1 Samuel 11:8

6 ^aThen the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused.

7 So he took a yoke of oxen and ^acut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, ^b“Whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen.” And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out¹ with one consent.

8 When he numbered them in ^aBezek, the children ^bof Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

9 And they said to the messengers who came, “Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have help.’ ” Then the messengers came and reported it to the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.

10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do with us whatever seems good to you.”

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

<< 1 Samuel 11:7

1 Samuel 11:9 >>

1 Samuel 11:8

He numbered them - This was done to see who was absent (compare Judges 21:9).

Bezek has been conjectured to be the name of a district rather than of a town. Two villages retained the name in the time of Eusebius 17 miles from Nablous, on the way to Beth-shean.

The children of Israel and the men of Judah - This looks like the language of later times, times perhaps subsequent to the establishment of the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Israel here (including Benjamin) is as ten to one compared with Judah. This is about the true proportion.

Other Barnes' Notes entries containing 1 Samuel 11:8:

1 Samuel 14:47
1 Samuel 14:47
1 Samuel 31:11
2 Samuel 10:1
Psalms 83:7

<< 1 Samuel 11:7

1 Samuel 11:9 >>

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