1 Samuel 13:1

King James Version (KJV)

Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

Saul reigned one year - A great deal of learned labor has been employed and lost on this verse, to reconcile it with propriety and common sense. I shall not recount the meanings put on it. I think this clause belongs to the preceding chapter, either as a part of the whole, or a chronological note added afterwards; as if the writer had said, These things (related in 1 Samuel 12:1-25) took place in the first year of Saul's reign: and then he proceeds in the next place to tell us what took place in the second year, the two most remarkable years of Saul's reign. In the first he is appointed, anointed, and twice confirmed, viz., at Mizpeh and at Gilgal; in the second, Israel is brought into the lowest state of degradation by the Philistines, Saul acts unconstitutionally, and is rejected from being king. These things were worthy of an especial chronological note.

And when he had reigned - This should begin the chapter, and be read thus: "And when Saul had reigned two years over Israel, he chose him three thousand," etc. The Septuagint has left the clause out of the text entirely, and begins the chapter thus: "And Saul chose to himself three thousand men out of the men of Israel."

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Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

The text of this verse, omitted by the Septuagint, is held to be corrupt, and the numerals denoting Saul‘s age at his accession as well as the duration of his reign, are thought to be omitted or faulty. Saul may have been about 30 at his accession, and have reigned some 32 years, since we know that his grandson Mephibosheth was five years old at Saul‘s death 2 Samuel 4:4; and 32 added to the seven and a half years between the death of Saul and that of Ishbosheth, makes up the 40 years assigned to Saul‘s dynasty in Acts 13:21. Neither is there any clue to the interval of time between the events recorded in the preceding chapter, and those which follow in this and succeeding chapters. But the appearance of Jonathan as a warrior 1 Samuel 13:2 compared with the mention of Saul as “a young man” 1 Samuel 9:2, implies an interval of not less than ten or fifteen years, perhaps more. The object of the historian is to prepare the way for the history of David‘s reign. He therefore passes at once to that incident in Saul‘s reign, which led to his rejection by God, as recorded in 1 Samuel 13:13-14.

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Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary

Saul reigned one year, and nothing particular happened; but in his second year the events recorded in this chapter took place. For above a year he gave the Philistine time to prepare for war, and to weaken and to disarm the Israelites. When men are lifted up in self-sufficiency, they are often led into folly. The chief advantages of the enemies of the church are derived from the misconduct of its professed friends. When Saul at length sounded an alarm, the people, dissatisfied with his management, or terrified by the power of the enemy, did not come to him, or speedily deserted him.

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SDA Bible Commentary (limited)
Volume 1-7

1. Saul reigned one year. The meaning of this passage of Scripture is not clear, as all translators and commentators have agreed. A literal translation of the Hebrew text was as we have it today reads, “Saul year[s] old when he began to reign, and two years he reigned over Israel” (on “year[s] old” see Vol. I, p. 181; also on Gen. 5:32). Ever since the days of the first Bible version this text has puzzled translators. Earlier editions of the LXX avoided the difficulty by omitting the verse entirely. The Targums paraphrased it to read, “Saul was as innocent as a one-year-old child when he began to reign.” The Syriac gives it, “When Saul had reigned one or two years.” Like preceding translations of the text, that of the KJV is a paraphrase that gives, not the Hebrew as we have it today, but what the translators thought the original text of the Hebrew to have been. The RSV assumes two omissions: “Saul was Ã¢â‚¬Â¦ years old when he began to reign; and he reigned Ã¢â‚¬Â¦ and two years over Israel.”

Some commentators agree that here is doubtless an instance where an omission has occurred in the process of copying, though at what time in the transmission of the text the omission may have occurred no one can tell (see Vol. I, p. 15). If the extant Hebrew text is the result of an omission, it stands as evidence of the carefulness and conscientiousness of later copyists in their work of producing new manuscripts, for they did not tamper with the text itself but left it as they found it even though its meaning was obscure.

