{ "schemaVersion": 1, "kind": "event", "id": "saul-rescues-jabesh", "era": "united-kingdom", "order": 131, "title": "Saul rescues Jabesh; Samuel warns Israel", "group": "saul-king", "date": { "kind": "relative", "label": "Early Saul · Kingship renewed at Gilgal" }, "pin": [ 35.6823, 32.40237 ], "pinConfidence": "Proposed site", "pinPlace": "openbible-af92088", "summary": "Saul gathers Israel and rescues Jabesh-gilead from Nahash’s threat. The people renew the kingship at Gilgal. Samuel then recounts the LORD’s faithfulness and insists that both king and people must continue to obey Him.", "context": "The rescue and covenant address occur in different places. Saul refuses to execute his earlier opponents. Samuel’s warning does not mean he ceases all ministry: he promises to keep praying for Israel and teaching the good way.", "question": "Why does a successful rescue not remove the need for Samuel’s warning?", "locationNote": "Tell el-Maqlub is a proposed Jabesh-gilead. Gilgal is shown only as an illustrative lower-Jordan region; its exact site and the assembly location are uncertain.", "passages": [ { "reference": "1 Samuel 11:1–12:25", "range": [ 9011001, 9012025 ], "translation": "bsb", "url": "https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2011%3A1%E2%80%9312%3A25&version=BSB", "availability": "bundled", "verses": [ { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 1, "text": "Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”" }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 2, "text": "But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you on one condition, that I may put out everyone’s right eye and bring reproach upon all Israel.”" }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 3, "text": "“Hold off for seven days,” replied the elders of Jabesh, “and let us send messengers throughout Israel. If there is no one to save us, we will surrender to you.”" }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 4, "text": "When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and relayed these words in the hearing of the people, they all wept aloud." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 5, "text": "Just then Saul was returning from the field, behind his oxen. “What troubles the people?” asked Saul. “Why are they weeping?” And they relayed to him the words of the men from Jabesh." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 6, "text": "When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he burned with great anger." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 7, "text": "He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the land of Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not march behind Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out together as one man." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 8, "text": "And when Saul numbered them at Bezek, there were 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 men of Judah." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 9, "text": "So they said to the messengers who had come, “Tell the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’” And when the messengers relayed this to the men of Jabesh, they rejoiced." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 10, "text": "Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do with us whatever seems good to you.”" }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 11, "text": "The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions, and during the morning watch they invaded the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them, until the hottest part of the day. And the survivors were so scattered that no two of them were left together." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 12, "text": "Then the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Bring those men here so we can kill them!”" }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 13, "text": "But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.”" }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 14, "text": "Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.”" }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 11, "verse": 15, "text": "So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the LORD. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 1, "text": "Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to your voice in all that you have said to me, and I have set over you a king." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 2, "text": "Now here is the king walking before you, and I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 3, "text": "Here I am. Bear witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe and closed my eyes? Tell me, and I will restore it to you.”" }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 4, "text": "“You have not cheated us or oppressed us,” they replied, “nor have you taken anything from the hand of man.”" }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 5, "text": "Samuel said to them, “The LORD is a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is a witness,” they replied." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 6, "text": "Then Samuel said to the people, “The LORD is the One who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 7, "text": "Now present yourselves, so that I may confront you before the LORD with all the righteous acts He has done for you and your fathers." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 8, "text": "When Jacob went to Egypt, your fathers cried out to the LORD, and He sent them Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 9, "text": "But they forgot the LORD their God, and He sold them into the hand of Sisera the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 10, "text": "Then they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, that we may serve You.’" }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 11, "text": "So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and He delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt securely." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 12, "text": "But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 13, "text": "Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you requested. Behold, the LORD has placed a king over you." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 14, "text": "If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and if you do not rebel against the command of the LORD, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the LORD your God, then all will be well." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 15, "text": "But if you disobey the LORD and rebel against His command, then the hand of the LORD will be against you as it was against your fathers." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 16, "text": "Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 17, "text": "Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you have committed in the sight of the LORD by asking for a king.”" }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 18, "text": "So Samuel called to the LORD, and on that day the LORD sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 19, "text": "They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king.”" }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 20, "text": "“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “Even though you have committed all this evil, do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 21, "text": "Do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit you or deliver you, for they are empty." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 22, "text": "Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 23, "text": "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 24, "text": "Above all, fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you." }, { "book": "1 Samuel", "chapter": 12, "verse": 25, "text": "But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”" } ] } ], "related": [ { "range": [ 5008011, 5008018 ], "kind": "teaching", "note": "Moses warns against forgetting the LORD after receiving His help.", "reference": "Deuteronomy 8:11–18", "translation": "bsb", "url": "https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%208%3A11%E2%80%9318&version=BSB" } ], "places": [ { "id": "region-gilgal", "name": "Gilgal (lower Jordan region)", "coordinate": [ 35.49, 31.87 ], "kind": "Region", "confidence": "Approximate region", "confidenceSource": "editorial", "extent": [ [ 35.44, 31.82 ], [ 35.54, 31.92 ] ], "sources": [ { "label": "Biblical setting · Joshua 4:19-5:12", "url": "https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%204:19-5:12&version=BSB" }, { "label": "OpenBible · possible locations / region", "url": "https://www.openbible.info/geo/ancient/ab94aea/gilgal-1" } ] }, { "id": "openbible-af92088", "name": "Jabesh-gilead", "coordinate": [ 35.6823, 32.40237 ], "kind": "City", "confidence": "Proposed site", "confidenceSource": "editorial", "sources": [ { "label": "OpenBible.info: Jabesh-gilead (CC BY 4.0)", "url": "https://www.openbible.info/geo/ancient/af92088/jabesh-gilead" } ] } ], "mapPeriod": "united-monarchy", "further": [ { "label": "OpenBible.info: Jabesh-gilead (CC BY 4.0)", "url": "https://www.openbible.info/geo/ancient/af92088/jabesh-gilead" } ], "provenance": { "sources": [ { "name": "editorial", "ref": "content/authored/united-kingdom.json" } ], "review": "draft" }, "eraName": "United Kingdom", "interactiveUrl": "https://wilderness-scripture-atlas.pages.dev/?event=saul-rescues-jabesh", "attribution": [ "Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0.", "Teaching stops, summaries and regional extents are original editorial content of this atlas.", "Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm" ], "translation": "bsb", "url": "https://wilderness-scripture-atlas.pages.dev/reference/events/saul-rescues-jabesh/", "markdownUrl": "https://wilderness-scripture-atlas.pages.dev/reference/events/saul-rescues-jabesh/index.md", "jsonUrl": "https://wilderness-scripture-atlas.pages.dev/reference/events/saul-rescues-jabesh/index.json", "cautions": "Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review.", "revision": "e5f8e50063f43e71" }