1 Samuel 13 explained: Saul Stops Waiting for Samuel

Saul's army and Jonathan's strike (vv. 1-4)

The Hebrew text of verse 1 is damaged, with the numbers for Saul's age and reign missing, so translations fill the gaps differently. Jonathan, Saul's son, attacks a Philistine outpost (or possibly a pillar marking Philistine control), which provokes open war, and Saul calls the people to gather at Gilgal.

A huge enemy, a terrified people (vv. 5-7)

The Hebrew text says thirty thousand chariots, while some ancient copies say three thousand, and many scholars think the smaller number is closer to the original. Facing this army, many Israelites hide in caves, rocks and dry water pits, and some flee across the Jordan River.

Saul makes the offering (vv. 8-12)

Samuel had told Saul to wait seven days at Gilgal so Samuel could offer sacrifices and tell him what to do (see 10:8). With his troops slipping away and Samuel not yet there, Saul makes the offering to ask the LORD's favor before battle, and Samuel arrives just as he finishes.

Samuel's verdict (vv. 13-15)

Samuel says that because Saul broke the LORD's command, his kingdom will not endure, and the LORD has chosen someone else, "a man after his own heart." The story later reveals this to be David, and Saul is left with only about six hundred men.

Raiders and no weapons (vv. 16-23)

Philistine raiding parties fan out in three directions to plunder the land, and the Philistines keep blacksmiths out of Israel so the Israelites cannot make swords or spears. Israelites had to go to the Philistines even to sharpen their farm tools, so only Saul and Jonathan had real weapons.

Key verse: 1 Samuel 13:14

Where Christians differ

Christians differ on what exactly Saul's wrong was and whether the judgment seems proportionate: some stress that he took over a priest's role, others that he disobeyed a specific instruction to wait.

Something to think about

When fear and pressure are rising, how do you tell the difference between taking necessary action and simply running out of patience?