1 Samuel 13:17

1Sa 13:17 And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way [that leadeth to] Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:

Ver. 17. And the spoilers came out of the camp.] This is one of the woes of war, that hell of this world, - as one calleth it, wherein there is no measure or satiety of blood and spoil; witness our late stripping and bleeding times.

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_13:17

The spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies.

The spoilers

Saul is reproved for his haste, his presumption, and his disobedience. Samuel then departs to Gibeah, and the nation are for a time, notwithstanding Sauls valour, reduced to great straits under the rule of the Philistines. The spoilers, too, came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies, spreading desolation over the whole country. At last, by the brilliant valour of Jonathan and his armour bearer, a portion of the Philistine host was slain, and a sudden panic spreading throughout their camp, their entire forces were routed. Thus the children of Israel regained once more their freedom.

I. That it is when men are unprepared that temptations come. When there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people, that was the time that the spoilers came out. Temptations assail us on our weakest side, and at the most unexpected moment. The sin that most easily besets us is the sin that comes upon us when we are in idleness and ease, in no way prepared for a spiritual conflict.

II. That temptations, though very distinct, are often difficult to separate from each other, and to individualise. These spoilers came out of the camp in three companies, and they are not named nor individualised. Sins glide so into each other that it is frequently difficult to analyse any particular offence amidst so confused a mass. Lavish benefactions, for instance, may be given from thoughtless generosity, from true charity, or from ostentation. Who can tell which of these is the actuating motive in any particular case? Not even, often, the doer himself. It is the same with our sins and vices. It is difficult to assign the true place, and therefore the real guilt, of any particular one amongst them.

III. That temptations come from three main causes, the world, the flesh, and the devil. The spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. The world is too much with us; its pleasures and its pains continually affect us. The lusts of the flesh unceasingly tend to drag us down. The temptations of Satan, too, are craftily devised to overwhelm us.

IV. That these temptations often arise from our superabundance of worldly riches. These spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines, and this camp was situated at Michmash, which name means treasure. Money is useful if it be usefully employed. Wealth is a great trust, which, if a man employs rightly, he may be a benefactor to his fellow men, and may receive a blessing from God. But it is a great snare, more especially if it has been acquired without much personal merit or much personal exertion on the part of its possessor

V. That these temptations have their starting point frequently from wilful and conceited ignorance. The spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines. A modern author, Matt, hew Arnold, has taken the term Philistine as descriptive of self-satisfied and offensive want of culture. From the fields of ignorance and of thoughtlessness no harvest but a crop of tares can be expected. Evil is wrought from want of thought, as well as want of heart.

VI. That obedience is the garrison that keeps these companies of evil passions in check. The spoilers did not come out of the camp of the Philistines to spread like devouring grasshoppers over the land of the children of Israel until Saul had disobeyed the Divine command given to him through Samuel. So, as long as we follow the plain line of duty, and act in obedience to the strict letter as well as to the real spirit of the law of God, we shall be little liable to the assaults of sin. It is when we palter with truth, equivocate with conscience, enter into dalliance with some evil passion, that we are ensnared by temptation. In the Pilgrims Progress, as long as Christian kept on the highway, he was safe; it was only when he strayed into the byways of error that he fell into the power of Giant Despair, and was immured in the dungeons of Doubting Castle. (R. Young, M. A.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13:17-18 Armies would send out raiding parties to plunder and sow panic among the enemy. These raiders embarked north (Ophrah), west (Beth-horon), and east (Zeboim), but not south, where Israelite strength was consolidated and where the terrain did not allow easy movement of forces (see study note on 13:23).

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

Or, the destroyer: to wit, the captains came out with three bands.

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

the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies--ravaging through the three valleys which radiate from the uplands of Michmash to Ophrah on the north, through the pass of Beth-horon on the west, and down the ravines of Zeboim ("the hyænas"), towards the Ghor or Jordan valley on the east.

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 17. The spoilers came out] The Philistines, finding that the Israelites durst not hazard a battle, divided their army into three bands, and sent them in three different directions to pillage and destroy the country. Jonathan profited by this circumstance, and attacked the remains of the army at Michmash, as we shall see in the succeeding chapter.

