בֶּן שָׁנָה שָׁאוּל בְּמָלְכוֹ וּשְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים מָלַךְ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל

Saul was one year into his reign, and two years he reigned over Israel.

וַיִּבְחַר לוֹ שָׁאוּל שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּהְיוּ עִם שָׁאוּל אַלְפַּיִם בְּמִכְמָשׂ וּבְהַר בֵּית אֵל וְאֶלֶף הָיוּ עִם יוֹנָתָן בְּגִבְעַת בִּנְיָמִין וְיֶתֶר הָעָם שִׁלַּח אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו

Saul chose for him three thousand men from Israel to form an initial small, organized army. This would serve as a permanent core for a larger reserve force. The reason that the Israelite army was established specifically at this time is that such a process was not possible in the pre-monarchic era. Two thousand soldiers were with Saul in Mikhmas and on the mountain of Beit El, and one thousand were with Yonatan, Saul’s firstborn son, in Givat Binyamin, the city of Giva in the land of Benjamin, also known as Givat Shaul. And the rest of the people he sent, each man to his tent, his home. The majority of the soldiers in the Israelite army were reserve soldiers, who were called up only in times of emergency.

וַיַּךְ יוֹנָתָן אֵת נְצִיב פְּלִשְׁתִּים אֲשֶׁר בְּגֶבַע וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ פְּלִשְׁתִּים ושָׁאוּל תָּקַע בַּשּׁוֹפָר בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ לֵאמֹר יִשְׁמְעוּ הָעִבְרִים

Yonatan smote, killed, the Philistine governor who was in Geva, and the Philistines heard of it and considered it a declaration of war. Concurrently, Saul issued the command, and they sounded the shofar throughout the land, saying: Let the Hebrews hear. Saul drafted the entire nation, declaring that war was imminent.

וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל שָׁמְעוּ לֵאמֹר הִכָּה שָׁאוּל אֶת נְצִיב פְּלִשְׁתִּים וְגַם נִבְאַשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיִּצָּעֲקוּ הָעָם אַחֲרֵי שָׁאוּל הַגִּלְגָּל

All Israel heard, saying: Saul smote the Philistine governor. Although Yonatan perpetrated it, since the act was viewed as sponsored by the king, it was considered as though Saul killed the governor himself. And moreover, Israel has become abhorrent among the Philistines; the relationship between the peoples has soured. The people mobilized, following Saul to Gilgal.

וּפְלִשְׁתִּים נֶאֶסְפוּ לְהִלָּחֵם עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁלֹשִׁים אֶלֶף רֶכֶב וְשֵׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִים פָּרָשִׁים וְעָם כַּחוֹל אֲשֶׁר עַל שְׂפַת הַיָּם לָרֹב וַיַּעֲלוּ וַיַּחֲנוּ בְמִכְמָשׂ קִדְמַת בֵית אָוֶן

The Philistines assembled to battle with Israel: Thirty thousand chariots, an enormous number. Perhaps the verse means that the military force of chariots included thirty thousand men; and among them six thousand horsemen, and people like the sand that is on the seashore in plenitude. They ascended and encamped in Mikhmas, which was east of Beit Aven.

וְאִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל רָאוּ כִּי צַר לוֹ כִּי נִגַּשׂ הָעָם וַיִּתְחַבְּאוּ הָעָם בַּמְּעָרוֹת וּבַחֲוָחִים וּבַסְּלָעִים וּבַצְּרִחִים וּבַבֹּרוֹת

The men of Israel saw that it was in dire straits, as the people were hard-pressed by the enormous Philistine army, and the people hid in caves and in small crevices, among the rocks, in citadels, fortified towers, and in pits.

וְעִבְרִים עָבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן אֶרֶץ גָּד וְגִלְעָד וְשָׁאוּל עוֹדֶנּוּ בַגִּלְגָּל וְכָל הָעָם חָרְדוּ אַחֲרָיו

And Hebrews crossed the Jordan and escaped to the land of Gad and Gilad, but Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people, the army, hastened after him.

