1 Samuel 11:1-5

Saul Rescues the City of Jabesh

1 Nahash^[a] the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.”

2 But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”

3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.”

4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud.

5 Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.

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1 Samuel 11:1-5 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 11

This chapter relates the distress the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead were in on account of the Ammonites, 1Sa 11:1-3 upon which they sent messengers to Saul, whose spirit was immediately stirred up to help them, 1Sa 11:4-6, and prepared for it, and came up soon enough for their relief, and slew their enemies, 1Sa 11:7-11, which gained him much honour and reputation among the people, and occasioned the renewal of the kingdom to him, 1Sa 11:12-15.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 11

1. S Genesis 19:38; 1 Samuel 12:12; 2 Samuel 10:2; 2 Samuel 17:27; 1 Chronicles 19:1
2. Judges 21:8; 1 Samuel 31:11; 2 Samuel 2:4,5; 2 Samuel 21:12
3. S Exodus 23:32; S Jeremiah 37:1; 1 Kings 20:34; Ezekiel 17:13
4. Genesis 34:15
5. S Numbers 16:14
6. 1 Samuel 17:26
7. S 1 Samuel 8:4
8. S Judges 2:16
9. ver 10
10. S 1 Samuel 10:5,26; 1 Samuel 15:34
11. S Genesis 27:38; S Numbers 25:6; Judges 2:4; 1 Samuel 30:4

Footnotes 1

[a]. Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls "gifts. Now Nahash king of the Ammonites oppressed the Gadites and Reubenites severely. He gouged out all their right eyes and struck terror and dread in Israel. Not a man remained among the Israelites beyond the Jordan whose right eye was not gouged out by Nahash king of the Ammonites, except that seven thousand men fled from the Ammonites and entered Jabesh Gilead. About a month later, " 1"Nahash"