And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.

1 SAMUEL 13:15KJV
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1 Samuel 13:15 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 13:15 mean?

1 Samuel 13:15 describes how Samuel left Gilgal and went to Gibeah of Benjamin, while Saul counted the soldiers who remained with him, finding about six hundred men. This verse marks a turning point where Samuel departs after Saul’s disobedience, and Saul is left with a much-reduced force.

Samuel, the prophet, had come to Gilgal to meet Saul, the first king of Israel, during a tense time as the Philistines threatened Israel. After Saul failed to wait for Samuel and offered a sacrifice himself, Samuel left, signaling God’s displeasure. Saul then took stock of his remaining troops, showing how dire the situation had become for Israel’s army.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 13:15

  • "Arose" (קוּם, qum): This word means to stand up or rise, and it often signals a deliberate action or change. Here, it shows Samuel’s decisive departure from Saul.
  • "Numbered" (פָּקַד, paqad): This word means to count, appoint, or take note of. Saul’s numbering of the people emphasizes how few soldiers he had left, underlining the seriousness of Israel’s predicament.
  • "Present" (מָצָא, matsa): This word means to be found or present. It highlights that Saul was counting only those who were still with him, not the original size of his army.

Why 1 Samuel 13:15 matters

  • This verse shows the consequences of Saul’s earlier actions, as Samuel’s departure leaves Saul without prophetic guidance at a critical moment.
  • The mention of only six hundred men remaining with Saul highlights how desperate and outnumbered Israel was, setting the stage for the challenges Saul would face.
  • The locations, Gilgal and Gibeah of Benjamin, remind the reader of the historical and tribal context of these events, grounding the story in real places familiar to the original audience.

Where else these words appear

“Gilgal” Hebrew H1537 · used in 39 verses

  • Deuteronomy 11:30 Are they not on the other side Jordan, by the way where the sun goeth down, in the land of the Canaanites, which dwell in the champaign over against Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh?
  • Joshua 14:6 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.
  • 1 Samuel 15:21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

“Gibeah” Hebrew H1390 · used in 43 verses

  • Joshua 15:57 Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages:
  • Judges 20:21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.
  • 1 Samuel 15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

“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.