesh-Giil'aaditti duulee, itti in marse; namoonni Yaabesh hundinuus Nahaashi… Afaan Oromoo BCV GIZ ወእምዝ እምድኅረ አሐዱ ወርኅ ዓርገ ናአስ ዐሞናዊ ወተዐየነ ኀበ ኢያቢስ ዘገለዓድ ወይቤልዎ ኵሉ ሰብአ ገለዓድ ለናአስ ዐሞናዊ፦ ተማሐል ምስሌነ ወንትቀነይ ለከ። giz GAZGAZ Baras Nahaash mootiin Amoonotaa mandara Yaabesh-Giil'aaditti duulee, itti in marse; namoonni Yaabesh hundinuus Nahaashi… Afaan Oromoo BCV aksum ከምዙይ ድማ ኾነ፦ ብድሕሪ ሓደ ወርሒ ናዖስ ንጉስ ኣሞናውያን ደዪቡ ነታ ኣብ ገለዓድ ዘላ ኸተማ ኢያቤስ ከበባ። ኵሎም ሰብ ኢያቤስ ከዓ ንናዖስ “ክንግዝአልካስ ኪዳን እተወልና” በልዎ። ትግርኛ AMHNIV አሞናዊው ናዖስ ወጥቶ ኢያቢስ ገለዓድን ከበባት፤ የኢያቢስም ሰዎች ሁሉ፣ “ከእኛ ጋር ቃል ኪዳን አድርግ፣ እኛም እንገዛልሃለን” አሉት። አማርኛ