And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed ,.... He tarried to the seventh day, but not to the end of it, or towards the close of it, as he should have done: but Samuel came not to Gilgal ; so soon as Saul expected: and the people were scattered from him ; many deserted him, the Philistines drawing nigh, and Samuel not coming, as Saul expected, and had given the people reason to expect. read more
And Saul said ,.... Being impatient, and seeing the people deserting him apace, and unwilling to engage in a battle without first sacrificing to God, and imploring his help and assistance: bring hither a burnt offering to me ; that is, a creature for a burnt offering, a bullock, sheep, goat, or lamb: and peace offerings ; which also were either of the herd, or of the flock: and he offered the burnt offering ; either he himself, or by a priest. In this unsettled time, while the... read more
And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burn offering ,.... And before he could offer the peace offerings: behold, Samuel came ; and it was told Saul that he was come: and Saul went out to meet him ; left off sacrificing, and would proceed no further, leaving the rest for Samuel and out of respect to him, and to prevent a chiding of him, he went forth to meet him: that he might salute him , or "bless him" F3 לברכו "ad benedicendum ei",... read more
He tarried seven days according to the set time - Samuel in the beginning had told Saul to wait seven days, and he would come to him, and show him what to do, 1 Samuel 10:8 . What is here said cannot be understood of that appointment, but of a different one. Samuel had at this time promised to come to him within seven days, and he kept his word, for we find him there before the day was ended; but as Saul found he did not come at the beginning of the seventh day, he became... read more
And he offered the burnt-offering - This was most perfectly unconstitutional; he had no authority to offer, or cause to be offered, any of the Lord's sacrifices. read more
Behold , Samuel came - Samuel was punctual to his appointment; one hour longer of delay would have prevented every evil, and by it no good would have been lost. How often are the effects of precipitation fatal! read more
Seven days, according, to the set time. See on 1 Samuel 10:8 . The lapse of time between Samuel's appointment of the seven days during which Saul was to wait for him to inaugurate the war of independence, and the present occasion, was probably not so great as many commentators suppose; for 1 Samuel 13:1 is, as we have seen, wrongly translated, and everything else leads to the conclusion that the defeat of the Ammonites, the choice of the 3000, and Jonathan's attack on the garrison at... read more
Representative temptations. The facts are— 1 . Saul, waiting at Gilgal for Samuel, gives orders for the observance of sacrificial worship. 2 . Towards the close of the ceremony, and before the full time was expired, Samuel makes his appearance. 3 . In reply to Samuel's remonstrance, Saul assigns the reasons for his conduct—the discouragement of the people, the non-arrival of Samuel, and the threatening attitude of the foe. 4 . Samuel charges Saul with having failed to keep... read more
A burnt offering, etc. The Hebrew has the definite article, the burnt offering and the peace offerings, which were there ready for Samuel to offer. He offered. Not with his own hand, but by the hand of the attendant priest, Ahiah, who was, we know, with him. Possibly, nevertheless, the Levitical law was not at this period strictly observed. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 13:8-14
Here is, I. Saul's offence in offering sacrifice before Samuel came. Samuel, when he anointed him, had ordered him to tarry for him seven days in Gilgal, promising that, at the end of those days, he would be sure to come to him, and both offer sacrifices for him and direct him what he should do. This we had 1 Sam. 10:8. Perhaps that order, though inserted there, was given him afterwards, or was given him as a general rule to be observed in every public congress at Gilgal, or, as is most... read more