Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 13:11
And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and [that] thou camest not within the days appointed, and [that] the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
11. Because I saw, &c.] The situation was critical in the extreme. Saul’s army was hourly melting away. Scarcely ten miles distant was the Philistine host, ready to pour down and crush him. How could he take the field without entreating God’s favour? Was not this sufficient excuse for his conduct?
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Saul had come from Michmash to Gilgal, expecting to gather the force of the whole nation around him. Instead of that, the people fled, leaving him in the exposed plain with only 600 men 1Sa 13:15. The Philistines occupied Michmash, and might at any moment pour down the valley upon Gilgal. Sauls situation was obviously one of extreme peril. A few hours delay might prove fatal to him and his little army. Hence, he forced himself, etc.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
1Sa 13:11-12
Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed.
Principle and expediency
What a solemn and impressive condemnation have we here of that far too common practice–deserting principle to serve expediency. I dont like to tell a lie, someone may say, but if I had not done it I should have lost my situation. I dislike common work on the Sabbath day, but if I did not do it, I could not live. I dont think it right to go to Sunday parties or to play games on Sundays, but I was invited by this or that great person to do it, and I could not refuse him. I ought not to adulterate my goods, and I ought not to give false statements of their value, but every one in my business does it, and I cannot be singular. What do these vindications amount to, but just a confession that from motives of expediency Gods commandment may be set aside? (W. O. Blaikie, D. D.)
Waiting the Lords time
Unbelief is always in a hurry, cannot wait the appointed time, will snatch at unripe fruit, and in deed, if not in words, proclaim itself wiser than God, and better able to determine times and seasons. Faith is a lovely, quiet, waiting grace; and taking its rest on infinite wisdom, and boundless love, whether the Lord gives or denies, cheerfully exclaims, Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight. If this be faith, you will readily perceive the need of that prayer, Increase our faith. It is easy for us to blame Saul, but are we sure we should not have made haste under such circumstances? He had waited till the seventh day; Samuel was not come, and the people were scattered from him. Sometimes we think, if I could just see a glimpse of hope–a prospect of an opening–the least sound of a distant moving for my help; but seeing is not believing–believing is hoping for that which we see not; yea, against hope believing in hope. The furnace for faith must be heated to this point, or it is not sufficient to prove that it is real faith. Sense might have waited till the seventh day; but to wait till the close of the seventh day without an appearance of help, yea, with all appearances against it, this required a faith to which poor Saul was a stranger. He would fain have had Samuel come within the time appointed. Samuel would not come until the time, but at the set time he came. The seventh day was not expired, for as soon as ever Sauls unholy sacrifice had been offered, behold, Samuel appeared. The Lord grant us more of this patient waiting upon Him! this assurance that He will come and will not tarry. He who made haste to be everything, shall now be nothing. (Helen Plumptre.)
Awaiting Gods time
Good old Spurstow says that some of the promises are like the almond tree–they blossom hastily in the very earliest spring; but, saith he, there are others which resemble the mulberry tree–they are very slow in putting forth their leaves. Then what is a man to do, if he has a mulberry tree promise, which is late in blossoming? Why, he is to wait till it does blossom; since it is not in his power to hasten it. If the vision tarry, exercise the precious grace called patience, and the appointed time shall surely bring you a rich reward. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 11. And Saul said] Here he offers three excuses for his conduct:
1. The people were fast leaving his standard.
2. Samuel did not come at the time, lemoed; at the very commencement of the time he did not come, but within that time he did come.
3. The Philistines were coming fast upon him. Saul should have waited out the time; and at all events he should not have gone contrary to the counsel of the Lord.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
What hast thou done? he suspected that Saul had transgressed, either by his dejected countenance, or some words uttered by him, though not here expressed; but he asks him, that he might be more fitly and certainly informed, and that Saul might be brought to an ingenuous confession of his sin, and true repentance for it.
within the days appointed, i.e. when the seventh day was come, and a good part of it past; whence I concluded thou wouldst not come that day, and that thou hadst forgotten thy appointment, or been hindered by some extraordinary occasion.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And Samuel said, what hast thou done? This question he put to bring him to a confession of what he had done, otherwise he guessed at it by his countenance; or rather, by the prophetic spirit he was endowed with, he knew it certainly that he had offered the sacrifices without waiting for him:
and Saul said because I saw the people were scattered from me; they were deserting, and he feared, if he stayed any longer, they would all leave him; this was one reason of doing what he did:
and that thou camest not within the days appointed; seven days were appointed, and because the seventh day was come, though it was not gone, he concluded Samuel would not come at all; and that was another reason why he did what he did; and by this would have laid the blame on Samuel, as if he did not keep his time; whereas it was Saul’s impatience that hurried him to this action:
and that the Philistines gathered themselves together to Michmash; where his station before was, and from thence he might quickly expect them at Gilgal; and this was another reason why he hastened the sacrifice.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Samuels Rebuke of Saul. 1Sa. 13:11-16
11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord, hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.
