1 Samuel 13:7

1Sa 13:7 And [some of] the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he [was] yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

Ver. 7. And all the people followed him trembling.] Mικροψυχοι; they were quite dispirited; and now that all seemed to be on fire, they rang their bells backwards as it were. Such as whose hearts are not ballasted with grace, no marvel though they ride uncertainly, and sometimes dash fearfully.

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 13:7-8. Some of the Hebrews went over Jordan — They fled as far as they could from the present danger, even into the country of the two tribes and a half. All the people followed him trembling — That is, all that were left, who, it appears, were not many. He tarried seven days — Not seven complete days, for the last day was not finished. According to the set time that Samuel had appointed — This seems to refer to the command given two years before, and recorded 1Sa 10:8 : see the note on that verse. But Samuel came not to Gilgal — So soon as Saul expected him.

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

13:7 The land of Gad and Gilead ran the length of Transjordan (the region just east of the Jordan River).

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

Where the two tribes and the half remained.

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

7. some of the Hebrews] The soundness of the text is rendered doubtful by the peculiarity of the construction, and the use of the term “Hebrews” without apparent reason. The Sept., changing the vowels of the word Hebrews, renders, “And they who went over went over Jordan, &c.;” but this can hardly be right either.

all the people followed him trembling] The nation obeyed his summons, but in the greatest alarm at the proximity of the Philistine host.

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 some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead,.... As far off as they could from the Philistines, who lay on the west of the land of Israel, and these countries were to the east. Kimchi observes, that the land of Reuben is not mentioned, which was on the other side Jordan also; because that was nearer to it than what was inhabited by Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh; and therefore they chose to go further, thinking themselves there safer:

as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal; where he stayed till Samuel should come to him, as directed, Sa1 10:8 to have his advice and counsel:

and all the people followed him trembling; all that were with him, the army as distinct from the common people; they abode by him, and were at his command, and were ready to go where he should direct them; but with trembling hearts when they saw the pain of the people, fleeing into holes and corners, and considered what a huge host the Philistines were coming upon them with, and Samuel their prophet not with them to encourage and counsel them.

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

The words “some of,” which are the emphatic words in the King James Version, as distinguishing those who crossed the Jordan from those who hid themselves, are not in the Hebrew at all. The “Hebrews” seem to be distinguished from the “men of Israel” in 1Sa 13:6. (Compare 1Sa 14:21.)

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

Hebrews. Septuagint, "the people, who came over, (the river) crossed the Jordan." (Haydock) --- The title of Hebrews, "passengers," seems to be applied to those who lived on the east side of the river, (Calmet) though probably some others would seek for a retreat in that country, or even hide themselves in the regions of the Ammonites, out of which they had lately driven the inhabitants. (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "the Hebrews passed over the Jordan, the land of," &c. (Calmet) --- Afraid. Septuagint in a sort of "ecstasy" of fear.

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).

All the people, to wit, his whole army, opposed to the common people, 1Sa 13:6.

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

7. Hebrews went over Jordan — Which shows that the Gilgal where Saul tarried all this time was in the plains of Jericho, (see on 1Sa_13:4,) whence numbers might easily steal away to the land of Gad and Gilead, which lay across the Jordan immediately opposite Jericho.

Followed him trembling — Those that did follow him, over and above the many that deserted to the caves and deserts, trembled through fear of soon falling into the hands of an enraged and cruel enemy.

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

Some of the Hebrews. A contemptuous name for Israel (see ver. 3). If the reading is correct, it must be used here of a cowardly portion of the people, (as in 1Sa_14:21) for the insertion of some of in the A.V is unjustifiable. But by a very slight change, simply lengthening thestalk of one letter, we get a very good sense: "And they went over the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead," i.e. to the mountainous district in which the Jordan rises.

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

All the people - That is, all that were left.

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

Crossed the Yardein to the land of Gad. To escape from the Philistines, because the Philistines were in the land of Canaan on the west side of the Yardein.

Hurried after him. They hurried to go after him.

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.