וַיּוֹחֶל שִׁבְעַת יָמִים לַמּוֹעֵד אֲשֶׁר שְׁמוּאֵל וְלֹא בָא שְׁמוּאֵל הַגִּלְגָּל וַיָּפֶץ הָעָם מֵעָלָיו

He, Saul, waited seven days for the designated time of Samuel, but the appointed time passed, and Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people dispersed from him. People began to scatter and return to their homes.

וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל הַגִּשׁוּ אֵלַי הָעֹלָה וְהַשְּׁלָמִים וַיַּעַל הָעֹלָה

Saul therefore said: Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offering. Before going to war, we must bring an offering with a prayer. And he offered up the burnt offering. Since there was no Temple at the time, it was permissible for anyone to sacrifice an offering, just as Samuel, who also was not a priest, sacrificed offerings.

וַיְהִי כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְהַעֲלוֹת הָעֹלָה וְהִנֵּה שְׁמוּאֵל בָּא וַיֵּצֵא שָׁאוּל לִקְרָאתוֹ לְבָרֲכוֹ

It was as he concluded to offer up the burnt offering, and behold, Samuel finally came, and Saul went out toward him to greet him.

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל מֶה עָשִׂיתָ וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל כִּי רָאִיתִי כִי נָפַץ הָעָם מֵעָלַי וְאַתָּה לֹא בָאתָ לְמוֹעֵד הַיָּמִים וּפְלִשְׁתִּים נֶאֱסָפִים מִכְמָשׂ

Samuel said: What have you done? We agreed that you would wait for me. Saul said: For I saw that the people had dispersed from me, and you had not come on the designated day, and the Philistines were assembling at Mikhmas,

וָאֹמַר עַתָּה יֵרְדוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֵלַי הַגִּלְגָּל וּפְנֵי ה' לֹא חִלִּיתִי וָאֶתְאַפַּק וָאַעֲלֶה הָעֹלָה

and therefore I said to myself: The Philistines will now descend upon me to Gilgal, and I have not implored the Lord, I have not asked God for guidance; and I marshaled my strength and offered up the burnt offering.

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל שָׁאוּל נִסְכָּלְתָּ לֹא שָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת מִצְוַת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר צִוָּךְ כִּי עַתָּה הֵכִין ה'אֶת מַמְלַכְתְּךָ אֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד עוֹלָם

Samuel said to Saul: You have been foolish; you did not observe the commandment of the Lord your God that He commanded you. For had you kept His commandment, the Lord would have now established your kingship over [el] Israel forever, for many generations. Although the monarchy was promised to Judah by the patriarch Jacob, Saul’s family may have been able to rule over some of the tribes for generations to come. The word el, which literally means to, not upon, may allude to this, indicating that the reference is not to all of Israel.

וְעַתָּה מַמְלַכְתְּךָ לֹא תָקוּם בִּקֵּשׁ ה' לוֹ אִישׁ כִּלְבָבוֹ וַיְצַוֵּהוּ ה' לְנָגִיד עַל עַמּוֹ כִּי לֹא שָׁמַרְתָּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ ה'

But now that you have not kept the commandment, your kingship will not endure; the Lord has sought a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded concerning him that he will be appointed to be ruler over His people, as you did not observe that which the Lord commanded you. You have not passed the test.

וַיָּקָם שְׁמוּאֵל וַיַּעַל מִן הַגִּלְגָּל גִּבְעַת בִּנְיָמִן וַיִּפְקֹד שָׁאוּל אֶת הָעָם הַנִּמְצְאִים עִמּוֹ כְּשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אִישׁ

Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal back to Givat Binyamin. Saul counted the people who were found with him, some six hundred men. Most of his men had fled or were hiding in caves; even his regular army of two thousand men had disappeared.

