And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;

1 SAMUEL 13:11KJV
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1 Samuel 13:11 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 13:11 mean?

1 Samuel 13:11 records Saul’s explanation to Samuel for acting before Samuel arrived. Saul points to three pressures: his men were leaving, Samuel had not come within the expected time, and the Philistines were gathering for battle.

Samuel’s question, “What hast thou done?” follows Saul’s offering in verse 9. Saul’s answer begins here and continues in verse 12, where he describes his fear of an attack and says he offered the burnt offering.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 13:11

  • “scattered” — פּוּץ (puts): This word can mean to disperse or spread apart. Here Saul describes his fighting force breaking up as its members leave him.
  • “appointed” — מוֹעֵד (moʿed): This word can mean a set time. Saul refers to a time agreed upon for Samuel’s arrival, not merely to his own impatience.

Why 1 Samuel 13:11 matters

  • Saul’s answer gives reasons for his action. His “because” introduces the circumstances he believed made waiting difficult.
  • The Philistines’ location adds to the urgency of Saul’s account. They were assembling at Michmash, while Saul was at Gilgal, where he feared they would come down against him (verse 12).
  • Samuel’s question places Saul’s conduct at the center of the exchange. In verses 13–14, Samuel responds by judging Saul’s action rather than treating the military pressure as a sufficient reason.

Where else these words appear

“Michmash” Hebrew H4363 · used in 11 verses

  • 1 Samuel 13:2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
  • 1 Samuel 13:23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.
  • Ezra 2:27 The men of Michmas, an hundred twenty and two.

“scattered” Hebrew H5310 · used in 17 verses

  • Genesis 9:19 These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.
  • Isaiah 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
  • Jeremiah 48:12 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.

“Samuel” Hebrew H8050 · used in 120 verses

  • Numbers 34:20 And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.
  • 1 Samuel 9:15 Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
  • 1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.