1 Samuel 15:12
in 1 Samuel 15Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel, and behold, he has set up a monument for himself and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a monument, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal.
KJV
And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 15
Commentary
8 notes on this verseHe set him up a place - Literally, a hand, יד yad. Some say it was a monument; others, a triumphal arch: probably it was no more than a hand, pointing out the place where Saul had gained the victory. Absalom’s pillar is called the hand of Absalom, 2Sa 18:18.
This site's exposition
Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul
on 1 Samuel 15:12-13
Samuel learns that Saul has gone to Carmel and "set up a monument for himself" before coming down to Gilgal. Saul greets him with two claims, a blessing and "I have carried out the LORD’s instructions," and the next verse lets neither stand. Gill treats the monument as the tell, since a man does not raise a memorial for a campaign he believes unfinished.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 6, Chapter 2 · Written before 604.
proposed
10. What is the life of a sinner, if not night? And what is the light of the just, other than day? Whence also through Paul it is said to converted sinners: 'You were once darkness, but now light in the Lord' (Eph. 5:8). But for the preacher to rise by night is to raise up the affection of the mind from the taking on of another's fault.
And when Samuel had risen from the night to go to Saul in the morning, etc. Carmel means knowledge of circumcision; Gilgal means revelation. Therefore, many, not yet fully having conquered the struggle of vices, promise themselves with confident assurance of the crown of righteousness …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
There Samuel gave him the meeting, and, 1. Saul makes his boast to Samuel of his obedience, because that was the thing by which he was now to signalize himself (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Saul came to Carmel--in the south of Judah (Jos 15:55; 1Sa 25:2). he set him up a place--that is, a pillar (2Sa 18:18); literally, a hand, indicating that whatever was the form of the monument, it was surmounted, according to the ancient fashion, by the figure of a hand, the symbol of power and energy.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
A place - Rather, “a monument.” The Hebrew word יד yâd means a “hand,” but is used in the sense of “monument,” or “trophy,” in 2Sa 18:18, where we are told that the marble pillar which Absalom set up in his lifetime, was called “Yad Absalom.” Carmel - (see the marginal reference) would be on Saul’s line of march on his return from the country of the Amalekites, more especially if he came from the neighborhood of Akaba.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And is setting up a place for himself. He is building an altar for himself. That is the altar referred to concerning Eliyohu, 'he repaired the ruined altar of Adonoy.' 17 Melachim I:30. Targum Yonoson renders, 'and he is making room there for himself to divide the spoils.'
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
I have reconsidered. A thought has risen in my heart concerning Shaul's kingship, whom I have appointed king.
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
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֧ם | vaiyashkem | and he rose early | H7925 → | 65 times |
| שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל | shemuel | Samuel | H8050 → | 141 times |
| לִקְרַ֥את | likrat | to meet | H7122 → | 139 times |
| שָׁא֖וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| בַּבֹּ֑קֶר | baboker | in the morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| וַיֻּגַּ֨ד | vaiyugad | and it was told | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לִשְׁמוּאֵ֜ל | lishmuel | to Samuel | H8050 → | 141 times |
| לֵאמֹ֗ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בָּֽא־ | ba'- | he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| שָׁא֤וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| הַכַּרְמֶ֙לָה֙ | hakarmelah | <the> Carmel towards | H3760 → | 22 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֨ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| מַצִּ֥יב | matziv | [he was] setting up | H5324 → | 75 times |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | for <the> himself | ||
| יָ֔ד | yad | a monument | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וַיִּסֹּב֙ | vaiyiso | and he turned | H5437 → | 161 times |
| וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֔ר | vaiyaavor | and he passed on | H5674 → | 556 times |
| וַיֵּ֖רֶד | vaiyered | and he went down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| הַגִּלְגָּֽל׃ | hagilgal | <the> Gilgal | H1537 → | 41 times |
וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֧םand he rose early
vaiyashkemH7925 →65 times
שְׁמוּאֵ֛לSamuel
shemuelH8050 →141 times
לִקְרַ֥אתto meet
likratH7122 →139 times
שָׁא֖וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
בַּבֹּ֑קֶרin the morning
babokerH1242 →214 times
וַיֻּגַּ֨דand it was told
vaiyugadH5046 →370 times
לִשְׁמוּאֵ֜לto Samuel
lishmuelH8050 →141 times
לֵאמֹ֗ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
בָּֽא־he came
ba'-H935 →2568 times
שָׁא֤וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
הַכַּרְמֶ֙לָה֙<the> Carmel towards
hakarmelahH3760 →22 times
וְהִנֵּ֨הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
מַצִּ֥יב[he was] setting up
matzivH5324 →75 times
לוֹ֙for <the> himself
lo
יָ֔דa monument
yadH3027 →1618 times
וַיִּסֹּב֙and he turned
vaiyisoH5437 →161 times
וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֔רand he passed on
vaiyaavorH5674 →556 times
וַיֵּ֖רֶדand he went down
vaiyeredH3381 →381 times
הַגִּלְגָּֽל׃<the> Gilgal
hagilgalH1537 →41 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
1 Samuel 25:2Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very wealthy man with a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 23:24
So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon,
- Genesis 38:13
When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,”
- Joshua 15:55
Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
- Luke 16:19–25
Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.
- Job 1:3
and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East.
- 1 Samuel 23:24
Through
2 Samuel 18:18During his lifetime, Absalom had set up for himself a pillar in the King’s Valley, for he had said, “I have no son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he gave the…
it leads to
- Genesis 14:17
After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
- Genesis 14:17
Through
Joshua 15:55Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
it leads to
- Joshua 15:24
Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,
- 1 Samuel 23:25
and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this,…
- Joshua 15:24
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
3 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…
- PlaceJordan valley near JerichoGilgalIsrael's first Canaan camp where the stones were set and the reproach rolled away (Josh 4-5); later a corrupted shrine the prophet…
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 6, Chapter 2; 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); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. G. Blaikie, The First Book of Samuel (Expositor's Bible).