1 Samuel 11:8-15

11:8 When Saul counted them at Bezek, the Israelites were 300,000 ¹  strong and the men of Judah numbered 30,000. ² 

11:9 They said to the messengers who had come, “Here’s what you should say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow deliverance will come to you when the sun is fully up.’” When the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh Gilead, they were happy. 11:10 The men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you ³  and you can do with us whatever you wish.” ⁴ 

11:11 The next day Saul placed the people in three groups. They went to the Ammonite camp during the morning watch and struck them ⁵  down until the hottest part of the day. The survivors scattered; no two of them remained together.

Saul Is Established as King

11:12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who were the ones asking, ‘Will Saul reign over us?’ Hand over those men so we may execute them!” 11:13 But Saul said, “No one will be killed on this day. For today the Lord has given Israel a victory!” 11:14 Samuel said to the people, “Come on! Let’s go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.” 11:15 So all the people went to Gilgal, where ⁶  they established Saul as king in the Lord’s presence. They offered up peace offerings there in the Lord’s presence. Saul and all the Israelites were very happy.

[11:8]  ¹ tc The LXX and two Old Latin mss read 600,000 here, rather than the MT’s 300,000.

[11:8]  ² tc The LXX, two Old Latin mss, and a Qumran ms read 70,000 here, rather than the MT’s 30,000.

[11:10]  ³ tn The second masculine plural forms in this quotation indicate that Nahash and his army are addressed.

[11:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “according to all that is good in your eyes.”

[11:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “Ammon.” By metonymy the name “Ammon” is used collectively for the soldiers in the Ammonite army.

[11:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “and there in Gilgal.”