1 Samuel 11
Wayne Barber · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Samuel 11
Barber on Bezek - This city was only about fifteen miles west of Jabesh-gilead. Since Bezek was situated in a valley surrounded by hills, the Israelites were able to meet there without the Ammonites becoming aware of what was taking place. At Bezek Saul was busy. It was one thing to summon Israel’s fighting men to his side, but it was quite another to develop a workable plan, organize otherwise disorderly volunteers, and motivate them for the task ahead. Furthermore their weapons were conspicuous by their absence (1 Samuel 13:19–23); the Philistines had jealously guarded the secret of the iron-smelting process. The Israelites had farm implements at best: scythes, ox goads, and stakes. Any knives were probably of bronze. While Saul is doing the counting of the soldiers, it was God Who had assembled them by placing terror in their hearts if they did not respond to Saul's cut oxen warning. Perhaps there is a play on words intended here as the army is gathered at Bezek which means lightning! Lightning strikes are fearful and destructive. Previous to this occasion, the largest army of Israelis ever recorded was 400,000 soldiers to fight against the tribe of Benjamin (Jdg 20:2, 17+). TECHNICAL NOTE - NET NOTE - The LXX (Septuagint) and two Old Latin (Vulgate) manuscripts read 600,000 here, rather than the Masoretic Text's 300,000. The LXX, two Old Latin manuscripts, and a Qumran (Dead Sea Scroll) manuscript read 70,000 here, rather than the MT's 30,000. Bergen adds "The LXX offers much higher counts: 600,000 for Israel and 70,000 for Judah; Josephus (Ant., 6.5.3) suggests 700,000 for Israel. The text of 4QSama, though fragmentary, supports 70,000 for Judah. Nevertheless, these numbers probably are not the ones in the autographic text: well-meaning transcribers in antiquity probably corrupted the numbers."
1 Samuel 11
Barber - Nahash of course understood the message to mean that their appeal for help had failed. He believed that the people would surrender themselves to him. And being overconfident he may have recalled his scouts, for no one raised an alarm as Saul and his men made their way down to the Jordan, crossed the river, and converged upon the unsuspecting Ammonite camp while it was still dark. Robert Bergen - By indicating that they would submit peacefully to the will of Nahash and his army after sunrise the next day, the Jabeshites encouraged the Ammonites to drop their guard and celebrate with abandon during the night—exactly when vigilance was most needed. (Borrow 1 & 2 Samuel - New American Commentary) 1 Samuel 11:11 The next morning Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp at the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. BGT 1 Samuel 11:11 καὶ ἐγενήθη μετὰ τὴν αὔριον καὶ ἔθετο Σαουλ τὸν λαὸν εἰς τρεῖς ἀρχάς καὶ εἰσπορεύονται μέσον τῆς παρεμβολῆς ἐν φυλακῇ τῇ πρωινῇ καὶ ἔτυπτον τοὺς υἱοὺς Αμμων ἕως διεθερμάνθη ἡ ἡμέρα καὶ ἐγενήθησαν οἱ ὑπολελειμμένοι διεσπάρησαν καὶ οὐχ ὑπελείφθησαν ἐν αὐτοῖς δύο κατὰ τὸ αὐτό KJV 1 Samuel 11:11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together. NET 1 Samuel 11:11 The next day Saul placed the people in three groups. They went to the Ammonite camp during the morning watch and struck them down until the hottest part of the day. The survivors scattered; no two of them remained together. CSB 1 Samuel 11:11 The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions. During the morning watch, they invaded the Ammonite camp and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. There were survivors, but they were so scattered that no two of them were left together. ESV 1 Samuel 11:11 And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. NIV 1 Samuel 11:11 The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. NLT 1 Samuel 11:11 But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together. NRS 1 Samuel 11:11 The next day Saul put the people in three companies. At the morning watch they came into the camp and cut down the Ammonites until the heat of the day; and those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. next morning Ge 22:14 Ps 46:1 in three: Jdg 7:16 9:43 morning: Ex 14:24 struck down: 1Sa 11:2 Jdg 1:7 Mt 7:2 Jas 2:13 so that: 1Sa 30:17,18 Jdg 4:16 1 Samuel 11 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Judges 7:16 (Gideon) He divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers. Judges 9:43 (Abimelech) So he took his people and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field; when he looked and saw the people coming out from the city, he arose against them and slew them. 2 Sa 18:2 David sent the people out, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I myself will surely go out with you also.” Job 1:17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” Saul Defeats Nahash at Jabesh-Gilead SAUL DIVIDES TO ATTACK AT DAWN AND ROUTES THE ENEMY The next morning Saul put the people in three companies (divisions) - Saul clearly is the commander and he has a specific battle plan in splitting his army into 3 divisions, so that if attacked one would not lose the entire army. Three divisions gave more military options, in this case the option to attack Nashan from 3 directions simultaneously adding to the confusion. And they came into the midst of the camp at the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day - Assuming the distance of 10 miles from Bezek to Jabesh-gilead is reasonably accurate, it would have taken Saul's army 2-3 hours to reach the enemy encampment and pull off a surprise attack. Sadly, there is no note that Saul sought the "Commander in Chief" for His instructions. God graciously still gave him the victory as would be foundation to the establishment of a newly birthed monarchy. As alluded to above, the fact that Saul's army arrived at dawn indicates they likely made a forced overnight march to increase the likelihood of surprising the enemy. Heat of the day would correspond to verse 9 in which the men of Israel had predicted Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will have deliverance. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together - So that is a phrase to take not of as it always indicates result (or purpose) and in this case the result of Israel's attack was utter defeat and as the NLT renders it "The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together." Bob