“Go down ahead of me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. Wait seven days, until I come to you, and show you what you are to do.”
Parallel Translations
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“Go down ahead of me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. Wait seven days, until I come to you, and show you what you are to do.”
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And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.
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And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt-offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings; seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come unto thee, and tell thee what thou shalt do.'
Cross-references (4)
Passages linked to 1 Samuel 10:8 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 1 Samuel 11:14-15 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come! Let’s go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.” All the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal. There they offered sacrifices of peace offerings before Yahweh; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
- 1 Samuel 13:4 All Israel heard that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was considered an abomination to the Philistines. The people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.
- 1 Samuel 13:8-15 He stayed seven days, according to the time set by Samuel; but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering to me here, and the peace offerings.” He offered the burnt offering. It came to pass that as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you didn’t come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash; therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down on me to Gilgal, and I haven’t entreated the favor of Yahweh.’ I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering.” Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you; for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom on Israel forever. But now your kingdom will not continue. Yahweh has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which Yahweh commanded you.” Samuel arose, and went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.
- 1 Samuel 15:33 Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!” Then Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Yahweh in Gilgal.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 1Sa 10:8 And thou shalt go down before me…
1Sa 10:8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, [and] to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.
Ver. 8. And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal.] This do also as occasion shall serve thee but see thou do it; for thy kingdom lieth upon it. He that believeth maketh not haste. Compare 1Sa 13:1-2; 1Sa 13:8.
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And show thee what thou shalt do.] Happy Saul in such a monitor! far better than Polybius was to Scipio, whose counsel whilst he followed, he never miscarried, saith Pausanius, in any enterprise.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Seven days shalt thou tarry till I come to…
Seven days shalt thou tarry till I come to thee: this, though now mentioned and commanded, yet was not immediately to be performed; as is evident, partly from the whole course of the story, which shows that Saul, and Samuel, and the people first met at Mizpeh, 1Sa 10:17, &c., where Saul was chosen by God and accepted by the people as king; and afterwards went to Gilgal, once before the time here spoken of, 1Sa 11:14,15; and partly by comparing this place with 1Sa 13:8, &c., where we find Saul charged with the violation of this command two years after the giving of it, as appears from 1Sa 13:1,2.
Quest. How then is this to be understood?
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Answ. 1. This may be given as a standing rule for Saul to observe while Samuel and he lived; that in case of any great future difficulties, as the invasion of enemies, Saul should resort to Gilgal, and call the people thither, and tarry there seven days, which was but a reasonable and necessary time for the gathering of the people, and for the coming of Samuel thither. For though this be related as but once done, 1Sa 13, yet Josephus affirms that it was to be constantly practised upon all such occasions. And Gilgal was chosen for this purpose as a very fit place; partly because that place was famous for the solemn renewing of the covenant between God and Israel, Jos 4, and for other eminent instances of God’s favour to them, the remembrance whereof was a notable confirmation of their faith; and partly because it was a very convenient place for the tribes within and without Jordan to assemble, and consult, and unite their forces together upon such occasions. If you ask, Why then Saul did not practise this precept upon the first invasion of the Ammonites? it may be answered, that this was a rule for Saul when he and Samuel were asunder, whereas they were together in that expedition, 1Sa 11:7. And further, that necessity did excuse the violation of this precept then, because Saul could not wait for Samuel, nor forbear his action for seven days, as is evident from 1Sa 11:3,9,10. Or,
2. (which I propose with submission to the learned and judicious) This may be here added as another sign to confirm his faith, which having strengthened by three foregoing signs, he now fortifies it by another sign which was to follow afterwards; it being very usual for God to give men signs to confirm their faith from future events; as Exo 3:12; 2Ki 19:29; Isa 7:13,14. So the meaning maybe this, Another sign will I add to strengthen thy faith: Thou shalt in due time, and upon a great occasion which shall then happen,
go down before me to Gilgal, and there
I will come down unto thee to offer—sacrifices, & c. But when thou comest thither, be sure thou tarry there seven days, and then I will come, as I have said, and give thee necessary instructions and assistance, as the matter shall require.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And thou shall go down before me to Gilgal,....…
And thou shall go down before me to Gilgal,.... Not immediately; for the first summons of the people, and of Saul, and the first meeting of them by Samuel, were at Mizpeh, where Saul was chosen by lot; nor the first time of Saul's being at Gilgal, when the kingdom was renewed; for Saul had no need to wait seven days there, since he and Samuel went together, Sa1 11:14 rather at the second time of his being there, where not staying the time quite up, was reproved for it, which was two years after this, Sa1 13:1, though it may be this was a general rule to be observed by Saul, that whenever anything turned up of importance to the children of Israel, and was a difficulty with him, he should go to Gilgal, and there wait seven days for Samuel, from the time he gave him notice of it, who would come at the appointed time, and would give him what advice and instructions were necessary; and this place was the rather appointed, because it was the place where the Israelites first pitched their camp when they came over Jordan, and where the tabernacle first was; and where prayer and sacrifices were wont to be made; and where the kingdom of Saul was renewed; and which lay convenient for all the tribes, both on the one and the other side of Jordan:
and, behold, I will come down to thee to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings; so he did when the kingdom was renewed, and Saul was confirmed in it, Sa1 11:15 but two years after, Saul not staying the full time, he offered them himself by another, for which he was reproved, Sa1 13:9.
