# 1 Samuel 11 📖: Saul Rescues Jabesh Gilead [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-1 Samuel Overview]] | [[1 Samuel 10]] | [[1 Samuel 12]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ### Saul Comes to the Aid of Jabesh [[#Verse 01.]]  Nahash the Ammonite marched against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh Gilead said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us and we will serve you.” [[#Verse 02.]] But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “The only way I will make a treaty with you is if you let me gouge out the right eye of every one of you and in so doing humiliate all Israel!” [[#Verse 03.]] The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Leave us alone for seven days so that we can send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If there is no one who can deliver us, we will come out voluntarily to you.” [[#Verse 04.]] When the messengers went to Gibeah (where Saul lived) and informed the people of these matters, all the people wept loudly.  [[#Verse 05.]] Now Saul was walking behind the oxen as he came from the field. Saul asked, “What has happened to the people? Why are they weeping?” So they told him about the men of Jabesh. [[#Verse 06.]] The Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry.  [[#Verse 07.]] He took a pair of oxen and cut them up. Then he sent the pieces throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, who said, “Whoever does not go out after Saul and after Samuel should expect this to be done to his oxen!” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out as one army. [[#Verse 08.]] When Saul counted them at Bezek, the Israelites were 300,000 strong and the men of Judah numbered 30,000. [[#Verse 09.]] They said to the messengers who had come, “Here’s what you should say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow deliverance will come to you when the sun is fully up.’” When the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh Gilead, they were happy.  [[#Verse 10.]] The men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you and you can do with us whatever you wish.” [[#Verse 11.]] The next day Saul placed the people in three groups. They went to the Ammonite camp during the morning watch and struck them down until the hottest part of the day. The survivors scattered; no two of them remained together. ### Saul Is Established as King [[#Verse 12.]] Then the people said to Samuel, “Who were the ones asking, ‘Will Saul reign over us?’ Hand over those men so we may execute them!” [[#Verse 13.]] But Saul said, “No one will be killed on this day. For today the Lord has given Israel a victory!”  [[#Verse 14.]] Samuel said to the people, “Come on! Let’s go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.”  [[#Verse 15.]] So all the people went to Gilgal, where they established Saul as king in the Lord’s presence. They offered up peace offerings there in the Lord’s presence. Saul and all the Israelites were very happy. ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. Nahash, the Ammonite king, has a name that means "serpent" in Hebrew. 2. Nahash demanded to gouge out every man's right eye (11:2). Josephus explained that this would make soldiers useless in battle, since the left eye was covered by a shield. 3. The elders of Jabesh asked for seven days to seek help (11:3). 4. Saul was found coming in from the field behind his oxen (11:5), still a farmer even after being chosen king. 5. Saul cut up a pair of oxen and sent the pieces throughout Israel (11:7), a dramatic call to arms that recalls Judges 19:29. 6. Jabesh-gilead had close ties to Benjamin, since women from Jabesh became wives for the surviving Benjamites (Judges 21:12-14). 7. The count separates Israel and Judah (11:8), an early sign of the division that later split the kingdom. 8. Saul attacked during the morning watch (11:11), the last part of the night before dawn. 9. Saul and the people renewed the kingdom at Gilgal (11:14-15), the place where Israel first camped after crossing the Jordan (Joshua 4:19). 10. The men of Jabesh never forgot Saul's rescue. Years later they risked their lives to recover his body (31:11-13). ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is the Savior who rescues the helpless. When Jabesh-gilead faced humiliation with no help (11:2-3), the Spirit empowered Saul to save them, and Jesus, anointed by the Spirit, came to set captives free (Luke 4:18). ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. The Spirit of God rushed on Saul when he heard the news, and he burned with anger (11:6). When is anger the right response? 2. After the victory, some wanted to kill those who had doubted Saul, but Saul refused (11:12-13). What does this show about how to treat critics? 3. Saul gave credit to the Lord for the victory (11:13). Why is it important to point to God when things go well? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verse 6: The Spirit of God rushes on Saul when he hears the news. - 📖 verse 13: Saul refuses to put anyone to death, saying the Lord has delivered Israel today. - 📖 verse 15: The people renew the kingdom and make Saul king before the Lord at Gilgal. ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 [[Judges 21#Verse 08.|Judges 21:8-14]] - The earlier history of Jabesh-gilead. - 🔗 [[1 Samuel 31#Verse 11.|1 Samuel 31:11-13]] - Jabesh-gilead honors Saul's body. - 🔗 [[Judges 19#Verse 29.|Judges 19:29]] - A body cut into pieces as a call to Israel. - 🔗 [[Romans 12#Verse 19.|Romans 12:19-21]] - Do not take revenge. - 🔗 [[Luke 04#Verse 18.|Luke 4:18]] - Jesus sets the oppressed free. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection 📝 SOAP: [[1 Samuel 11 - SOAP|Don’t Be Petty]] ## 📂 Internal Notes