Continuing a chronological Bible study:
(1 Samuel 13:1) Saul reigned one year, and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
Before the parenthetical chapter of Samuel's address to the people in chapter 12, the people had come to accept Saul as their rightful king after he had defeated the Ammonites, and he was made king officially (again) in 1 Samuel 11:15. Since then he had reigned one year with nothing in it worth recording, but after he had reigned two years over Israel, the following occurred:
(2) Saul chose him three thousand of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in Mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin, and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
Saul chose three thousand men of the men of Israel. Two thousand were under Saul's command and he placed them at Michmash and at Mount Bethel, with probably one thousand in each place. A thousand men were with Jonathan, who we will learn was Saul's son, and they were at Gibeah. Saul sent the rest of the people back to their tents. This map borrowed from Precept Austin shows the three posts occupied by the three thousand men across from Philistia:
(3) And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines in Geba, and the Philistines heard. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!"
Jonathan and his men struck a garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, which was between Gibeah and Michmash, seen in the inset of the map above. The Philistines heard about it, which led Saul to blow the trumpet, or order it to be blown throughout the land to let the people know that the Philistines were preparing to attack.
(4) And all Israel heard it said Saul had struck a garrison of the Philistines, and Israel had also become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.
All Israel heard that Saul had struck a garrison of the Philistines. Although it had actually been Jonathan and his men, they were undoubtedly directed by Saul. That had made the Philistines filled with hate for the Israelites which might lead to severe retribution. Therefore the people were called to Saul at Gilgal east of where their posts were.
(5) And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand on the seashore in multitude, and they came up and pitched in Michmash eastward from Beth Aven.
The Philistines gathered themselves together to fight against Israel, with thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and people as numerous as sand on the seashore. They pitched at Michmash which is where Saul had had his men until he went to Gilgal. Michmash was to the east of Beth Aven which was said to be east of Bethel.
(6) When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in high places, and in pits.
The men of Israel saw that they were in danger. The probable interpretation of the parenthetical part is that the Philistine people were distressing the Israelites, and they saw they were in danger and hid themselves in various places.
(7) And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people following him, trembling.
Some of the Israelites went as far as east of the Jordan River to Gad and Gilead. Saul stayed in Gilgal, which appears to be one of those times he was supposed to stay there until Samuel came to him to give him advice and counsel (1 Samuel 10:8). The people following him, probably his army of two thousand (verse 2) stayed with him, but with trembling hearts.
(8) And he tarried seven days, according to the time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him.
Saul indeed waited for seven days as he had been directed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come. Saul's people were scattering and deserting him.
(9) And Saul said, "Bring here a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings." And he offered the burnt offering.
Saul ordered animals be brought to him for a burnt offering and for peace offerings, and he offered the burnt offering, which would not have been his place to do. He had been instructed to wait for Samuel to make the offerings (1 Samuel 10:8).
(10) And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came, and Saul went out to meet him that he might salute him.
As soon as Saul had finished his burnt offering, he saw Samuel coming, and he went out to meet and greet him. The fact that Samuel appeared so soon after Saul quit waiting tells me that Saul was a bit too impatient and rushed the time. If this was the seventh day, he should have waited until the end of that day, as Samuel did indeed show up that day.
(11) And Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and you did not come within the days appointed, and the Philistines gathered themselves together at MichMash; (12) Therefore I said, 'The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.' I forced myself therefore and offered a burnt offering."
Samuel asked Saul what he had done as he obviously saw that Saul had sacrificed without him. Saul said that because he saw his men deserting him, and Samuel had not come in the appointed time, and the Philistines were gathering themselves against him, he felt he would soon be overtaken by the Philistines, so he "forced" himself to offer a burnt offering.
