1 SamuelChapter 11

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Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you."

But Nahash the Ammonite answered them, "I will make a treaty with you on one condition: that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel."

The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days, so we can send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If no one comes to save us, we will surrender to you."

When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these things in the hearing of the people, all the people wept aloud.

Just then Saul was coming in from the field, behind his oxen. "What is wrong with the people?" he asked. "Why are they weeping?" And they told him what the men of Jabesh had said.

When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and his anger burned fiercely.

He took a pair of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the territory of Israel with this message: "This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel." Then the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out as one man.

When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

They told the messengers who had come, "Say this to the men of Jabesh Gilead: 'By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be delivered.'" When the messengers brought this word to the men of Jabesh, they were overjoyed.

So the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you."

The next day Saul divided his men into three companies. During the last watch of the night they broke into the enemy camp and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

Then the people said to Samuel, "Who was it that asked, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' Hand these men over, and we will put them to death."

But Saul said, "No one will be put to death today, for this is the day the LORD has brought deliverance to Israel."

Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship."

So all the people went to Gilgal, and there before the LORD they made Saul king. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites celebrated with great joy.

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Summary2

Chapter 11

Main Theme: Saul's first military victory confirms his kingship over Israel.

Content: Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, besieged Jabesh-Gilead and demanded that all the inhabitants have their right eyes gouged out as a condition for peace. When the message reached Saul, the Spirit of God came upon him, and he mobilized all Israel by sending out pieces of cut-up oxen as a warning. With a large army, he completely defeated the Ammonites. After the victory, the people renewed the kingdom at Gilgal, where Saul was officially confirmed as king in the presence of the Lord with peace offerings and great joy.

Key Words/Images:

Right eye: Nahash's demand symbolized total humiliation and would have rendered the men useless as warriors.
Spirit of God: The Spirit came upon Saul and equipped him for leadership and military action.
Cut-up oxen: Saul's dramatic method of mobilization, which spread "the fear of the Lord" and gathered the people together as one man.
Gilgal: The place where the kingdom was renewed and Saul was officially confirmed as king before the Lord.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for 1 Samuel 11

People

Nahash, the Ammonite king, was the ruler over the Ammonites, a people who lived east of the Jordan. The name נָחָשׁ (Nahasj) means "snake" in Hebrew. According to biblical tradition, the Ammonites were descendants of Lot’s youngest daughter (Gen 19:38) and were often in conflict with Israel over the territories in Transjordan. Nahash appears in the text as a brutal warrior-king who used mutilation as psychological warfare and humiliation of his enemies.

Places

Jabesh Gilead (יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד) was an Israelite city east of the Jordan, in the region belonging to the tribe of Manasseh. The city lay in a fertile area near the valley of the Jabbok River. Jabesh had a special connection with the tribe of Benjamin (cf. Judg 21), which may explain why Saul from Benjamin responded so strongly to their cry for help.

Bezek (בָּזֶק) was the muster point for the Israelite army, located in the central highlands west of the Jordan. The site was strategically positioned to gather troops from the Israelite tribes before the campaign against the Ammonites.

Gilgal (הַגִּלְגָּל) was an important cultic site near Jericho, associated with Israel’s entry into the land (Josh 4–5). The place served as a religious and political gathering point, and it was here that Saul’s kingship was "renewed" and publicly confirmed.

Events and Customs

Gouging out the right eye (v. 2) was a known practice in ancient warfare. The right eye was especially important for warriors because the shield was carried on the left arm, so the left eye was already partially blocked in battle. Losing the right eye made a man militarily useless. This was therefore both an act of humiliation and a way to neutralize future military resistance.

Cutting up the oxen (v. 7) was a powerful symbolic action that functioned as a mobilizing ritual threat. By sending pieces of the oxen to all parts of Israel, Saul signaled that the same fate would befall the livestock of anyone who did not come out to fight. Similar practices are known from other ancient cultures, where animals were butchered as part of covenant rituals and oaths (cf. Gen 15:9–17; Jer 34:18–19). The action also recalls the dreadful event in Judges 19:29, where a Levite sent his dead concubine’s body around Israel.

Key Terms

The expression "the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul" (וַתִּצְלַח רוּחַ־אֱלֹהִים, v. 6) uses the verb צָלַח, which means to "rush into" or "come powerfully upon". This is the same expression used for the charismatic leaders of the period of the judges (cf. Judg 11:29 regarding Jephthah; Judg 14:6, 19 regarding Samson). It marks divine empowerment for a specific task and legitimizes Saul’s leadership as God-given.

"Renewal of the kingship" (נְחַדֵּשׁ הַמְּלוּכָה, v. 14) does not indicate a new anointing, but rather a public confirmation and popular recognition of Saul’s royal status following his successful military leadership. This creates continuity from the private anointing (chap. 10) to broad national acceptance.

People4

Samuel2 Nahash2 Saul7 Jacob1

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Key words10

Saul — First king of Israel, chosen by God and anointed by the prophet Samuel.
Nahash — King of the Ammonites who threatened to attack Jabesh-Gilead and demanded humiliating terms for peace.
Jabesh-Gilead — A city east of the Jordan River that was under threat of attack from the Ammonites.
Ammonites — A people living east of the Jordan River who were enemies of Israel.
Samuel — Prophet and judge in Israel, who anointed both Saul and David as kings.
The People — The inhabitants of Israel, who gathered behind Saul to fight against the Ammonites.
Victory — The term used to describe the positive outcome of a conflict or battle, here Saul's victory over the Ammonites.
Gilead — A region east of the Jordan River where Jabesh-Gilead was located.
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