Chapter 11[a]
Victory over the Ammonites. 1 Nahash the Ammonite went up and camped outside of Jabesh-gilead. All of the men in Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us and we will be subject to you.” 2 But Nahash answered, “I will only make a covenant with you if I gouge out your right eyes[b] so that you might bring shame upon all of Israel.” 3 The elders of Jabesh answered, “Give us a reprieve of seven days so that we can send messengers all throughout the territory of Israel. If no one comes to save us, then we will surrender to you.”
4 When the messengers arrived at Gibeah, Saul’s city, and they proclaimed these things in the hearing of the people, all the people cried out and wept. 5 Saul was just then coming back from the field behind his oxen, and asked, “What is wrong that the people are weeping?” So they told him what the men from Jabesh had said.
6 When he heard this report, the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon Saul and he burned with rage.[c] 7 He took a pair of oxen and cut them into pieces. He sent them by messengers all throughout the territory of Israel. He said, “Whoever does not follow Saul and Samuel will have this done to his oxen.” The fear of the Lord came upon the people so that they came out as if they were one man.
8 When Saul counted the Israelites who were in Bezek, there were three hundred thousand of them, and thirty thousand from Judah. 9 They said to the messengers who had come to them, “Say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, before the sun warms up, you will have help.’ ” The messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh who were elated. 10 So the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us what you see fit.”
11 The next day Saul divided his people into three groups. During the morning watch they attacked the camp of the Ammonites and continued to strike them down until the day was hot. Even those who survived were scattered, so that not two of them remained together.
12 Saul Proclaimed King. The people said to Samuel, “Who is it who asked, ‘Is Saul to reign over us?’ Bring those men out so that we can put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, for today the Lord delivered Israel.” 14 Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and reaffirm the kingdom there.” 15 All of the people went to Gilgal, and they confirmed Saul as king before the Lord in Gilgal. They sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all of the Israelites greatly rejoiced there.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 11:1 The final part of this section, in which Samuel is not even mentioned, comes from a different tradition about Saul’s election; it speaks of his election as being reaffirmed and thus is made to harmonize with what has gone before.
- 1 Samuel 11:2 Gouge out your right eyes: the shame of this was that it would render them unfit for military service.
- 1 Samuel 11:6 Burned with rage: linking the Spirit of the Lord with Saul’s anger confirms that justifiable anger can be used by God to right a wrong, in this case, to overcome those who were persecuting the Israelites.