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

(17) And the spoilers came out.—The compiler of these Books of Samuel does not profess to give a detailed account of this or any of the wars of Saul It would seem that the Philistines, with their great armed demonstration (1Sa_13:5), had completely cowed the Israelites, certainly in the southern part of Canaan. Probably the allied forces were now suffered to leave the Philistine host, and we next hear of the old raids re-commencing. The three companies spoken of in this and the next verse were directed to ravage districts in the tribe of Benjamin, for in that locality are situated all the places mentioned. Unchecked, they seem to have carried out their plans. These armed companies swept away all the smithies in the south part of the land. The fortunes of Saul now reached their lowest ebb. “The heights of his own tribe . . . and the passes of his own tribe were occupied by hostile garrisons. We see him leaning on his gigantic spear, whether it be on the summit of the Rock Rimmon . . . or under the tamarisk of Ramah . . . or on the heights of Gibeah. There he stood with his small band, the faithful six hundred, and as he wept aloud over the misfortunes of his country . . . another voice swelled the wild, indignant lament—the voice of Jonathan, his son.”—Dean Stanley: Lectures on the Jewish Church.

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

17. the spoilers came out] Lit. the destroyer, the part of the army sent out to harry the country. (a) One band of marauders turned northwards to Ophrah, a city of Benjamin (Jos_18:23), conjecturally placed by Robinson at et Taiyibeh, 4 miles N. E. of Bethel, in the land of Shual (= jackal) possibly the same as Shalim (1Sa_9:4). (b) Another band took a westerly direction to Beth-horon (= house of caverns) on the main pass from the hill country of Judaea into the plain of Philistia. (c) A third band went eastwards to “the way of the border,” probably that between Judah and Benjamin, by “the valley of Zeboim” (Neh_11:34) = “the ravine of hyenas,” “towards the wilderness” or uncultivated district between the central district of Benjamin and the Jordan valley. Mr Grove went from Jericho to Michmash up a wild gorge bearing the name Shuk-ed-Dubba, or “ravine of the hyena,” the exact Arabic equivalent of “the valley of Zeboim,” and possibly the same. Dict. of Bible, iii. 1819.

Southwards, Saul’s camp in Geba protected the country. The tense of the verbs “turned” expresses repeated action, indicating that these ravages were continued for some time. The Philistines hoped to draw Saul out from his strong position, and force him to an engagement.

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.

And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies,.... Saul not daring to come out to fight them, and there being none throughout the land to oppose them, they sent out three companies of soldiers to ravage and spoil the country; of so little use and service was a king to Israel, they were so extremely desirous of; and this was suffered, to convince them of their vain confidence in him, and that their trust ought to be in the Lord their God; never was their country more exposed to rapine and violence than now:

one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah; a city in the land of Benjamin, of which see Jos 18:23 and lay southwest from Michmash, where the army of the Philistines were:

unto the land of Shual: which the Targum paraphrases,"the land of the south;''it seems to have had its name from the multitude of foxes in it, Shual signifying a fox.

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

The spoilers - “The devastator:” the same word is used of the destroying Angel Exo 12:23. The verse describes the system adopted by the Philistines by which for a time they subjugated the Israelites. From their central camp at Michmash they sent out three bands to kill and lay waste and destroy. One took a northerly direction toward Ophrah - five miles east of Bethel, identified with “Ephrain” 2Ch 13:19 and the modern “Taiyibeh,” - and toward the land of Shual, possibly the same as Shalim 1Sa 9:4; the second westward to Beth-horon; and the third eastward, by the unknown valley of Zeboim, toward the wilderness, i. e., the Jordan valley, toward Jericho.

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

Plunder, seeing that the Israelites durst not come to an engagement. Jonathan took advantage of their absence, chap. xiv. --- Land of Sual, "foxes," not far from the birth-place of Gedeon, Judges vi. 11.

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).

In three companies; that they might march several ways, and so waste several parts of the country.

Ophrah; a city of Benjamin, Jos 18:23, south-west from Michmash.

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

17. The spoilers — Marauding parties, whose object was to spy out the land and condition of the enemy, and do him all the injury possible.

Ophrah — Located at the modern Taiyibeh, five or six miles north of Michmash. This also was a city of Benjamin. Jos_18:23.

The land of Shual — This must have been the territory around, and more probably somewhat to the north of, Ophrah, though its exact position is unknown. If, as some suppose, it be the same as the land of Sha-lim, (1Sa_9:4,) it confirms our conjecture as to the route of Saul when in search of the asses.