Little is to be gained by conjecture; however, a tentative explanation may be offered. The form of the statement under consideration corresponds exactly to that of the formula commonly used by Bible writers in giving a king’s age when he began to reign and the duration of his reign. The corresponding formula for David appears in 2 Sam. 5:4 (see also 2 Kings 21:1; 24:8, 18; etc.). If omissions similar to those that appear to have occurred in 1 Sam. 13:1 had been made in a comparable text, such as 2 Kings 21:1, it would read: “Manasseh was Ã¢â‚¬Â¦ years old when he began to reign, and reigned Ã¢â‚¬Â¦ and five years in Jerusalem.” In basic construction the two passages are identical. The insertion of one figure for the age of Saul when he became king, and another for the length of his reign, would make the statement parallel to the statements for David and other kings. In the original text the phrase “Ã¢â‚¬Â¦ and two” may have read “forty” (see Acts 13:21). The Hebrew text of 1 Sam. 13:1 as it now stands thus implies that it originally constituted a statement of Saul’s age and the length of his reign. If it does not, then Saul is the only Hebrew king for whom the OT makes no such statement.

According to another explanation 1 Sam. 13:1 should read, “Saul reigned one year; and he reigned two years over Israel.” That is, he had completed the first year of his reign (see p. 138) and was in the second year when the events of this chapter occurred. It must be admitted, however, that to construe the Hebrew of 1 Sam. 13:1 to mean that the events of ch. 13 occurred in Saul’s second year is unnatural and a construction without an exact parallel in the Bible record of the kings.

The passage may reasonably be understood as meaning that Saul made an attempt to subdue the Philistines in his second year, although the first real blowâ€”that of Jonathan, here recordedâ€”came somewhat later. Thus understood, there is harmony with the translation and first interpretation here mentioned for 1 Sam. 13:1. If it be concluded that PP 616 seems to be premised on the KJV interpretation of this verse, it might be pointed out that the statement itself can be taken as referring to the first attempt. But no matter what translation or interpretation is given this passage, we are still left in perplexity as to the original reading of the text. However, in this as in other instances of difficult and obscure texts, no question of doctrine, and thus of our salvation, is involved.

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Ellen G. White
Spiritual Gifts, vol. 4a, 68-70

When the Philistines, with their large army, prepared to make war with Israel, then the people were afraid. They had not that confidence that God would appear for them as before they had wickedly demanded a king. They knew that they were but a handful, compared with the armies of the Philistines, and to go out to battle with them seemed to be certain death. They did not feel as secure as they thought they should in possession of their king. In their perplexity they dared not call upon God, whom they had slighted. The Lord said to Samuel, They have not rejected you, but me, by desiring a king. 4aSG 68.1

Now, these men who had been valiant, and a terror to their numerous enemies, were afraid to go out against the Philistines to battle. They had their king, but did not dare to trust in him, and they felt that they had chosen him before the Strength of Israel. When they were brought into this perplexing condition, their hearts fainted. The people scattered, in their distress, and hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in high places, and in pits, as though escaping from captivity. Those who ventured to go with Saul followed him trembling. He was in great perplexity, as he saw that the people were scattered from him. He anxiously awaited the promised coming of Samuel; but the time expired, and he came not. God had designedly, detained Samuel, that his people might be proved, and might realize their sin, and how small was their strength, and weak their judgment and wisdom without God. 4aSG 68.2

In their calamity they repented that they had chosen a king. They had possessed greater courage and confidence while they had God-fearing rulers to instruct and lead them, for they obtained counsel direct from God, and it was like being led by God himself. Now, they realized that they were commanded by an erring king, who could not save them in their distress. Saul had not a high and exalted sense of the excellence and terrible majesty of God. He had not a sacred regard for his appointed ordinances. With an impetuous spirit because Samuel did not appear at the appointed time, he rushed before God presumptuously, and undertook the sacred work of sacrifice. While equipped for war, he built the altar and officiated for himself and the people. This work was sacredly given to those appointed for the purpose. This act was a crime in Saul, and such an example would lead the people to have a low estimate of the religious ceremonies and ordinances sanctified and appointed of God, prefiguring the sinless offering of his dear Son. God would have his people have a holy regard and sacred reverence for the sacrificial work of the priests, which pointed to the sacrifice of his Son. 4aSG 69.1

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Cross References

reigned one year

Exodus 12:5

Micah 6:6

The Ministry of Samuel and Anointment of Saul

Saul, 1000 BCE

The Kingdom of Saul and His Wars

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1 Samuel 13:1