1 Samuel 13 · Verse 2

1 Samuel 13:2

Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Beth–el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
1 Samuel 13:2, King James Version

1 Samuel 13:2 in other translations

BSBHe chose for himself three thousand men of Israel: Two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the troops he sent away, each to his own home.
WEBSaul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the Mount of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the people to their own tents.
ASVSaul chose him three thousand men of Israel, whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mount of Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
YLTand Saul chooseth for himself three thousand men out of Israel; and two thousand are with Saul in Michmash, and in the hill-country of Beth-El; and a thousand have been with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the remnant of the people he hath sent each to his tents.
DARBYAnd Saul chose him three thousand men out of Israel: there were with Saul two thousand in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
BBEAnd Saul took for himself three thousand men of Israel, of whom he kept two thousand with him in Michmash and in the mountain of Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah in the land of Benjamin: the rest of the people he sent back to their tents.
WebsterSaul chose him three thousand men of Israel; of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

What does 1 Samuel 13:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel--This band of picked men was a bodyguard, who were kept constantly on duty, while the rest of the people were dismissed till their services might be needed. It seems to have been his tactics to attack the Philistine garrisons in the country by different detachments, rather than by risking a general engagement; and his first operations were directed to rid his native territory of Benjamin of these enemies. 1Sa 13:3, 4. He Calls the Hebrews to Gilgal against the Philistines.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 Two thousand were with Saul - Saul, no doubt, meditated the redemption of his country from the Philistines; and having chosen three thousand men, he thought best to divide them into companies, and send one against the Philistine garrison at Michmash, another against that at Beth-el, and the third against that at Gibeah: he perhaps hoped, by surprising these garrisons, to get swords and spears for his men, of which we find, (1Sam 13:22), they were entirely destitute.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 13:1-7

Saul reigned one year, and nothing particular happened; but in his second year the events recorded in this chapter took place. For above a year he gave the Philistine time to prepare for war, and to weaken and to disarm the Israelites. When men are lifted up in self-sufficiency, they are often led into folly. The chief advantages of the enemies of the church are derived from the misconduct of its professed friends…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 13:1-7 →

1 Samuel 13:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּבְחַר\־vai.yiv.char-and he choseH977
ל֨וֹlofor <the> himself
שָׁא֜וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁתshe.Lo.shetthreeH7969
אֲלָפִים֮'a.la.Fimthousand<s>H505
מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל֒mi.Yis.ra.'Elfrom IsraelH3478
וַיִּהְי֨וּvai.yih.Yuand they wereH1961
עִם\־'im-withH5973
שָׁא֜וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
אַלְפַּ֗יִם'al.Pa.yimtwo thousandH505
בְּמִכְמָשׂ֙be.mikh.Masat MicmashH4363
וּבְהַ֣רu.ve.Harand in [the] hill country ofH2022
בֵּֽית\־beit-Beth-H1008
אֵ֔ל'El-elH1008
וְאֶ֗לֶףve.'E.lefand one thousandH505
הָיוּ֙ha.Yuthey wereH1961
עִם\־'im-withH5973
י֣וֹנָתָ֔ןyo.na.TanJonathanH3129
בְּגִבְעַ֖תbe.giv.'Atat Gibeah ofH1390
בִּנְיָמִ֑יןbin.ya.MinBenjaminH1144
וְיֶ֣תֶרve.Ye.terand [the] rest ofH3499
הָעָ֔םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
שִׁלַּ֖חshi.Lachhe sent awayH7971
אִ֥ישׁ'isheach manH376
לְאֹהָלָֽיו\׃le.'o.ha.Lavto tents hisH168

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 13:2

  • 1 Samuel 10:26

    And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.

  • 1 Samuel 13:5

    And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth–aven.

  • 1 Samuel 14:31

    And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint.

  • 1 Samuel 13:23

    And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.

  • Isaiah 10:28-29

    He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages: They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.

  • 1 Samuel 15:34

    Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

  • 1 Samuel 14:5

    The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.

  • 2 Samuel 21:6

    Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, whom the Lord did choose. And the king said, I will give them.

  • Judges 19:12

    And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.

  • 1 Samuel 8:11

    And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.

  • Joshua 18:28

    And Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

  • 1 Samuel 14:52

    And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
chose.
8:11; 14:52
Michmash.Michmash was situated east of Bethaven, or Bethel; and Eusebius says it was in his time a considerable place, about nine miles from Jerusalem, towards Rama.
5,23; 14:5,31; Isa 10:28
in Gibeah.
10:26; 15:34; Jos 18:28; Jud 19:12; 2Sa 21:6; Isa 10:29

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 13:1

    Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

  • 1 Samuel 13:2

    Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Beth–el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

  • 1 Samuel 13:3

    And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

Read all of 1 Samuel 13

1 Samuel 13:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Escogióse luego tres mil de Israel: los dos mil estuvieron con Saúl en Michmas y en el monte de Beth-el, y los mil estuvieron con Jonathán en Gabaa de Benjamín; y envió á todo el otro pueblo cada uno á sus tiendas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		– Et Saül se choisit d’Israël 3 000 hommes: il y en avait 2 000 avec Saül, à Micmash et sur la montagne de Béthel, et 1 000 étaient avec Jonathan à Guibha de Benjamin. Et il renvoya le reste du peuple, chacun à sa tente.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Saul wählte sich dreitausend aus Israel; zweitausend waren bei Saul zu Mikmas und auf dem Gebirge von Bethel, und tausend waren bei Jonathan zu Gibea-Benjamin. Das übrige Volk aber entließ er, einen jeden nach seinen Zelten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et elegit sibi Saul tria millia de Israël: et erant cum Saul duo millia in Machmas, et in monte Bethel: mille autem cum Jonatha in Gabaa Benjamin: porro ceterum populum remisit unumquemque in tabernacula sua.