1 Samuel 10:3
in 1 Samuel 10Then you will go on from there until you come to the Oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the oak of Tabor; and there shall meet thee there three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:
KJV
Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Beth–el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:
⋯
This verse in 1 Samuel 10
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The plain of Tabor - It should be “the oak or terebinth”” of Tabor” (Jdg 4:11 note). It has been ingeniously conjectured that “Tabor” is either a different form of “Deborah,” or a corruption of it, and that the “oak,” or “terebinth of Tabor,” is the same as “Allon-bachuth,” the oak under which Deborah was buried, and which lay “beneath Bethel” Gen 35:
This site's exposition
two men at Rachel’s tomb in Zelzah
on 1 Samuel 10:2-4
Signs confirm the private word before Saul reaches home. Two men at Rachel's tomb tell him the donkeys are found, and three men going up to Bethel give him bread. Each sign falls on ground his own tribe knows, so the confirmation is local and checkable.
This site's exposition
Then you will go on from there
Bethel was the place of Jacob's vision in Genesis 28. John Wesley notes it still held a high place for sacrifice while the ark and the tabernacle stood apart. Adam Clarke reads the goats, loaves and wine as the parts of one offering.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 4, Chapter 5 · Written before 604.
proposed
6. When we wish to make good progress in holy conduct, it is necessary for us to gather for ourselves the examples of very many of the elect; for bees too cannot produce honey if they do not gather it from various flowers. Well therefore does Saul pass from some men to others, because the more abundantly we observe the examples of the saints, the better we are instructed.
And when you depart from there, and go further, etc. Increasing the course of his teaching, the Savior arrived at the point of revealing to the disciples the secret of his passion, signifying that he was to bestow the gifts of the highest light on …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Bethel - Properly so called, which was in Ephraim, where there was a noted high-place, famous for Jacob's vision there, Gen. xxviii, 19, where it is probable they offered sacrifices, in this confused state of things, when the ark was in one place, and the tabernacle in another.
Then shall thou go on forward from thence,....
It is supposed that those kids and loaves, and the bottle of wine which the three men had with them, were designed for sacrifice, with the meat-offerings and drink-offerings that were to attend the sacrifice; yet Samuel tells Saul that they will give him two of their loaves, and he must take them.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the plain--or, "the oak of Tabor," not the celebrated mount, for that was far distant. three men going up to God to Beth-el--apparently to offer sacrifices there at a time when the ark and the tabernacle were not in a settled abode, and God had not yet declared the permanent place which He should choose.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Three men going up to God to Bethel - Jacob’s altar was probably there still, Gen 28:19. However this might be, it was still considered, as its name implies, the house of God; and to it they were now going, to offer sacrifice. The three kids were for sacrifice; the three loaves of bread to be offered probably as a thank-offering; and the bottle or skin full of wine, for a libation. When the blood was poured out before the Lord, then they feasted on the flesh and on the bread; and probably had a sufficiency of the wine left for their own drinking.
The words behind it
29 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְחָלַפְתָּ֨ | vechalafta | and you will pass on | H2498 → | |
| מִשָּׁ֜ם | misham | from there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| וָהָ֗לְאָה | vahalah | and beyond | H1973 → | 16 times |
| וּבָ֙אתָ֙ | uvata | and you will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| אֵל֣וֹן | ʾelon | [the] great tree of | H436 → | |
| תָּב֔וֹר | tavor | Tabor | H8396 → | |
| וּמְצָא֤וּךָ | umetzaukha | and they will find you | H4672 → | 455 times |
| שָּׁם֙ | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה | sheloshah | three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| אֲנָשִׁ֔ים | ʾanashim | men | H582 → | 566 times |
| עֹלִ֥ים | ʾolim | going up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| בֵּֽית־ | beit- | Beth- | H1008 → | 142 times |
| אֵ֑ל | ʾel | -el | H1008 → | 142 times |
| אֶחָ֞ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| נֹשֵׂ֣א׀ | nose' | [will be] carrying | H5375 → | 656 times |
| שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה | sheloshah | three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| גְדָיִ֗ים | gedayim | kids | H1423 → | |
| וְאֶחָד֙ | veechad | and one | H259 → | 971 times |
| נֹשֵׂ֗א | nose' | [will be] carrying | H5375 → | 656 times |
| שְׁלֹ֙שֶׁת֙ | sheloshet | three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| כִּכְּר֣וֹת | kikerot | round loaves of | H3603 → | |
| לֶ֔חֶם | lechem | bread | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וְאֶחָ֥ד | veechad | and one | H259 → | 971 times |
| נֹשֵׂ֖א | nose' | [will be] carrying | H5375 → | 656 times |
| נֵֽבֶל־ | nevel- | a skin of | H5035 → | 38 times |
| יָֽיִן׃ | yayin | wine | H3196 → | 141 times |
וְחָלַפְתָּ֨and you will pass on
vechalaftaH2498 →
מִשָּׁ֜םfrom there
mishamH8033 →834 times
וָהָ֗לְאָהand beyond
vahalahH1973 →16 times
וּבָ֙אתָ֙and you will come
uvataH935 →2568 times
עַד־to
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
אֵל֣וֹן[the] great tree of
ʾelonH436 →
תָּב֔וֹרTabor
tavorH8396 →
וּמְצָא֤וּךָand they will find you
umetzaukhaH4672 →455 times
שָּׁם֙there
shamH8033 →834 times
שְׁלֹשָׁ֣הthree
sheloshahH7969 →432 times
אֲנָשִׁ֔יםmen
ʾanashimH582 →566 times
עֹלִ֥יםgoing up
ʾolimH5927 →890 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
בֵּֽית־Beth-
beit-H1008 →142 times
אֵ֑ל-el
ʾelH1008 →142 times
אֶחָ֞דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
נֹשֵׂ֣א׀[will be] carrying
nose'H5375 →656 times
שְׁלֹשָׁ֣הthree
sheloshahH7969 →432 times
גְדָיִ֗יםkids
gedayimH1423 →
וְאֶחָד֙and one
veechadH259 →971 times
נֹשֵׂ֗א[will be] carrying
nose'H5375 →656 times
שְׁלֹ֙שֶׁת֙three
sheloshetH7969 →432 times
כִּכְּר֣וֹתround loaves of
kikerotH3603 →
לֶ֔חֶםbread
lechemH3899 →298 times
וְאֶחָ֥דand one
veechadH259 →971 times
נֹשֵׂ֖א[will be] carrying
nose'H5375 →656 times
נֵֽבֶל־a skin of
nevel-H5035 →38 times
יָֽיִן׃wine
yayinH3196 →141 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 28:22And this stone I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give You a tenth.”
it leads to
- Genesis 35:7
There Jacob built an altar, and he called that place El-bethel, because it was there that God had revealed Himself to Jacob as he fled from his brother.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 14:20
and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
- Deuteronomy 14:22–23
You must be sure to set aside a tenth of all the produce brought forth each year from your fields.
- Leviticus 27:30–33
Thus any tithe from the land, whether from the seed of the land or the fruit of the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.
- Genesis 35:7
Through
Genesis 28:19and he called that place Bethel, though previously the city had been named Luz.
it leads to
- Genesis 35:1
Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hosea 12:4–5
Yes, he struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor; he found Him at Bethel and spoke with Him there—
- Genesis 48:3
Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me
- Genesis 35:1
Through
Genesis 35:1Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”
it leads to
- Genesis 31:13
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”
- Genesis 31:13
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 4, Chapter 5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
