This verse follows the standard formula for introducing kings of Israel (and later also of Judah) in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. But this verse contains one of the most difficult textual problems in the book of 1 Samuel, if not of the whole Bible.

The Masoretic Text literally says “Saul was a son of a year in his reigning and two years he reigned over Israel.” Obviously there are two errors in the Hebrew text as we have it today: (1) Saul was not one year old when he became king, and (2) he reigned more than two years. Interpreters and translators have followed many solutions to this textual problem:
(a) Some translations, following the example of the Septuagint, omit the entire verse (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).
(b) Some translate the verse but leave blank spaces as in Revised Standard Version (so also New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Osty-Trinquet, and La Bible Pléiade).
(c) Others leave only the first number blank. Compare Traduction œcuménique de la Bible: “Saul was … years old when he became king and he ruled two years over Israel.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, however, includes a note saying that two years is certainly not correct. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Fox, Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch follow the same solution as Traduction œcuménique de la Bible.
(d) Some follow the first-century Jewish historian Josephus and Acts 13.21, and claim that Saul ruled for (about) forty years. Compare New International Version “Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.” The “thirty years” is based on a few late Septuagint manuscripts.
(e) Revised English Bible follows the Greek manuscripts, which say that Saul began to reign when he was thirty, and then conjectures that the number of years he ruled was twenty-two: “Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel for twenty-two years.”
(f) Nueva Biblia Española leaves the first number blank, stating in a note that the original lacks the number. But then Nueva Biblia Española says that Saul reigned for twenty-two years; however, it has no note indicating that the number twenty-two is a guess.

Solution (d) above may seem the best at first glance, but a major problem with this is that early in his rule Saul already has a grown son able to command troops (see verse 2). Therefore Saul must have been older than thirty when he became king.

Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives an {A} rating to the Masoretic Text. As for the first number, Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament suggests that the author left a blank space, not knowing the exact age of Saul when he began to rule. And as for the second number, Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament defends the number “two,” suggesting that Saul reigned two years with God’s blessing, that is, he reigned two years before David was anointed (see 16.13). If translators follow the recommendation of Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, it may be helpful to indicate in a note the possible sense of the words that Saul “reigned over Israel for two years.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The Hebrew leaves implicit the reason that Saul chose three thousand men, but the immediate context makes clear that these men are chosen to fight in Saul’s army. The context also seems to suggest that the three thousand make up Saul’s standing or active army. The rest of the people, whom he sent home, were reserve members of his army.

Three thousand men: this is probably a round number (see the comments on 24.2).

The wording of Revised Standard Version, using were with, may possibly be understood to be an explanation of where these soldiers were before they were selected by Saul for this mission. But this is certainly not the case. Rather, this is an explanation of where the troops were told to go after they were chosen. It is therefore probably better to supply the verbs “remained … [in Michmash]” and “went [to … Gibeah].”

Michmash: this town was located about twelve kilometers (about seven miles) north of Jerusalem and a few kilometers southeast of the city of Bethel. It was on the north bank of a steep valley that ran west from the Jordan Valley into the hill country.

Jonathan, Saul’s son, is mentioned here for the first time in 1 and 2 Samuel, but he is not identified as Saul’s son until verse 16. Good News Translation has moved this information to verse 2 from verse 16, since the original reader would have very likely known it already.

Gibe-ah was opposite Michmash on the south bank of the Wadi es-Swenit, which runs from the hill country of Palestine to the Jordan River (see the comment on 10.5 and comments regarding “Geba” below in verse 3). Together these two villages held military control over the valley.

The rest … he sent home, every man to his tent: Good News Translation omits every man …, since it expresses the same idea as sent home. Other ways of translating this may avoid the repetition of the Hebrew while maintaining the reference to tents. New Revised Standard Version says “the rest of the people he sent home to their tents.” The translation in New American Bible (“He sent the rest of the people back to their tents”) may not be a good model, since readers may not realize that returning to their tents means returning home.

In this context the rest of the people refers specifically to the reserve members of the army (as in verses 4, 6, 8, and frequently elsewhere). Translators may find New Century Version a helpful model: “Saul sent the other men in the army back home.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Defeated: literally “to strike,” “to hit.” This verb may also mean “to strike down” in the sense of “to kill” or “to wound.” In this context it will be rendered defeated or “killed,” depending on whether the following noun is translated “garrison” or “commander.”

Garrison: on the translation of this term, see the comments on 10.5. In this context quite a few modern versions, like Good News Translation, take the word to refer to the individual in charge of the Philistine contingent at Geba rather than to the group as a whole (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, Osty-Trinquet, and Anchor Bible). Either solution is possible, and whichever is adopted, the alternative should probably be given in a footnote.

Geba: it is uncertain whether Geba is another name for the town of Gibeah (New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible read “Gibeah” here), or whether the two names refer to two separate locations. It is common in the ancient versions and in Hebrew manuscripts for these two names to be confused with one another. Geba is identified in the Old Testament as a town in the territory of Benjamin (Josh 18.24).