15 And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.
16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
8. What was the purpose of the offering? 1Sa. 13:12
No doubt the Israelites were wanting to beseech God for His help in the battle. Saul said that he had not made supplication unto the Lord. The Hebrew original gives the idea of entreating the face of the Lord. Saul may have been wanting to know the will of the Lord with regard to this battle. No doubt it was the custom of these people to make a sacrifice before they went into battle. Before Jephthah went into battle he vowed a vow to the Lord (Jdg. 11:30-31).
9.
In what way had Saul done foolishly? 1Sa. 13:13
It was not wrong to make a sacrifice. Saul had sinned in that he had not kept the commandment of the Lord. Samuel had told Saul to wait until he came to him before he made a sacrifice (1Sa. 10:8). To disobey the commandment of the prophet, was to disobey the commandment of the Lord. Saul had sinned against God. As a result the kingdom was not to be long-lived.
10.
What is the meaning of after his own heart? 1Sa. 13:14
Saul had been a very popular choice. He was in effect a man after the peoples hearts. Saul had failed. He had rationalized and depended upon his own strength in such a way as to make him unacceptable to God. The man who was to be after Gods own heart was David. David is described in this way in Act. 15:22. David was not perfect; when he sinned he repented. He was more completely devoted to God and was thus a man after. Gods own heart.
11.
Why did Samuel go to Gibeah? 1Sa. 13:15
Gibeah was a well-known assembly place for the people. In addition, it was Sauls home. Jonathan had stayed with the garrison here and made the first attack against the Philistines. It was a high place, a place where Samuel could offer an acceptable sacrifice to God.
12.
Why did Saul return with such a small army? 1Sa. 13:15 b
Saul had not accomplished his avowed purpose in sacrificing. He had said that he thought the people would be scattered from him and for this reason had forced himself in offering a burnt offering. When he was at Michmash, he had 2,000 men with him. Jonathan had another 1,000 with him. Now Saul had only 600. The people themselves must have revolted against Sauls impertinence in offering a whole burnt offering. They must have known of the judgment of Samuel and were unwilling to follow Saul.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(11) What hast thou done?The deeper aspects of King Sauls sin are discussed in Excursus F. On this memorable occasion the king plainly told Samuel that though he would gratefully receive any help which the prophet of the Most High could and would bring him, still, in an emergency like the present, sooner than run any risk, he preferred to act alone, and, if necessary, to go into battle without Divine consecration and blessing. The danger at this juncture was imminent; to ward it off, he considered that the direct Divine intimation which he allowed he had received through Samuel must be disregarded. Acting upon this persuasion, he set it aside, acting according to the ordinary dictates of worldly prudence. He must in his action at Gilgal either have forgotten or disbelieved the story of the Joshua conquest, and of the signal deliverances under the hero Judges, when the Glorious Arm fought by the people, and splendid successes were won in the face of enormous odds through the intervention of no mortal aid.
Saul might have been, and was, a valiant and skilful general, but was no fitting Viceroy of the invisible King in heaven, who required from him before all things the most ardent unquestioning faith.
Saul and his house, it is too clear, would only rule the Israel of God according to the dictates of their own haughty will.
The twice-repeated assertion of Samuel, Thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord (1Sa. 13:13-14)an assertion uncontradicted by Saulshows us that this whole transaction was an act of overt rebellion against the will of the Eternal.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. What hast thou done Samuel’s heart sinks within him, and this question is the exclamation of an inward pang. He probably saw remorse and sorrow depicted on the face of the unhappy Saul.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
DISCOURSE: 295
SAULS IMPATIENCE
1Sa 13:11-13. And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord; I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt-offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly.