Lots to unpack there. First of all, as it was the same day, Samuel had come in the appointed time. Saul had been either impatient or fearful or both. If he was impatient, then he showed himself to be disrespectful and even arrogant. He knew he had done wrong or he wouldn't have made so many excuses, and one of his excuses was to blame Samuel for not coming on time. The fact that he said he "forced" himself sounds like while he tried to knock Samuel down a notch, he was trying to raise himself up a notch, insinuating that he knew what he was supposed to do, but because of Samuel's delay, he had to force himself to go against what Samuel had told him. If he was just plain afraid of the Philistines, then he lacked faith in God that He would protect him if he did what God had asked of him through Samuel. There are many Bible verses that speak of patience and waiting on the Lord and His timing, but these seem to sum up Saul and his situation perfectly:
(Psalm 27:14) Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD.
(Proverbs 20:22) Do not say, “I will recompense evil;" wait on the LORD, and He shall save you.
(Psalm 37:34) Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see.
Saul said he had not made supplication (verse 12), so he offered the burnt offering. He could have made supplication to the Lord without the offering. Had he prayed to the Lord, the Lord would have strengthened his heart to enable him to wait longer. Had he not rushed to do something about the Philistines and had waited as he was supposed to, the Lord would save him. Had he waited on the Lord and did as he had been instructed, the Lord would exalt him and his kingdom. Impatience and lack of faith in God were not good qualities in a king.
(13) And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God which He commanded you, for now would the Lord have established your kingdom on Israel forever."
Indeed, Samuel told Saul that he had acted foolishly. If he had kept the commandment of the Lord which Samuel had told him, the Lord would have established his kingdom forever. Had he waited as he was supposed to, the Lord would have exalted him (Psalm 37:34 above).
(14) "But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought Him a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be captain over his people because you have not kept that which the Lord commanded you."
Samuel told Saul that because he had not done what the Lord through Samuel told him to do, his kingdom would not continue. The Lord had sought another to reign over His people. According to this wonderful timeline found at Biblical Archeology, David wasn't even born yet when Samuel uttered this prophecy about the Lord choosing David, a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22):
(15) And Samuel arose and got himself up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people present with him, about six hundred men.
Samuel rose up and went from there at Gilgal (verse 7) to Gibeah. Note that he didn't tell Saul what he should do about his predicament. That had been the reason Saul was supposed to go to Gilgal and wait on Samuel to show him what he should do (1 Samuel 10:8). Saul took the opportunity to number the people who were still with him, and they numbered six hundred men.
(16) And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
Saul, his son Jonathan, and the six hundred men present with them, also went to Gibeah where they abode while the Philistines were encamped at Michmash.
(17) And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies; one company turned to the way to Ophrah, to the land of Shual, (18) And another company turned the way to Beth Horon, and another turned to the way of the border that looks to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
The Philistines sent out three companies of soldiers to ravage and spoil the land, demonstrating how useless the Israelite king that the people had so wanted, really was. God allowed this to convince the people of their vain confidence in a king when their trust should have been in their Lord God. Never was their country more exposed to violence and plunder than it was at that time under their king.
(19) Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears." (20) But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man his share, and his hoe, and his axe, and his pickaxe. (21) Yet they had a file for the pickaxes, and for the hoes, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
Because the Philistines ruled over the Israelites at that time, they did not allow Israel to have a blacksmith because they were afraid they would make weapons. The Israelites were forced to go to the Philistines to have their tools sharpened. However, the Israelites were permitted to have files or some blunt instrument, as that is what the original word suggests, "bluntness."
(22) So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but with Saul and with Jonathan his son, there was found.
Because the Philistines did not allow the Israelites to have a blacksmith, none of the men with Saul had a sword or a spear. However, Saul and Jonathan did, but they were the only ones.
(23) And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.
I believe the sense is that the Philistine post was moving outward from Michmash to the way leading to it, which meant they were also moving closer to Saul and his small army.
It's not looking too well for King Saul and the people who had depended on him. This chapter ends with a cliffhanger that will conclude in the next chapter.