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

Vers. 17, 18The spoilers. The conduct of the Philistines is that of men over confident in their strength. They ought to have pounced at once upon Saul in the plain of Jordan, where their cavalry would have secured for them the victory, and then, following Samuel"s and Saul"s route, have seized the other end of the defile, and overpowered Jonathan. But they despised them both, and regarding the country as conquered, proceed to punish it, as probably they had cone on previous occasions, when no one had dared to make resistance. Leaving then the main army to guard the camp at Michmash, they sent out light armed troops to plunder the whole land. One company turned unto the way to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual. This company went northward, towards Ophrah, a place five miles east of Bethel. The land of Shual, i.e. fox land, was probably the same as the land of Shalim in 1Sa_9:4. Another company, etc. This went eastward, towards Beth-heron, for which see Jos_10:11. The third went to the south east, towards the wilderness of Judaea. Zeboim, and all the places mentioned, are in the tribe of Benjamin, which had committed the offence of making for itself a king. To the south Saul held the mountain fastnesses towards Jerusalem.

Vers. 17-23.

The ramifications of evil.

The facts are

1. In the absence of Divine interposition, and consequent on Saul"s inabilityto resist advance, the Philistines develop their forces and plunder certain districts of country.

2. As a matter of policy on their part, and as one result of Saul"stransgression, the Philistines deprive the people of the ordinary means of conducting warfare.

3. This state of things necessitates Saul"s protracted inactivity, and inflictsconsiderable inconvenience on the people with respect to their daily pursuits in agriculture. Although we cannot say precisely what course events would have taken had Saul, in loyalty to God, awaited the arrival of Samuel (vers. 8-10), yet the whole history of Israel and the recent promises made through Samuel (1Sa_12:20-25) lead to the belief that, as when Jabesh-Gilead was in danger help came from God, (1Sa_11:6) so now the Philistines would have been scattered by a Power more than human. The facts given in this paragraph appear to be designed to prepare the way for the narrative of Jonathan"s heroism in the following chapter; at the same time they illustrate, in themselves, some truths of wider range than Israel"s political and social condition. We have here an instance of

I THE DEPRESSING INFLUENCE OF A SENSE OF GUILT ON THE CONDUCT OF AFFAIRS. The military inactivity and general helplessness of Saul after Samuel"s interview with him (vers. 11-14) are in striking contrast with his energy at other times, and are not altogether to be ascribed to the absence of special Divine interposition. The explanation is to be sought in his personal conviction of sin. There was no joy, no hope, no spring in his soul, no eagerness for a close conflict with the foe; and that, too, because a sense of sin brought moral paralysis upon his entire nature. The sense of guilt is not always present in men, but when it is brought home to a man it exercises a depressing influence on his entire life, and seriously affects the transaction of affairs. Conscience, when guilty, not only "makes cowards of us all," but it robs life of brightness, drains the springs of hope, fetters the operation of the faculties, and impairs the sum total of energy. No man"s life is made the most of as long as some unrepented and unforgiven sin haunts his spirit. This is the reverse side of another fact, namely, that the soul possessed of the peace and joy of the reconciled is in a condition to render its best service to the world, and to attain to the most perfect development of its powers. The wisdom of every one oppressed with a sense of guilt is to humble himself before God, and seek in Christ forgiveness and power for a truer life in future.

II THE MANIFOLD RAMIFICATIONS OF EVIL. The sin of Saul did not begin and end with himself. His failure in duty affected the general interests of his kingdom. Even the brief narrative before us enables us to see how directly and indirectly the following circumstances were connected with his disobedience namely, the inability of Israel to assail the threatening host; the depredations of the three divisions of the Philistine army; the private and social misery over a considerable area inseparable from the raids of the invader; the cutting off of the ordinary means for waging successful war; the impediments to the pursuits of trade and agriculture; the general humiliation and dread brought on the noncombatants of the land; and the withdrawal for a while of the counsels and encouragements of the prophet of God. The truth thus exemplified in the instance of a monarch"s sin finds expression also in every sin, and especially in sins of persons in responsible positions. No sin can end in the act or in the person of the sinner. It impairs the tone and force of the entire man; it adds another item to the germs of future sorrow and shame; it further disqualifies for conferring on the world spiritual good; it gives a stronger taint of evil to the current of thought and feeling which flows out from the inner man to the world. Sin in us is as a wave of influence that spreads out, by laws of association and impulse, over the whole area of the spirit, and modifies all conduct for the worse. Especially is this true of persons in office and of parents. A monarch"s official acts reach all classes. A parent"s sin ramifies through the home inducing, it may be, loss of peace, certainly loss of hallowed influence over children, and possibly ruin to health in offspring.

