1 Samuel 10:3

1Sa 10:3 Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:

Ver. 3. Going up to God,] i.e., To ask counsel of God; before whom they might not come empty handed, but were to bring the best of the best.

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.

1Sa 10:3. Thou shalt come to the plain — Not that at the foot of mount Tabor, which was far from these parts; but another, belonging to some other place. Beth-el — Properly so called, which was in Ephraim, where there was a noted high place, famous for Jacob’s vision there, (Gen 28:19,) and where it is probable they offered sacrifices, in this confused state of things, when the ark was in one place, and the tabernacle in another.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10:3 oak of Tabor: This location, somewhere in Benjamin, is not to be confused with the village of the same name in Zebulun (1 Chr 6:77). • Bethel: See study note on 1 Sam 7:16.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, oaks.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

the plain--or, "the oak of Tabor," not the celebrated mount, for that was far distant.

three men going up to God to Beth-el--apparently to offer sacrifices there at a time when the ark and the tabernacle were not in a settled abode, and God had not yet declared the permanent place which He should choose. The kids were for sacrifice, the loaves for the offering, and the wine for the libations.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 3. Three men going up to God to Bethel] Jacob's altar was probably there still, Ge 28:19. However this might be, it was still considered, as its name implies, the house of God; and to it they were now going, to offer sacrifice.

The three kids were for sacrifice; the three loaves of bread to be offered probably as a thank-offering; and the bottle or skin full of wine, for a libation. When the blood was poured out before the Lord, then they feasted on the flesh and on the bread; and probably had a sufficiency of the wine left for their own drinking.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(3) Thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor.—The accurate translation of the Hebrew is “to the terebinth or oak of Tabor.” There was evidently a history, now lost, connected with the “terebinth of Tabor.” Ewald suggests that “Tabor” is a different form for Deborah, and that this historic tree was the oak beneath which Deborah, the nurse of Rachel, was buried (Gen_35:8).

Going up to God to Beth-el.—This since the old patriarchal days had been a sacred spot. Samuel used to visit it as judge, and hold his court there annually, no doubt on account of the number of pilgrims who were in the habit of visiting it. These men were evidently on a pilgrimage to the old famous shrine.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. the plain of Tabor] Rather, the oak of Tabor. It has been ingeniously conjectured that this is to be identified with the oak under which Rebekah’s nurse Deborah was buried “under Bethel” (Gen_35:8), and the palm tree between Ramah and Bethel under which Deborah judged Israel (Jdg_4:5), Tabor being either a corruption or dialectic variation for Deborah; but nothing certain is known about the place.

going up to God to Bethel] On the sanctuary at Bethel see note on 1Sa_7:16. As yet the presence of God was only connected with holy places, or the Ark, and the Omnipresence of God scarcely realised. See Gen_28:16 and 1Sa_14:36.

a bottle of wine] i.e. a skin bottle: Sept. ἀσκός. Cp. 1Sa_1:24.

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.

Then shall thou go on forward from thence,.... From Zelzah and Rachel's sepulchre there:

and thou shall come to the plain of Tabor; not that which lay at the bottom of the famous and well known mountain Tabor; for that was in the tribe of Zebulun, at a great distance from hence: but a plain, so called perhaps from the name of the owner of it:

and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel: the same with Luz, where Jacob built an altar, and called upon God; and so Elohimbethel here is the same with Elbethel, Gen 35:6. Here was an high place as at Ramah, whither in those times, when there was no fixed place for worship, the tabernacle at one place, and the ark at another, the people went up to worship; and they might the rather choose this, because it was a place devoted to the worship and service of God by their father Jacob; so the Targum paraphrases it,"going up to worship God in Bethel;''so Josephus (c), they were going thither to pray, and, as it seems by what follows, to sacrifice: one carrying three kids; which were used in sacrifice, and were a pretty heavy load if carried far; though, according to Josephus (d), it was but one kid:

and another carrying three loaves of bread; for the minchah, the meat offering, or rather bread offering, Lev 2:4.

and another carrying a bottle of wine; for the drink offering, the fourth part of an hin of wine being required for each kid, Num 15:5. This bottle, Ben Melech says, was a bottle made of skin, a leathern bottle or bag, or a potter's vessel or pitcher; the Targum renders it, a flagon of wine.