Since 1838 Geba has been located by archaeologists as a site about nine kilometers (about five and a half miles) northeast of Jerusalem, directly opposite Michmash on the other side of the pass of Michmash. Since about 1930 most archaeologists have located the city of “Gibeah” at a site only five kilometers (three miles) north of Jerusalem. More recent studies, however, suggest that Geba and “Gibeah” are different names for the same town (see verses 15-16). Possibly “Gibeah” is the older Israelite name, while Geba is the name used in Judah. See the comments on 14.16.

Trumpet: this trumpet, made of a ram’s horn, sounded only two or three notes and was used to signal people in times of war (see the comment on 2 Sam 2.28; also Judges 3.27; 6.34; Jer 4.5; 6.1, 17). It is not probable that Saul himself traveled throughout the land, so some modern versions say that Saul “sent messengers” (Good News Translation) or that he “had the trumpet blown” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

It is unusual in 1 and 2 Samuel for Israelites to refer to themselves as “Hebrews” (see the comments on 4.6). Some interpreters therefore consider the words spoken about the Hebrews to be the words of the Philistines and not the words of Saul. Various corrections and reordering of words have been proposed for this verse. The Septuagint ends with the words “And Saul sounds the trumpet through all the land, saying, ‘The servants have despised us.’ ”

A comparison of modern translations reflects the uncertainty regarding the text of this verse. Compare “and the news spread among the Philistines that the Hebrews were in revolt. Saul sounded the trumpet all through the land” (Revised English Bible, and similarly New Jerusalem Bible, Osty-Trinquet, Anchor Bible, and Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel).

Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {C} rating to the Masoretic Text and suggests that the word Hebrews refers to persons who had given up their freedom through a semivoluntary slavery (see 14.21). If this understanding of the word Hebrews is accepted, then a more meaningful translation will be something like the following: “Let those Hebrews who have surrendered to the enemy hear that the revolt has begun!” Or a footnote may be provided giving the same information, if such a translation is considered too bold. If the direct quotation is to be made indirect, Good News Translation provides a possible model.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The garrison: as in verse 3.

Become odious: the root of the word translated odious has to do with emitting an unpleasant aroma, or smelling bad. New International Version reflects this by translating “Israel has become a stench to the Philistines.” But here the expression is used figuratively for being offensive. The same Hebrew verb is, in fact, translated “made … offensive” by Revised Standard Version in Exo 5.21. As in 2 Sam 10.6, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “incurred the wrath of.” This same verb is found in 27.12; 2 Sam 10.6; 16.21.

New American Bible renders the Hebrew verb “[that Israel] had brought disgrace upon [the Philistines],” and New Jerusalem Bible says “and now Israel has antagonized the Philistines.” It is not clear whether these translations are free renderings of the Hebrew or whether they represent an alternate text.

And the people were called out to join Saul: as elsewhere in 1 and 2 Samuel, the people does not refer to all the people but to those able to become soldiers. New American Bible says “and the soldiers were called up to Saul.” In those languages where the passive form of this verb presents a problem, the meaning may be conveyed by saying “Saul sent messengers to command the army to join him at Gilgal.” The implied information is that the fighting force did indeed meet Saul at Gilgal. This is made explicit by the Good News Translation rendering.

Gilgal: see the comment on 7.16. Samuel had instructed Saul to go to Gilgal and to wait for him (10.8).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Mustered: see the comments on 11.8 and compare also verse 11 below.

Thirty thousand: the ancient Syriac text and one tradition of the Septuagint text read “three thousand,” which is the basis for the translations in New International Version, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, La Bible du Semeur, Osty-Trinquet, La Bible Pléiade, and Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel. The earlier editions of the La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée translation in French have “a thousand chariots” here, but Nouvelle version Segond révisée joins those versions that have “thirty thousand.” Thirty thousand is an extremely large number. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, however, correctly notes that such large numbers are part of ancient military narratives (see, for example, Josh 11.4 and Judges 7.12) and gives the Masoretic Text a {B} rating.

Some languages may have a technical term for soldiers who are horsemen. Compare “cavalry troops” (Good News Translation) and “cavalry” (Anchor Bible). There is some evidence to suggest that the horsemen were “charioteers” (New International Version and Klein), that is, those who drove the chariots. If this interpretation is followed, it may support the reading of the Septuagint that there were three thousand chariots, since it was common to have two charioteers for each chariot. See also comments on 8.11.

Troops: literally “people.” In this context the translation “infantry” (Revised English Bible) or “foot soldiers” (New American Bible) is preferable.

Like the sand on the seashore: this is a common biblical idiom for expressing huge numbers, so large that they cannot be counted (see Gen 22.17; Josh 11.4; Judges 7.12). The sand refers to the individual “grains of sand,” as Good News Translation makes explicit.