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seven days shalt thou tarry till I come to thee; either from the time of the notice he should give to Samuel of his going thither, or from the time of his arrival there; for it can by no means be understood as from the time of his present departure from him, for the reasons before given:
and show thee what thou shalt do; in the then present emergency or difficulty on his hands; and this he said to encourage him under the weight and burden of government laid upon him.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Till I come - This, though now mentioned and…
Till I come - This, though now mentioned and commanded, was not immediately to be performed; as is evident, partly from the whole course of the story, (which shews, that Saul and Samuel, and the people, first met at Mizpeh, ver. 17, &c. where Saul was chosen by God, and accepted by the people as king; and afterwards went to Gilgal once before the time here spoken of, chap. xi, 14, 15,) and partly, by comparing this place with chap. xiii, 8, &c. where we find Saul charged with the violation of this command, two years after the giving of it. It seems this is given as a standing rule for Saul to observe while Samuel and he lived; that in case of any great future difficulties, as the invasion of enemies, Saul should resort to Gilgal, and call the people thither, and tarry there seven days, which was but a necessary time for gathering the people, and for the coming of Samuel thither. And Gilgal was chosen for this purpose, because that place was famous for the solemn renewing of the covenant between God and Israel, Josh. iv, 19-24, and for other eminent instances of God's favour to them, the remembrance whereof was a confirmation of their faith; and because it was a very convenient place for he tribes within and without Jordan to assemble, and consult, and unite their forces together upon such occasions.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 8. Seven days shalt thou tarry] I will…
Verse 8. Seven days shalt thou tarry] I will come to thee within seven days, offer sacrifices, receive directions from the Lord, and deliver them to thee. It is likely that these seven days referred to the time in which Samuel came to Saul to Gilgal, offered sacrifices, and confirmed the kingdom to him, after he had defeated the Ammonites. See 1Sa 11:14-15.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 1Sa 10:8. Seven days shalt thou tarry till I…
1Sa 10:8. Seven days shalt thou tarry till I come — This, though now mentioned and commanded, was not immediately to be performed; as is evident, partly from the whole course of the story, (which shows that Saul and Samuel, and the people, first met at Mizpeh, 1Sa 10:17, &c., where Saul was chosen of God, and accepted by the people as king; and afterward went to Gilgal once before the time here spoken of, 1Sa 11:14-15,) and partly by comparing this place with 1Sa 13:8, &c., where we find Saul charged with the violation of this command, two years after the giving of it. It seems this was given as a standing rule for Saul to observe while Samuel and he lived; that in case of any great future difficulties, as the invasion of enemies, Saul should resort to Gilgal, and call the people thither, and tarry there seven days, which was but a necessary time for gathering the people, and for the coming of Samuel thither. And Gilgal was chosen for this purpose, because that place was famous for the solemn renewing of the covenant between God and Israel, (Joshua 4.,) and for other eminent instances of God’s favour to them, the remembrance whereof was a confirmation of their faith; and because it was a very convenient place for the tribes within and without Jordan to assemble in, and consult, and unite their forces together upon such occasions.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Seven days shalt thou tarry ... - The appointment…
Seven days shalt thou tarry ... - The appointment here made is not to be confounded with that mentioned in marginal reference.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Galgal. Here also by dispensation was an altar of…
Galgal. Here also by dispensation was an altar of God. (Challoner) --- To do. Saul went thither, after the victory which he had obtained over the Ammonites, when he was confirmed in his dignity, chap. xi. 14. But the mention of seven days, seems to indicate that Samuel is here speaking of that event, when the war against the Philistines was at hand, and Saul neglected to wait the appointed term, before he ventured to offer sacrifice, chap. xiii. 8. (Calmet) --- Some think that Samuel engages always to meet him at Galgal, on any important business, within the space of seven days. (Serarius) --- Others translate, "I will be at Galgal with thee, and we will offer sacrifices, for seven days." (Calmet) --- Protestants, "I will come down to thee to offer burnt-offerings," &c., which is conformable to the Septuagint. Indeed Saul was probably blamed for offering the victims himself. (Haydock) --- Obedience was enjoined him to try his humility. (St. Gregory) (Worthington)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal--This, according…
thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal--This, according to JOSEPHUS, was to be a standing rule for the observance of Saul while the prophet and he lived; that in every great crisis, such as a hostile incursion on the country, he should repair to Gilgal, where he was to remain seven days, to afford time for the tribes on both sides Jordan to assemble, and Samuel to reach it.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 8. Thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal…
8. Thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal — This is not a command, but a prediction. Samuel’s prophetic eye fastens upon the future turning point in Saul’s career, when, threatened by an attack from the Philistines, and forsaken by many of his soldiers, he shall be called upon to show his faith in God. Perhaps Samuel added other instructions not recorded here; but it was sufficient now for Saul to know that there would come a time when he would be waiting at Gilgal for Samuel’s arrival, and when that occasion came he must wait for special instruction from the Lord. For the manner in which this prophecy was fulfilled, and how Saul failed to observe these instructions, see 1Sa_13:8. It was fitting that at this first interview Samuel should drop a word of warning and counsel for Saul’s guidance at that coming time of his greatest danger.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 8. thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal]…
8. thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal] Better, and when thou goest down before me to Gilgal. This is not to be understood as a direction to meet Samuel at Gilgal at once. The injunction applies to some future occasion whenever it might be, of which they had been talking. Doubtless Samuel and Saul had been discussing the best means of shaking off the Philistine yoke, and had agreed upon a muster of the people at Gilgal, as the national centre furthest from the Philistine power. Samuel’s parting injunction to Saul is to take no step independently. The king must wait for the prophet’s sanction to strike the blow. The fitting opportunity for the muster did not come for several years, and when it came Saul disobeyed Samuel’s command. See 1Sa_13:8 ff.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (8) And shew thee what thou shalt do.—Considerable doubt…
(8) And shew thee what thou shalt do.—Considerable doubt exists among expositors as to the exact meaning and reference of these words of Samuel. In 1 Samuel 13., 1Sa_10:8 and following, a well-known and most important event in Saul’s life and reign is related, in which the circumstances strangely fit in with the words of the warning of Samuel. Only between this first meeting of the seer and the future king and the Gilgal meeting, described in 1 Samuel 13., two years—perhaps even a much longer period—elapsed (the dates of this age are most uncertain); besides which, that famous meeting at Gilgal was not by any means the first meeting of Samuel and Saul at that place. Yet, in spite of these difficulties, it seems best to refer to this meeting between the prophet and king at Gilgal, related in 1 Samuel 13, as the trial of faith especially looked on to by Samuel here. The solemn warning here given was, doubtless, repeated in a much more detailed form by the prophet some time before the appointed Gilgal meeting. So much for the reference; the signification of the warning is best explained in the following way:—Samuel had bidden the future king to advance along the paths of glory and difficulty which lay before him in all confidence and trust, acting in each emergency according to the dictates of his own heart—only in one thing he must be ever on his guard. In his future great work for the regeneration and advancement of Israel, he must, for the sake of the faith of Israel, be on his guard against infringing the sacred privileges of the religion of the Eternal. In the plenitude of his kingly power, the day would come when the temptation would assault him to disregard the ancient sanctity of the sacrifice, and to assume as king, functions which belonged alone to men like Samuel set apart for the sacred office, and thus publicly to dishonour the commandments of God, and by his reckless example of unbelief in revelation to weaken the faith of the people.
Such a temptation presented itself to Saul, we believe, some two or more years from this time, when, as related in 1 Samuel 13, a solemn assembly of the people was summoned to Gilgal, before the commencement of the war of independence. This great enterprise for the people of the Lord must necessarily be begun with solemn religious rites and sacrifices. These the king was forbidden to officiate at without the presence of the Divinely appointed seer. We shall see how King Saul acted under the temptation to set himself and his royal power above the prophet of the Lord and the direct command of God. Whether or no King Saul with his own hand offered the Gilgal sacrifice is uncertain; at all events, the great sin he seemed to have been guilty of having committed, is to have declined to wait for the presence of the prophet of the Lord, although publicly required by the word of the Lord to do so. (See Notes on 1 Samuel 13)
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The “heart” is mentioned as changed by God, because, according to the conception of the Divine writings, the heart is represented as the centre of the whole mental and physical life—of will, desire, thought, perception, and feeling. It was one thing for Samuel the seer to put before the young Benjamite the brilliant destiny which lay before him, but it was another and different thing to transform one like Saul, brought up to merely agricultural pursuits, into a fit and worthy recipient of such honours and powers. We know how utterly incapable are all such things as wealth and rank and power in themselves of inspiring the heart with any noble patriotic aspirations, or with any high religious longings, or lofty patriotic aims; a higher influence is needed to awaken the heart, or to rouse it from merely earthly and sordid contemplations.
This is the work which God worked in the heart. of the young Saul as, in the early morning, he left “Ramah of the Watchers,” his ears tingling with the burning words of the great seer all through that day and many succeeding days. In quiet humility, and, no doubt, with many a silent prayer, he watched and waited; when he returned home there was no sign of exultation visible in the man, no mark of impatience. His lips were sealed; he seems to have whispered to no one what the prophet had told him; he made no sign even when events came crowding thick about him—such as the popular assembly for the choice of a king, presided over by the prophet-judge, whose mind Saul alone in Israel knew: the drawing of the lots: the narrowing of the fateful circle: the designation of his tribe, his family, then himself. We see, indeed, God had changed his heart. Was there not in these early days a promise of a noble king—a man after God’s own heart?
And all those signs came to pass that day.—Of the first two signs which were to meet him no further details are given; we are simply told that in the order predicted by Samuel Saul came across them. The third alone gives occasion for a special mention, because it had a great effect on the life of the future king.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal. We…
Thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal. We find in 1Sa_13:8-13 a meeting at Gilgal so exactly parallel to what is arranged here that we cannot help looking upon this, again, as a sort of sign to be fulfilled at a later period. It is no argument against it that Gilgal was the place where in the mean while Saul was solemnly inaugurated king; for he was appointed in order that he might deliver Israel from the Philistines, (1Sa_9:16) and we may feel sure that this grand purpose would form the subject of conversation between the prophet and the soldier, either on the house-top or the next morning. In this conversation Gilgal would be selected as the place where Saul would assemble Israel for the war of independence (so Rashi and other Jewish interpreters); and so great an enterprise must necessarily be begun with religious rites, and Saul was to wait a full week for the prophet"s coming, both to try his faith, which ought to have been confirmed by the fulfilment of the three appointed signs, and in order that the war might be undertaken under the same holy auspices as his own election to the kingdom. The two years" interval, were it really so long, would give time for Saul"s character to develop under the forcing influences of royalty, and it would then be proved, when he felt himself every inch a king, whether he was still as amenable to the Divine authority as when he was first summoned from obscurity to mount a kingly throne. But, really, the words in 1Sa_13:1 do not justify this conclusion, and most probably the occurrences mentioned in that chapter followed immediately upon Saul"s confirmation as king.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 10:8 Gilgal: See study note on 7:16. • wait…
10:8 Gilgal: See study note on 7:16. • wait for seven days: Saul apparently fulfilled this instruction in 11:14-15 (cp. 13:8).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.