וְשָׁאוּל וְיוֹנָתָן בְּנוֹ וְהָעָם הַנִּמְצָא עִמָּם יֹשְׁבִים בְּגֶבַע בִּנְיָמִן וּפְלִשְׁתִּים חָנוּ בְמִכְמָשׂ

Saul, Yonatan his son, and the few people who were found with them were staying in Givat Binyamin, and the Philistines encamped in Mikhmas. There was no set time for the war to begin; perhaps both sides were waiting for a sign from heaven or some other signal.

וַיֵּצֵא הַמַּשְׁחִית מִמַּחֲנֵה פְלִשְׁתִּים שְׁלֹשָׁה רָאשִׁים הָרֹאשׁ אֶחָד יִפְנֶה אֶל דֶּרֶךְ עָפְרָה אֶל אֶרֶץ שׁוּעָל

In the meantime, the raiders, military units whose function was to cause damage in the enemy’s land and take spoils, went out from the camp of the Philistines in three companies: One company would turn to the way to Ofra, to a place called the land of Shual,

וְהָרֹאשׁ אֶחָד יִפְנֶה דֶּרֶךְ בֵּית חֹרוֹן וְהָרֹאשׁ אֶחָד יִפְנֶה דֶּרֶךְ הַגְּבוּל הַנִּשְׁקָף עַל גֵּי הַצְּבֹעִים הַמִּדְבָּרָה

and one company would turn to the way to Beit Horon, and one company would turn to the way of the border that overlooks the valley of Tzevo’im, toward the wilderness. Not all of the army emerged; these units alone were sent on a mission of retaliation and plunder, in order to strike fear within the camp of Israel.

וְחָרָשׁ לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְּכֹל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי אָמְרוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים פֶּן יַעֲשׂוּ הָעִבְרִים חֶרֶב אוֹ חֲנִית

Another important detail is mentioned: A smith, or blacksmith, could not be found throughout the territory of Israel at the time, as the Philistines said: Lest the Hebrews craft a sword or spear. The Philistines were among the first to introduce the iron industry to the Middle East, initiating the Iron Age, a new cultural era. They maintained a monopoly on the blacksmithing industry, and did not allow Israel to develop this technology, lest they use it to create weapons.

וַיֵּרְדוּ כָל יִשְׂרָאֵל הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים לִלְטוֹשׁ אִישׁ אֶת מַחֲרַשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת אֵתוֹ וְאֶת קַרְדֻּמּוֹ וְאֵת מַחֲרֵשָׁתוֹ

All the Israelites would go down to the Philistines for each man to hone his iron implements, a generic name for iron tools, or alternatively, a sharp blacksmith’s instrument; his spade, his axe, and his coulter, used for plowing the ground and softening it.

וְהָיְתָה הַפְּצִירָה פִים לַמַּחֲרֵשֹׁת וְלָאֵתִים וְלִשְׁלֹשׁ קִלְּשׁוֹן וּלְהַקַּרְדֻּמִּים וּלְהַצִּיב הַדָּרְבָן

And the price of the filing or cutting that the Israelite customer would pay was a pim, a measuring unit that was used for weighing silver, for the coulters, for the spades, for the three-pronged forks, for the axes, and to set, to fix, the goad, a kind of nail that was fixed at the top of a shepherd’s staff. The price for fixing any of these tools was one pim of silver.

וְהָיָה בְּיוֹם מִלְחֶמֶת וְלֹא נִמְצָא חֶרֶב וַחֲנִית בְּיַד כָּל הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אֶת שָׁאוּל וְאֶת יוֹנָתָן וַתִּמָּצֵא לְשָׁאוּל וּלְיוֹנָתָן בְּנוֹ

It was on the day of battle that neither sword nor spear of iron was found in the hand of all the people who were with Saul and Yonatan. Perhaps they used copper swords, or different types of wooden weapons and slings. But a rare sword was found with Saul and with Yonatan his son. Only the two main commanders of the army managed to attain swords.

וַיֵּצֵא מַצַּב פְּלִשְׁתִּים אֶל מַעֲבַר מִכְמָשׂ

Meanwhile, the Philistine garrison, their camping force, improved their position, and went out to, in the direction of, the pass of Mikhmas.