Michmash: see verse 2.

Beth-aven was a city in the territory of Benjamin near the border of the territory of Ephraim, between Jericho and Bethel (Josh 18.12). The name Beth-aven means “house of wickedness.” Amos (5.5) and Hosea (4.15; 10.5) ridicule the city of Bethel, which means “house of God” by calling it “Beth-aven,” that is, “house of wickedness.” Most likely the name Beth-aven here in verse 5 is likewise a derogatory reference to the city of Bethel. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible maintains the name Beth-aven in the text and observes in a footnote that this is another name for Bethel. A footnote is the only proper place for such information.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

That they were in straits: literally “that [it was] narrow to them.” The corresponding Hebrew has no verb, but the noun straits has the same root as the verb that is elsewhere translated “oppressed” (Num 10.9), “harass” (Num 25.17). Some good idiomatic renderings in English are “that they were in trouble” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “that their plight was desperate” (New Jerusalem Bible).

The parenthetical information in Revised Standard Version may be shifted to the beginning of the verse in order to avoid the use of parentheses. And the passive construction the people were hard pressed may be rendered active by saying “the enemy was fighting hard against the Israelite troops.” Good News Translation has made explicit that the Israelites were attacked.

The people, that is, the army (so Revised English Bible; and see the comment on verse 4 above).

The consonants for the word translated holes are generally understood to mean “thorn bushes.” New American Bible and Anchor Bible say “in thickets,” Klein says “in briar patches,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “among thorns.” But because the context seems to favor understanding this as “holes” rather than “thorn bushes,” some interpreters suggest that one letter should be altered to read “holes.” And nearly all translations render this as holes in this context. The lexicons by Holladay, and Koehler and Baumgartner, however, propose that these same consonants may also mean “holes.” Since strong evidence exists to show that this Hebrew word may mean either “holes” or “thickets,” there is no need to suggest a change in the Hebrew text. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives an {A} rating to the Masoretic Text.

In rocks may be better translated in English as “among [the] rocks” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New American Bible) or “in crevices” (New Jerusalem Bible).

Tombs: the Hebrew word is translated “pits” (Revised English Bible, New International Version, New Century Version), “caverns” (New American Bible), “vaults” (New Jerusalem Bible), and “tunnels.” The same word refers to the cellar of a temple in Judges 9.46, 49, where Revised Standard Version translates it “stronghold.” The word refers to an underground hole in general, though the corresponding word in Arabic refers to the area in the bottom of a grave. In this context the best translation is probably “pits.”

Cisterns of various sizes and shapes were dug out of natural rock to store water from the winter rains for the dry season (May through September). They were often lined with lime plaster to make them watertight. In some languages this may have to be translated “places where people kept water” or something similar.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The beginning of this verse in the Masoretic Text has seemed too difficult by some interpreters, who have followed the Septuagint, which is the basis for the conjecture in Revised Standard Version. New Revised Standard Version, however, has attempted to make sense of the Hebrew, rendering the beginning “Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan.” The meaning seems clear enough: some Israelite troops hid in caves, thickets, and holes in the ground (verse 6), and some fled to the east across the Jordan River. Although the Masoretic Text does not have the word “some” or “others” before the noun “Hebrews,” the sense will require that it be included in some languages. Compare New American Bible, “and other Hebrews passed over the Jordan.” The English word fords refers to shallow places that may be crossed by wading.

Gad and Gilead were east of the Jordan River. Gad was the territory occupied by the tribe of Gad, between the Jabbok and Arnon rivers. See Josh 13.24-28. Gilead was the mountainous territory assigned to the tribes of Gad and Reuben. Later this territory was ruled by the Ammonites and the Moabites.

Followed him trembling: it seems contradictory to say that some people fled across the Jordan, and then to say that all the people followed him [Saul] trembling. For this reason some interpreters suggest that the Hebrew text should be changed to agree with one form of the Septuagint that says “and all the people deserted him in terror.” It seems better, however, to understand the last part of this verse as referring to all of the Israelites, both those who had fled and those who were still with Saul, and translate similarly to Revised English Bible: “and all his followers were in a state of alarm.”

Trembling: the Hebrew verb expresses different degrees of intensity, depending on the context. It often describes a state of horror and suggests extreme insecurity.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Some languages may require a clear indication of what Saul waited for. Revised English Bible makes this clear by translating “waited for his meeting with Samuel.”

The time appointed by Samuel: or “because Samuel had promised that he would meet him then.” See 10.8.

The people were scattering from him: here again the people refers specifically to the armed troops (see the comments on verses 2 and 4 above). New Jerusalem Bible provides a good model: “the army, deserting Saul, began dispersing.” See also Anchor Bible: “the army began to drift away from him.” It should be clear in the receptor language that the people were scattering from Saul and not from Samuel. So it may be advisable to use the proper noun in place of the pronoun.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .