And Saul said - Here he offers three excuses for his conduct: The people were fast leaving his standard. Samuel did not come at the time, למועד lemoed ; at the very commencement of the time he did not come, but within that time he did come. 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. read more
I forced myself - It was with great reluctance that I did what I did. In all this Saul was sincere, but he was rash, and regardless of the precept of the Lord, which precept or command he most evidently had received, 1 Samuel 13:13 . And one part of this precept was, that the Lord should tell him what he should do. Without this information, in an affair under the immediate cognizance of God, he should have taken no step. read more
The Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart - That this man was David is sufficiently clear from the sequel. But in what sense was he a man after God's own heart? Answer: In his strict attention to the law and worship of God. In his admitting, in the whole of his conduct, that God was King in Israel, and that he himself was but his vicegerent. In never attempting to alter any of those laws, or in the least change the Israelitish constitution. 4. In all his... read more
And Samuel arose - Though David, in the Divine purpose, is appointed to be captain over the people, yet Saul is not to be removed from the government during his life; Samuel therefore accompanies him to Gibeah, to give him the requisite help in this conjuncture. About six hundred men - The whole of the Israelitish army at this time, and not one sword or spear among them! read more
The spoilers came out - The Philistines, finding that the Israelites durst not hazard a battle, divided their army into three bands, and sent them in three different directions to pillage and destroy the country. Jonathan profited by this circumstance, and attacked the remains of the army at Michmash, as we shall see in the succeeding chapter, 1 Samuel 14 (note). read more
Now there was no smith found - It is very likely that in the former wars the Philistines carried away all the smiths from Israel, as Porsenna did in the peace which he granted to the Romans, not permitting any iron to be forged except for the purposes of agriculture: " Ne ferro, nisi in agricultura, uterentur ." The Chaldeans did the same to the Jews in the time of Nebuchadnezzar; they carried away all the artificers, 2 Kings 24:14 ; Jeremiah 24:1 ; Jeremiah 29:2 . And in... read more
But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines - We find from this that they did not grant them as much as Porsenna did to the Romans; he permitted the people to manufacture the implements of husbandry. read more
Yet they had a file - The Hebrew פצירה petsirah , from פצר patsar , to rub hard, is translated very differently by the versions and by critics. Our translation may be as likely as any: they permitted them the use of files, (I believe the word means grindstone), to restore the blunted edges of their tridents, axes, and goads. read more
In the day of battle - these was neither sword nor spear - But if the Israelites enjoyed such profound peace and undisturbed dominion under Samuel, how is it that they were totally destitute of arms, a state which argues the lowest circumstances of oppression and vassalage? In answer to this we may observe, that the bow and the sling were the principal arms of the Israelites; for these they needed no smith: the most barbarous nations, who have never seen iron, have... read more
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Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 13:10
Behold , Samuel came - Samuel was punctual to his appointment; one hour longer of delay would have prevented every evil, and by it no good would have been lost. How often are the effects of precipitation fatal! read more