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.”
Parallel Translations
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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.”
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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.
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therefore said I: Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favour of the LORD; I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering.'
Cross-references (5)
Passages linked to 1 Samuel 13:12 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 1 Kings 12:26-27 Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to David’s house. If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
- Psalms 66:3 Tell God, “How awesome are your deeds! Through the greatness of your power, your enemies submit themselves to you.
- Amos 8:5 Saying, ‘When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may market wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel large, and dealing falsely with balances of deceit;
- 2 Corinthians 9:7 Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
- 1 Samuel 21:7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Yahweh; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (10 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 1Sa 13:12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come…
1Sa 13:12 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.
Ver. 12. And I have not made supplication unto the Lord.] Saul dared not enter the battle without this armour: but the sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord, {Pro 15:8} how much more when it is brought with an evil heart! {Pro 21:27} But the devil had taught the Athenians also when they began the battle to cry out Io Paean, which is the same in force as Jehovahpeneh, that is, Lord look upon us. And it is storied of Pausanias, king of Sparta, that when he fought against the Persians at Platea, he would not suffer a blow to be given till he had sacrificed, and had an auspicious answer. {a}
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I forced myself therefore.] Or, I restrained or contained myself: sc., till I could no longer forbear. Here was a plausible pretence: hypocrisy needeth not to be taught to tell her own tale: but God is not mocked. Deus est sapiens nummularius, saith a father. {b}
{a} Macrob.
{b} Nummum fictum non recipiet. - Bern.
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 I have not made supplication to the Lord; hence…
I have not made supplication to the Lord; hence it appears that sacrifices were accompanied with solemn prayers.
I forced myself; I did it against my own mind and inclination. My conscience told me I should forbear it, and punctually obey God’s command delivered to me by Samuel, but my necessity urged me to make haste.
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 Therefore said I..... That is, within himself:
Therefore said I..... That is, within himself:
the Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal; on a sudden, unprepared for them, especially in a religious way:
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and I have not made supplication to the Lord; for his direction and assistance, and for success in the war; which it seems went along with sacrifices, or was implied in them:
I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering; it was reluctant to him, it was against his will as well as the command of Samuel, to offer before he came, he suggests; but such were the circumstances he was in, that he was obliged to it; these are the reasons or excuses he made, and some of them have a specious appearance in them.
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 Supplication - Thence it appears, that sacrifices were accompanied…
Supplication - Thence it appears, that sacrifices were accompanied with solemn prayers. Forced myself - I did it against my own mind and inclination.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 12. I forced myself] It was with great…
Verse 12. I forced myself] It was with great reluctance that I did what I did. In all this Saul was sincere, but ha was rash, and regardless of the precept of the Lord, which precept or command he most evidently had received, 1Sa 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.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Lord, by sacrifices. --- Holocaust. Hebrew, "I forced myself…
Lord, by sacrifices. --- Holocaust. Hebrew, "I forced myself therefore," &c. It is asked whether Saul offered sacrifice, or caused it to be offered by the priests. The text seems to assert that he did it himself. Samuel and David did the like; and we read that Solomon ascended to the brazen altar, at Gabaon, for the same purpose, 2 Paralipomenon i. 5. If it was lawful to erect altars out of the tabernacle, notwithstanding the divine prohibition, why might not individuals also offer sacrifice on certain solemn occasions? The Hebrew kings seem to have exercised some of the sacerdotal functions, particularly before the building of the temple; for afterwards we find one of their kings severely punished for presuming to offer incense, 4 Kings xv. 5. (Calmet) --- Yet the proofs that they ever lawfully offered sacrifice, are not very satisfactory, as, in the Scripture language, a person is often said to do what he enjoins another to perform on his account; and if some prophets have acted in the character of priests, by divine dispensation, we need not extend the privilege to all who have dared to assume the like prerogative. The law is clear. It is the duty of all who do not regulate their conduct by it, to know that they have God’s approbation. Their expressing no scruple on the occasion, proves nothing, no more than the sacred writer’s omitting to stigmatize their proceedings. But here, if Saul really offered the holocaust, the words of Samuel, Thou hast done foolishly, convey a sufficient reproach: but if he did not, we must suppose that he blames the neglect of waiting the full term of days. (Haydock)
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).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 12. I forced myself — I did violence to…
12. I forced myself — I did violence to my conscience, and with great reluctance did this act. But all his apology is very feeble in the face of a broken commandment, and of the most plain and solemn counsels of his great spiritual father.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain I have not made supplication unto Jehovah. Literally, "I…
I have not made supplication unto Jehovah. Literally, "I have not stroked the face of Jehovah," but used of making him propitious by prayer. (Exo_32:11; Jer_26:19) I forced myself. Saul pleads in his justification the imminence of the danger, and perhaps there are few who have faith enough to "stand still and see the salvation of Jehovah". (Exo_14:13)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
1Sa_13:12
I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
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The right and the wrong of Sauls conduct
I forced myself therefore; could not help it; my poverty but not my will consents. This not tenable in Christian morality. (Rom_12:1-21 fin.; 1Co_10:13.) The prophet was mouthpiece of Divine law: the king its administrator and executor. Prophet superior to king in respect of religious observances. Sauls difficulty continually recurs, plain commands of God not to be slighted or disobeyed for less plain ones. In this incident we find something right in Saul, and something wrong.
I. Where Saul was right. He was in great distress, and felt need of Divine aid. (Psa_60:11.) He was for seeking it in ordinances appointed. Christs sacrifice on cross our great peace offering, to be presented in faithful, intelligent prayer. (St. Joh_14:6 fin.) Do not stay at a mere dull, diffused sense of wanting pardon. So, if need enlightenment, seek it in Holy Scripture (St. Joh_5:39); if spiritual refreshment, at Holy Communion. Ordinances have their proper value, rightly used. Thus Saul was right.
II. Where Saul was wrong. Elements of his fault: Want of faith; contrast Gideon (Isa_28:16); superstition as to sacrifice. Nowadays, many value ordinance of religion quite independently of state of heart in the person using it. Saul relied on the form only. Sacrifice must be offered! No! It is not the objective but the subjective that is of highest importance; the formal is useless without the spiritual. Heart first. (Isa_1:10-20; Jam_4:3; St. Joh_4:24; Psa_51:9-10.) Saul misapprehended the object and effect of religious ordinances. It is not the thing done, but the obedient spirit of the doer which obtains. (Psa_50:18.) No mechanical influence upon God by prayer, etc. Ordinances are not charms, but channels of grace when rightly used. Therefore Saul disobeyed. Sin never necessary. Contrary notion arises from cowardice, or from superstition, or from some other want of intelligence Since Sauls fault was superstitious distrustfulness, seek from Holy Spirit an intelligent reliance on the general promises of God, and an intelligent obedience to the plain commands. (Cornelius Witherby, M. A.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 13:12 asked for the Lord’s help: The purpose of…
13:12 asked for the Lord’s help: The purpose of the burnt offering was to entreat God to grant victory in battle. Samuel himself had offered a similar sacrifice, which did lead to victory in battle (see 7:7-11). But Samuel, unlike Saul, served in a priestly role.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.