(c) Antiqu. l. 6. c. 4. sect. 2. (d) lbid.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The plain of Tabor - It should be “the oak or terebinth”” of Tabor” (Jdg 4:11 note). It has been ingeniously conjectured that “Tabor” is either a different form of “Deborah,” or a corruption of it, and that the “oak,” or “terebinth of Tabor,” is the same as “Allon-bachuth,” the oak under which Deborah was buried, and which lay “beneath Bethel” Gen 35:8. The terebinth, where the three men came upon Saul, must have been at some point previous to that where the road leading northward from Jerusalem branches; when they reached that point they would go on with their offerings to Bethel, he would pursue his journey to Gibeah.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Thabor, very distant from the famous mountain (Calmet) in Zabulon. (Menochius) --- Bethel. Where there was at that time an altar of God; it being one of the places where Samuel judged Israel, (Challoner) and which had always been considered as a place of devotion, since Jacob had his vision, Genesis xxviii. 19. It lay to the east of Gabaa, so that Saul might easily meet these pilgrims. (Calmet) --- Wine, for libations, as the other things were for a sacrifice and feast, as well as for presents to the officiating priests.

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).

To the plain of Tabor; not that at the foot of Mount Tabor, which was far from these parts; but another belonging to some other place, or man, called Tabor. Beth-el; properly so called, which was in Ephraim, where there was a noted high place, famous for Jacob’s vision there, Gen 28:19, where it is probable they offered sacrifices in this confused state of things, when the ark was in one place, and the tabernacle, if not destroyed, in another. Or, to the house of God, i.e. to Kirjath-jearim, where the ark, the habitation of God, now was, 1Sa 7:1,2,16.

Loaves of bread might be offered, either by themselves, as Lev 2:4, or with other sacrifices.

A bottle of wine; which was poured forth in drink-offerings. See Lev 23:13; Num 15:5.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. The plain of Tabor — Rather, the oak of Tabor, a spot apparently well known to Saul and Samuel, but now lost from our knowledge. Thenius’s conjecture that the oak of Deborah (Gen_35:8) is meant cannot be correct, for that was at Beth-el, far to the north of Saul’s home.

Three men going up to God to Beth-el — That is, going up to worship and sacrifice unto God at Beth-el. This “shows that there was still a place of sacrifice consecrated to the Lord at Beth-el, where Abraham and Jacob had erected altars to the Lord, who had appeared to them there, (Gen_12:8; Gen_13:3-4; Gen_28:18-19; Gen_35:7;) for the kids and loaves and wine were sacrificial gifts which they were about to offer.” — Keil. Beth-el was one of the places regularly visited by Samuel in his yearly circuit, (1Sa_7:16,) and here were doubtless priests, and at this time, when the tabernacle was desolate, (see note on 1Sa_9:12,) these three devoted men knew no more appropriate place to sacrifice unto God. Perhaps, too, the tabernacle was at Beth-el at this time, for after the desolation of Shiloh it seems to have become again a movable sanctuary, and appears in later history at Nob and Gibeon. 1Sa_21:1-6; 1Ch_16:39; comp. Jdg_20:27.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The second sign was to be the presenting of an offering to him out of their sacrificial gifts by three men going on a pilgrimage to Bethel. He would meet them not in the plain of Tabor, but at the oak, elon, of Tabor. Many attempt to connect this elon-Tabor with the allon, or oak, under which Deborah, Rachel"s nurse, was buried, (Gen_35:8) and suppose that Tabor is a corruption of the name Deborah. This is scarcely possible, and it is better to acknowledge that we know nothing of the site of this tree, except that it was on the road to Bethel. This was one of the places which Samuel used to visit as judge; (1Sa_7:16) but these men were on a pilgrimage thither because since the days of Jacob it had been a sacred spot, and a chief seat of the old patriarchal worship, for which see 1Sa_9:12.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Plain - Not that at the foot of mount Tabor, which was far from these parts; but another belonging to some other place. Bethel - Properly so called, which was in Ephraim, where there was a noted high-place, famous for Jacob's vision there, Gen. xxviii, 19, where it is probable they offered sacrifices, in this confused state of things, when the ark was in one place, and the tabernacle in another.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Tabor

This is the name of a place. (See: How to Translate Names)

take from their hands

The hands are a synecdoche for the person. "take from them" or "accept" (See: Synecdoche)

translationWords

oak

God

Bethel

goat

bread

wine

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Eilon Tavor. The plain of Tavor.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.