III UNFAITHFULNESS IN THE SERVICE OF GOD DEPRIVES US OF A MOST IMPORTANT MEANS OF ACCOMPLISHING OUR MISSION AS CHRISTIANS IN THE WORLD. The scarcity of smiths and weapons of war is evidently associated by the historian with the disobedience of Saul. It is possible for Christian men engaged in the endeavour to maintain and extend the kingdom of Christ to be brought into an analogous condition as a consequence of their manifest unfaithfulness. In our conflict with the world it is of supreme importance that we make use of the ever available and potent instrumentinfluence of character. With this as a weapon we can accomplish much, by the blessing of God. If this be lost, if by our manifest inconsistencies before the world we virtually place this instrument of war at the feet of the men whom we seek to bring to Christ, then we shall be as powerless with them as was Saul and his people when the Philistines had control of their smiths and weapons of war.

General lessons:

1. The general spiritual power of our life will be in proportion as we keep pure, or, in case of falling into sin, at once humble ourselves before God and seek for pardon and a right spirit. (Psa_51:6-13)

2. It is an encouragement to holiness and obedience to know that theramifications of righteousness may become as wide as are those of sin.

3. It is a mercy to know that, though the enemy may sometimes triumphover the servants of Christ because of their weakness of character, yet the eternal Source of strength is in reserve, and will manifest himself.

HOMILIES BY B. DALE.

Vers. 1-7. (MICHMASH, GIBEAH, GEBA, GILGAL.)

The trumpet sounded.

Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

1. The great conflict between good and evil which has been waged fromthe first (Gen_3:15) has been concentrated in every age on some particular issue. At this time it was whether Israel and the worship of the true God or the Philistines and the worship of idols should prevail. It was thus of the highest importance in relation to the kingdom of God upon earth.

2. The Philistines were old enemies and powerful oppressors (Jud_1:3:3 10:7 13:1; 1Sa_7:2) During the administration of Samuel they were held in check, (1Sa_7:13) although they appear to have had military posts or garrisons in the land (1Sa_10:5; ver. 3), and the overthrow of one of these by Jonathan (at Geba, four miles north of Gibeah, and opposite Michmash) gave the signal for renewed conflict. Having evacuated Michmash, where he had stationed himself with an army of 2000, Saul summoned all the men of Israel to gather to him at Gilgal; but the advancing hosts of the enemy filled the country with terror, so that he was left with only 600 followers, and found it necessary, after his interview with Samuel, to join his son Jonathan at Gibeah (Geba) (vers. 2, 16; ch. 14:2). Meanwhile the enemy occupied Michmash, whence three companies of spoilers issued, plundering the plains and valleys. A second and greater exploit of Jonathan, however, drove them out of Michmash, and it was followed by a general engagement, in which large numbers of them were slain, and the rest "went to their own place". (1Sa_14:23, 1Sa_14:31, 1Sa_14:46)

3. The conflict to which Israel was summoned represents that to whichChristians are called. It is a conflict with physical and moral evil, with the world, the flesh, and the devil (Joh_15:19; 2Co_10:4; Eph_6:12; 1Pe_2:11 1Pe_5:8; 1Jn_2:16) and with men only in so far as they are ruled by sin, and in order to their salvation; a conflict which is good ("the good fight of faith (1Ti_6:12) and necessary, and affords full scope for whatever warlike instincts and energies are possessed. What does the sound of the trumpet signify?. (1Co_14:8)

I A BLOW HAS BEEN STRUCK AGAINST THE FOE. The greatest blow that was ever inflicted upon the "power of darkness" was struck by "the Captain of our salvation" in his life and death and glorious resurrection (Joh_12:31 Joh_16:33; 1Jn_3:8) and in the spirit and power of his victory his followers carry on the conflict. (Mat_10:34) At times there seems to be something like a truce, but it never lasts long; and when a fresh blow is struck by "a good soldier of Jesus Christ" it

1. Reveals the essential difference between the spirit that is in "the Israel of God" and "the spirit that is in the world.