IN a reply which Elihu made to Job, it is confidently asked, Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked; and to princes, Ye are ungodly [Note: Job 34:18.]? To this I answer, that doubtless respect and deference are due to rank; but not to such an extent as to compromise fidelity to God, and fidelity to the souls of men. If a Herod take his brothers wife, a servant of God must tell him plainly, It is not lawful for thee to have her. And if a Saul violate openly, before all, an express command of God, a Samuel does well to interrogate him, What hast thou done? and to tell him with an authoritative tone, Thou hast done foolishly. Even a young minister, in cases of a more flagrant nature, must consider himself as Gods ambassador, and must rebuke with all authority [Note: Tit 2:15.].
That we may understand exactly wherein Sauls conduct was exceptionable, I will shew,
I.
How far it was good and commendable
We by no means condemn it altogether; for, in part, we think it deserving of praise. He did well,
1.
In that he dared not to encounter his adversaries till he had implored help from God
[What more becoming than this? Surely we may all learn from it. For, in ourselves, we are unable to do any good thing: and to undertake any thing in our own strength is the certain prelude to defeat [Note: Joh 15:5.]. Nor is it in great and arduous matters alone that we should cry to God for help. Even the thinking of a good thought is beyond our power, without him [Note: 2Co 3:5.]. Under all circumstances, therefore, we must betake ourselves to God, that he may help our infirmities [Note: Rom 8:26.]; and must be strong only in the Lord, and in the power of his might [Note: Eph 6:10.].]
2.
In that he sought after God in the ordinances of Gods own appointment
[Burnt-offerings and peace-offerings were appointed by God himself: the one to express our great need of mercy, through the sacrifice of Christ; and the other to express our gratitude for mercies received through him. Both of these were called for, and, in fact, are required of us also continually; because there can be no situation so favourable, but we need mercy; nor any situation so distressing, but we have abundant cause for thankfulness to Almighty God. The direction given us is, In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to make our requests known to God [Note: Php 4:6.]. It is the due mixture of humiliation and gratitude that renders our addresses pleasing unto God. The very praises of all the heavenly hosts attest this to be the proper frame of a creature in the presence of his Creator [Note: Rev 5:8-9; Rev 7:11.]: and therefore, whilst we applaud the union of both the offerings in the instance before us, let us take care to imitate it in all our addresses at the throne of grace.]
The reproof, however, that was given him, requires me to point out,
II.
In what respects it was foolish and blame-worthy
At first sight, it seems as if he had usurped the priestly office: but I think that the enormity of such a crime could not fail to have been noticed in the reproof that was administered. I therefore forbear to allege that as any part of the accusation that is to be brought against him. His crime seems to have consisted principally in,
1.
His unbelieving precipitancy, in curtailing the appointed time
[It is evident, from the acknowledgment of Saul himself, that he had been commanded to wait seven days for Samuel, in order to receive direction from him. It is evident also, that though he had waited to the seventh day, he had not tarried to the close of it, but had, through impatience and unbelief, transgressed the divine command. His very apology shews this. His army were deserting him through fear; and the Philistines were just at hand: and he could not wait another hour, lest he should be overwhelmed before he had made supplication to his God. But why should he offer sacrifice, when that duty devolved not on him, but on Samuel alone? He might have prayed to God as fervently as he pleased, and have urged every soldier in his army to do the same. This would have been no offence: it would rather have been pleasing and acceptable to God. But he yielded to unbelief, instead of waiting patiently upon God in an assured expectation of his promised aid. Now, the direction given by God to all his people is, He that believeth, shall not make haste [Note: Isa 28:16.]. The promise made to Abraham, relative to the deliverance of his posterity from Egypt, was not performed till the very last day of the four hundred and thirty years was arrived: and, in appearance, the accomplishment of it was hopeless. But had God forgotten it? Or did he suffer it to fail? No: on that self-same day that he had so long before designated, he brought them out: and we, in like manner, however long the vision of our God may tarry, should wait for it, assured that it shall not tarry one instant beyond the appointed time [Note: Hab 2:3.], and that not a jot or tittle of Gods word shall ever fail.]
2.
