1 Samuel 13:1

Saul reigned one year,.... "Or the son of a year in his reigning" (s); various are the senses given of these words: some interpret them, Saul had a son of a year old when he began to reign,

Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, Saul reigned one year - literally, a son of a year (was) Saul in 'reigning;' i:e., he had been a king for a year.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 13 Saul and Jonathan’ s select band. Jonathan smiteth the garrison of the Philistines at Gibeah: the people are called together at Gilgal, . The Philistines’ great host: the Israelites run into caves; and tremble, . Saul offereth before Samuel cometh to him; he reproves him for it; foretelleth him that his kingdom should not last long, . Three companies of the Philistines invade the land; they had no smith to make them swords, &c; nor had any of the Israelites, save Saul and Jonathan, sword or spear, . Reigned one year, i.e. had now reigned one year, from his first election at Mizpeh, in which time these things were done, which are recorded 1Sa 11 1 Samuel 12, to wit, peaceably, or righteously. Compare .

1 Samuel 13:1 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,Ver. 1. Saul reigned one year,] i.e., Well and orderly; he reigned the two first years, till he was rejected of God, and bereft of his Spirit; for then he turned tyrant, holding the kingdom by violence, and ruling with rigour. Now although he reigned many years, yet the two first only are reckoned on. In God’ s account, a man liveth no longer than he liveth well Seneca saith of men’ s lives as of ships in a storm, that they have been much tossed, but have sailed little. Sic, Qui diu vixit, nec profecit ad bonos mores, non diu vixit, sed diu fuit. - Seneca.

(1) Saul reigned one year.—The only possible literal translation of the Hebrew of this verse is, “Saul was the son of one year (i.e., one year old); he began to reign, &c.” In several places in the Books of Samuel the numbers are quite untrustworthy (we have another instance of this in the 5th verse of this chapter). The present verse, however, is an old difficulty, the corruption or gap in the text dating from a far back period. The English translation is simply a probable, but conjectural, paraphrase. The Chaldee and some of the Rabbis thus strangely interpret it: “Saul was an innocent child when he began to reign”—that is, was as innocent as a one year old child, &c. The Syriac and others paraphrase much as our English Version. The LXX. omit the verse altogether. The Speaker’s Commentary thus literally translates the Hebrew, marking with a—where a number probably originally stood: “Saul was—years old when he began to reign, and he reigned—and two years over Israel.” On the whole, the usually accepted meaning is that Saul had reigned one year when the events related in the last chapter took place, and after he had reigned two years he chose out the 3,000 men, and did what is related in this chapter.

CHAPTER XIII Saul chooses a body of troops, 1, 2. Jonathan smites a garrison of the Philistines, 3, 4. The Philistines gather together an immense host against Israel, 5. The Israelites are afraid; and some hide themselves in caves, and others flee over Jordan, 6, 7. Samuel delaying his coming, Saul offers sacrifice, 8, 9. Samuel comes and reproves him, and Saul excuses himself, 10-12. Samuel shows him that God has rejected him from being captain over his people, 13, 14. Samuel departs; and Saul and Jonathan, with six hundred men abide in Gibeah, 15, 16. The Philistines send out foraging companies, and waste the land, 17, 18. Desolate state of the Israelitish army, having no weapons of defence against their enemies, 19-23. NOTES ON CHAP. XIII Verse 1. Saul reigned one year] A great deal of learned labour has been employed and lost on this verse, to reconcile it with propriety and common sense. I shall not recount the meanings put on it. I think this clause belongs to the preceding chapter, either as a part of the whole, or a chronological note added afterwards; as if the writer had said, These things (related in 1 Samuel 12:1-25) took place in the first year of Saul's reign: and then he proceeds in the next place to tell us what took place in the second year, the two most remarkable years of Saul's reign. In the first he is appointed, anointed, and twice confirmed, viz., at Mizpeh and at Gilgal; in the second, Israel is brought into the lowest state of degradation by the Philistines, Saul acts unconstitutionally, and is rejected from being king. These things were worthy of an especial chronological note. And when he had reigned] This should begin the chapter, and be read thus: "And when Saul had reigned two years over Israel, he chose him three thousand," tic. The Septuagint has left the clause out of the text entirely, and begins the chapter thus: "And Saul chose to himself three thousand men out of the men of Israel."

Ch. 1 Samuel 13:1-7. Revolt of the Israelites under Saul from the Philistines 1. Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel] The Hebrew cannot be thus translated. It is the common formula for denoting the age of a king at his accession, and the length of his reign. See 2 Samuel 2:10; 2 Samuel 5:4; 1 Kings 14:21, &c. We must render, “Saul was [ ] years old when he began to reign, and reigned [ ] and two years over Israel.” Either the numbers were wanting in the original document, or they have been accidentally lost. 30 is supplied in the first place by some MSS. of the Sept., and is a plausible conjecture. The length of Saul’s reign may have been 22 or 32 years. He was in the prime of life when elected king, and his reign must have been of some considerable duration. But if he was only 30 years old at his accession, the events here recorded cannot have happened till at least 10 or 15 years after that event, for Jonathan, who has not been mentioned before, now appears as a stout warrior. In this case we have no account of the early years of Saul’s reign. This view appears to be preferable to the supposition that Saul was older at his accession, and that the history is continuous. See Introd. Ch. III. The whole verse Is omitted by the older copies of the Septuagint, and possibly was not in the original text.

The text of this verse, omitted by the Septuagint, is held to be corrupt, and the numerals denoting Saul’s age at his accession as well as the duration of his reign, are thought to be omitted or faulty.

THE AROUSED, 1 Samuel 13:1-5. 1. Saul reigned one year — This verse, translated in accordance with its parallels in 2 Samuel 2:10; 2 Samuel 5:4; 1 Kings 14:21; 1 Kings 22:42, and 2 Kings 8:26, reads