2. Intensifies their antagonism (ver. 4).

3. Commits them to more definite and decisive action. And to this end the fact should be proclaimed. "When Saul the king of the Hebrews was informed of this (ver. 3), he went down to the city of Gilgal, and made proclamation of it over all the country, summoning them to freedom" (Josephus).

II THE ENEMY IS MUSTERING HIS FORCES (ver. 5), which are

1. Exceedingly numerous, "as the sand which is on the sea shore.

2. Skilful, crafty, and deceitful. (2Co_11:14)

3. Very powerful. There is at the present day an extraordinary combination of anti-christian agencies (2Ti_3:1-9; Rev_13:11-18) threatening Christian faith and practice, which might well fill us with fear, did we not believe that "they that be with us are more than they that be with them". (2Ki_6:16) "The spirits of the unseen world seem to be approaching us. Times of trouble there have been before; but such a time, in which everything, everywhere, tends in one direction to one mighty struggle of one sort of faith with infidelity, lawlessness with rule, Christ with antichrist there seems never to have been till now" (Pusey).

III THE FAITHFUL MUST RALLY AROUND THEIR LEADER. The gathering forces of the enemy should constrain us to closer union, and the proper centre of union is he of whom the greatest kings and heroes were feeble types and shadows.

1. He has been Divinely appointed, and claims our obedience and cooperation.

2. He is fully qualified as "a Leader and Commander of the people.

3. He is the only hope of safety and success. "God is with him". (1Sa_10:7)

With force of arms we nothing can, Full soon were we down ridden, But for us fights the proper man, Whom God himself hath bidden.

Ask ye, Who is this same? Christ Jesus is his name; The Lord Sabaoth"s Son; He, and no other one, Shall conquer in the battle" (Luther).

IV THE SUCCESS ALREADY ACHIEVED GIVES ASSURANCE OF VICTORY (1Sa_11:11; ver. 3).

1. What triumphs has he gained in former days I

2. They are an earnest of "still greater things than these.

3. And they should inspire us with the confidence and courage which areneedful to participation in his victory and glory. (Rev_17:14 Rev_19:11) "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. D.

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

The Oppression of the Philistines

v. 17. And the spoilers, soldiers to whom was assigned the task of plundering and devastating the land of Israel, came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual, toward the northeast, through the territory of Benjamin and Ephraim;

v. 18. and another company turned the way to Beth-horon, toward the west; and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness, in a southeasterly direction.

v. 19. Now, there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears; so the Philistines had removed all smiths out of the whole country;

v. 20. but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his ax, and his mattock. So all the agricultural implements which the Israelites used, plowshares, hoes, axes, were sharpened by Philistine smiths, upon whom the subject people were altogether dependent.

v. 21. Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. The verses have lately been rendered: "But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man his plowshare, and his ax, and his adze, and his hoe, and the price was a pim for the plowshares, and for the axes, and for the three-tined forks, and for the adzes, and for the setting of the goads. " Whenever the implements became dull and needed sharpening, and whenever the ox-goads needed new setting, it was necessary to make the trip to the lowlands occupied by the Philistines, who permitted the Hebrews to carry on the tillage only of the highlands and of the valley of the Jordan, and incidentally charged the Israelites a high price for all the work done by them. 3)

v. 22. So it came to pass in the day of battle, which is described in the next chapter, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan, they were unprovided with real weapons of war, being dependent upon their farm implements for arms against the enemy; but with Saul and with Jonathan, his son, was there found, they were the only ones that had real weapons.

v. 23. And the garrison of the Philistines, a post or vanguard from the main army, went out to the passage, or pass, of Michmash, as a protection against the Israelites, who might otherwise have slipped up through some of the valleys converging at this point and surprised the Philistine camp. The invariable result of forsaking the Lord is distress and tribulation, the object of such visitations being to cause the backsliders to repent of their sins and to place their full reliance upon the Lord.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Raiders came

Raiders are normally military people who attack enemy villages for their food and other supplies.

Ophrah, to the land of Shual ... Beth Horon ... Valley of Zeboyim

These are the names of places. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

Philistines

desert

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