1 Samuel 11:12
in 1 Samuel 11Then the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Bring those men here so we can kill them!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.
KJV
And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 11
Commentary
6 notes on this verse15. For the Lord had said above to Samuel: They have not rejected you, but me, that I should not reign over them (1 Kings VIII, 7). But of Saul it was said a little before: Because they despised him, and did not bring him gifts (Ibid., X, 27). But he who was rejected, and he who was despised, after the enemies had been slain and victory obtained, heard the people crying out: Give us the men, and we will kill them.
This site's exposition
Who said that Saul should not reign over us
on 1 Samuel 11:12-13
Victory turns the crowd toward blood against the worthless men who scorned Saul at 10:27. Saul answers in his own voice that "today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel," so no one will die that day. Albert Barnes matches this restraint to David’s later conduct toward Saul, and it is the one time Saul refuses the sword when both the crowd and the cause would allow it.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
And the people said to Saul: Who is this who said? etc. When the Samaritans did not wish to receive the Lord, the sons of thunder said: Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them? And Jesus …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the people said unto Samuel,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The calm and sagacious counsel of Samuel directed the popular feelings into a right channel, by appointing a general assembly of the militia, the really effective force of the nation, at Gilgal, where, amid great pomp and religious solemnities, the victorious leader was confirmed in his kingdom [1Sa 11:15].
Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign - Now, flushed with victory and proud of their leader, they wished to give him a proof of their attachment by slaying, even in cool blood, the persons who were at first averse from his being intrusted with the supreme power! The common soldier is scarcely ever inspired by his victory to acts of magnanimity; he has shed blood - he wishes to shed more!
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Who is it that says. Derisively, "Shaul will reign over us?" Give them over and we will execute them.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and it said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הָעָם֙ | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל | shemuel | Samuel | H8050 → | 141 times |
| מִ֣י | mi | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| הָאֹמֵ֔ר | haomer | [is] the [one who] said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שָׁא֖וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| יִמְלֹ֣ךְ | yimlokh | will he reign? | H4427 → | 348 times |
| עָלֵ֑ינוּ | ʾaleinu | over us | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| תְּנ֥וּ | tenu | deliver up | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| וּנְמִיתֵֽם׃ | unemitem | so we may put to death them | H4191 → | 839 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand it said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הָעָם֙the people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שְׁמוּאֵ֔לSamuel
shemuelH8050 →141 times
מִ֣יwho?
miH4310 →423 times
הָאֹמֵ֔ר[is] the [one who] said
haomerH559 →5305 times
שָׁא֖וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
יִמְלֹ֣ךְwill he reign?
yimlokhH4427 →348 times
עָלֵ֑ינוּover us
ʾaleinuH5921 →5755 times
תְּנ֥וּdeliver up
tenuH5414 →2011 times
הָאֲנָשִׁ֖יםthe men
haanashimH582 →566 times
וּנְמִיתֵֽם׃so we may put to death them
unemitemH4191 →839 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
Luke 19:27And these enemies of mine who were unwilling for me to rule over them, bring them here and slay them in front of me.’”
it leads to
- Psalms 21:8–9
Your hand will apprehend all Your enemies; Your right hand will seize those who hate You.
- Luke 19:14
But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’
- Numbers 16:30–35
But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will…
- Matthew 22:7
The king was enraged, and he sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city.
- Luke 21:22
For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.
- Psalms 21:8–9
Through
1 Samuel 10:27But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 13:13
that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),
- 1 Kings 10:25
Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
- 2 Chronicles 17:5
So the LORD established the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought him tribute, so that he had an abundance of riches and honor.
- Deuteronomy 13:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonJudges to monarchySamuelAsked of God by Hannah and lent to the LORD at Shiloh; the last judge and first of the prophets after Moses, who anointed both Sau…
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).