1 Samuel 11:7
in 1 Samuel 11He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the land of Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not march behind Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the LORD fell upon the people, and they turned out as one man.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the dread of Jehovah fell on the people, and they came out as one man.
KJV
And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 11
Commentary
11 notes on this verse7. What do we say in these words, except that the weaknesses of the saints, and those things which seem carnal, are not weak and carnal, but spiritual and mighty? For we are accustomed to rebuke excessive anger in religious men, but behold, before Saul could become exceedingly angry, the Spirit of the Lord first rushed upon him. How fearful, then, the anger of the saints must be, we perceive, if we consider the Spirit of the Lord rushing upon them—if, while we observe them outwardly angry, we equally attend to the Spirit stirring them within.
This site's exposition
Saul was returning from the field, behind his oxen
on 1 Samuel 11:5-7
Saul comes in from the field behind his oxen, still a farmer, and the Spirit of God rushes upon him with an anger that for once brings deliverance. The cut oxen sent through Israel echo the Levite’s signal at Judges 19:29, now summoning Israel to rescue a city. It is "the terror of the LORD" that unites the people, not loyalty to a king who has not yet acted.
This site's exposition
march behind Saul and Samuel
Saul sets Samuel's name beside his own. Albert Barnes reads it as the new king borrowing the prophet's standing for his own untried rule. Samuel goes with the troops, and at verse 12 the people speak to him about the men who opposed Saul's reign.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church3 voices
And behold, Saul came, following oxen from the field, etc. And behold, the Lord came as a helper at the right time in tribulation, who was born as a man in the world after many experts in the law and learned philosophers, whom, however, He …
Therefore, the fear of the Lord seized the people, etc. Upon hearing through the Gospel what heretics and schismatics, what pagans and unfaithful Jews are to suffer, the people of the faithful, struck with a wholesome fear, departing from the enticements of the old man, …
And taking both oxen, he cut them into pieces, etc. And taking both the wise man of carnal observance of the law and the one who gloried in secular philosophy, the Lord destroyed whatever they knew arrogantly with evangelical simplicity, truth, and humility; and He …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
31 ), Thy ox shall be slain before thy eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof. It was necessary that the command should be enforced with some penalty, but this was not nearly so severe as that which was affixed to a similar order by the whole congregation, Judg. xxi.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
And he took a yoke of oxen,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Though not expressly stated, it is doubtless implied that he sent the portions by the messengers to the twelve tribes, after the analogy, and probably in imitation, of Jdg 19:29. He made use of the revered name of Samuel to strengthen his own weak authority. Samuel accompanied Saul in the expedition 1Sa 11:12.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces--(see Jud 19:29). This particular form of war-summons was suited to the character and habits of an agricultural and pastoral people.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
He took a yoke of open - The sending the pieces of the oxen was an act similar to that of the Levite, Jdg 19:29 (note), where see the note. And both customs are similar to the sending about of the bloody cross, to call the clans to battle, practiced by the ancient Highlanders of Scotland. See at the end of this chapter, 1Sa 11:15 (note).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקַּח֩ | vaiyikach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| צֶ֨מֶד | tzemed | a pair of | H6776 → | |
| בָּקָ֜ר | bakar | ox[en] | H1241 → | 183 times |
| וַֽיְנַתְּחֵ֗הוּ | vaynatechehu | and he cut in pieces it | H5408 → | |
| וַיְשַׁלַּ֞ח | vayshalach | and he sent [them] | H7971 → | 845 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| גְּב֣וּל | gevul | [the] territory of | H1366 → | 240 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| בְּיַ֣ד | beyad | by [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הַמַּלְאָכִ֣ים׀ | hamalakhim | the messengers | H4397 → | 213 times |
| לֵאמֹר֒ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | [the one] who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֵינֶ֨נּוּ | ʾeinenu | not he | H369 → | 789 times |
| יֹצֵ֜א | yotze' | [is] coming out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֤י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| שָׁאוּל֙ | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| וְאַחַ֣ר | veachar | and after | H310 → | 715 times |
| שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל | shemuel | Samuel | H8050 → | 141 times |
| כֹּ֥ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| יֵעָשֶׂ֖ה | yeaseh | it will be done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לִבְקָר֑וֹ | livkaro | to ox[en] his | H1241 → | 183 times |
| וַיִּפֹּ֤ל | vaiyipol | and it fell | H5307 → | 435 times |
| פַּֽחַד־ | pachad- | [the] dread of | H6343 → | |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָעָ֔ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וַיֵּצְא֖וּ | vaiyetzeu | and they came out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| כְּאִ֥ישׁ | keish | like a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶחָֽד׃ | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
וַיִּקַּח֩and he took
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
צֶ֨מֶדa pair of
tzemedH6776 →
בָּקָ֜רox[en]
bakarH1241 →183 times
וַֽיְנַתְּחֵ֗הוּand he cut in pieces it
vaynatechehuH5408 →
וַיְשַׁלַּ֞חand he sent [them]
vayshalachH7971 →845 times
בְּכָל־in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
גְּב֣וּל[the] territory of
gevulH1366 →240 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֮Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
בְּיַ֣דby [the] hand of
beyadH3027 →1618 times
הַמַּלְאָכִ֣ים׀the messengers
hamalakhimH4397 →213 times
לֵאמֹר֒<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אֲשֶׁר֩[the one] who
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אֵינֶ֨נּוּnot he
ʾeinenuH369 →789 times
יֹצֵ֜א[is] coming out
yotze'H3318 →1067 times
אַחֲרֵ֤יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
שָׁאוּל֙Saul
shaulH7586 →402 times
וְאַחַ֣רand after
veacharH310 →715 times
שְׁמוּאֵ֔לSamuel
shemuelH8050 →141 times
כֹּ֥הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
יֵעָשֶׂ֖הit will be done
yeasehH6213 →2628 times
לִבְקָר֑וֹto ox[en] his
livkaroH1241 →183 times
וַיִּפֹּ֤לand it fell
vaiyipolH5307 →435 times
פַּֽחַד־[the] dread of
pachad-H6343 →
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָעָ֔םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וַיֵּצְא֖וּand they came out
vaiyetzeuH3318 →1067 times
כְּאִ֥ישׁlike a man
keishH376 →1663 times
אֶחָֽד׃one
ʾechadH259 →971 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 35:5As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob’s sons.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 17:10
And the dread of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 23:27
I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn and run.
- Psalms 14:5
There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is in the company of the righteous.
- Joshua 5:1
Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until…
- Exodus 15:15–16
Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; trembling will seize the leaders of Moab; those who dwell in Canaan will melt away,
- 2 Chronicles 17:10
Through
Judges 20:1Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah.
it leads to
- Judges 11:11
So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. And Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah.
- Judges 11:11
Through
2 Chronicles 14:14and attacked all the cities around Gerar, because the terror of the LORD had fallen upon them. They plundered all the cities, since there was much plunder there.
it leads to
- Genesis 35:5
As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob’s sons.
- Genesis 35:5
Through
Judges 19:29When he reached his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.
it leads to
- Judges 20:6–7
Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.
- Judges 20:6–7
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 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; 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 5, Chapter 1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