His unwarranted dependence on a merely ritual observance
[He evidently thought that the performance of this ceremony was the only effectual way to secure for himself and his people a deliverance from their impending danger. But how absurd was this thought! Could it be supposed, that to disobey Gods commands was the right way to conciliate his favour? or that the performance of a ceremony would supersede the necessity for his powerful intervention? Might not a moments reflection have told him, that to obey was better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams [Note: 1Sa 15:22.]? Yet thus it is with multitudes amongst ourselves, who, if they do but attend upon the house of God, and go to the table of the Lord, and perform a few other external duties, imagine that all shall be well with them. We forget that God looks at the heart; and utterly despises every offering we can present unto him, if it be not accompanied with real integrity, both of heart and life. His express declaration is, that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, especially when he bringeth it with a wicked mind [Note: Pro 21:27.]. Let us then be aware of this. Let us fast and pray, and use all other means of obtaining help from God; but let us not expect the blessing from the means, but only from God in, and by, the means. Then shall we never be disappointed of our hope, but shall have daily increasing occasion to say, Thanks be to God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ!]
learn, then, from hence,
1.
Not to account any sin light
[If any sin could be accounted light, certainly this of Saul might be so esteemed: for the enemy that pressed upon him was numerous as the sands upon the sea-shore, and well appointed in all respects; whilst his whole army consisted of only six hundred men, and not a single sword or spear amongst them all, except with himself and his son Jonathan. Under all these disadvantages, he had waited till the seventh day; and never, till he saw his men deserting him, and expected the enemy to come down instantly upon him, did he offer the sacrifice: and even then he did it with great reluctance. Yet for this sin he lost the kingdom to which God had called him. Now, we are apt to plead excuses just as he did; and to think that we are justified by a kind of necessity in our disobedience to God. But, whatsoever God has enjoined, that must we do, even though, for our obedience to him, we were to be cast the next hour into a fiery furnace, or a den of lions. I pray you, Brethren, settle this in your minds as an invariable principle, that nothing under heaven can justify us in violating a divine command.]
2.
Wherein true wisdom consists
[Whatever we may imagine, or whatever the world may say, disobedience to God will be found folly in the extreme; yes, and replete with danger, too, to our immortal souls. Wisdom and piety are one: and it is not without reason that, throughout all the writings of Solomon, they are identified. I would earnestly entreat you therefore, Brethren, not only to ask yourselves from day to day, What have I done? but to compare your doings with the commandments of God. Even your religious services I would wish to be brought to the same test, that you may see how far they accord with the divine command, and how far they differ from it. God will not judge as we judge: no; he will judge righteous judgments, and will reject with abhorrence many of the services on which we place a very undue reliance. To be accepted of him, your faith must be simple, and your obedience unreserved. Abrahams conduct is the pattern which you must follow. Go, Abraham, and offer up your son, your only son, Isaac. Here was no disputing against the divine command, nor any doubt in executing it, though he had three whole days to ruminate upon it. No: he knew, that if Isaac should be reduced to ashes upon the altar, God could raise him up again; and would do it, rather than suffer his promise to fail. To the execution of Gods command he therefore set himself without delay. And do ye also act with like promptitude and zeal, and be strong in faith, giving glory to God. This will prove wisdom in the issue; and will prove as conducive to your own happiness, as to the honour of that God whom you love and serve.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 13:11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and [that] thou camest not within the days appointed, and [that] the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
Ver. 11. What hast thou done? ] Samuel saw well what was done; for the peace offering was not yet offered: but to convince him of his great folly, and as a preface to his following doom, he thus questioneth him. See Gen 3:13 .
And Saul said.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
What hast: Gen 3:13, Gen 4:10, Jos 7:19, 2Sa 3:24, 2Ki 5:25
Michmash: 1Sa 13:2, 1Sa 13:5, 1Sa 13:16, 1Sa 13:23, 1Sa 14:5, Isa 10:28
Reciprocal: 1Sa 14:19 – Withdraw Neh 11:31 – at Michmash Psa 60:1 – scattered
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 13:11-12. I saw that thou camest not When the seventh day was come, and a good part of it was past, I concluded thou wouldst not come that day. I have not made supplication Hence it appears that sacrifices were accompanied with solemn prayers. I forced myself I did it against my own mind and inclination: I offered a burnt-offering lest my enemies should attack me before I had commended myself and my cause to God, and entreated his aid and blessing.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
13:11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were {h} scattered from me, and [that] thou camest not within the days appointed, and [that] the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
(h) Though these causes seem sufficient in man’s judgment: yet because they had not the word of God, they turned to his destruction.