1 Samuel 15:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah.

NIV: So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim—two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand from Judah.

NASB: Then Saul summoned the people and counted them in Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah.

CSB: Then Saul summoned the troops and counted them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah.

NLT: So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah.

KJV: And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

NKJV: So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah.

The Lord has commanded King Saul to utterly destroy every living thing among the Amalekite people (1 Samuel 15:3). To accomplish this, Saul begins to amass an overwhelming force. He musters his troops at a place called Telaim.

Many translations report that Saul's army included two hundred thousand foot soldiers, along with ten thousand men from the tribe of Judah. The word translated "thousands," however, is the Hebrew 'eleph, which can also refer to clans or groups. An army of two hundred thousand would have been one of the largest in the ancient world. For that reason, some commentators insist that the word translated as "thousand" in this verse should be understood as "companies." In that case, Saul would have had two hundred companies of fighters, along with ten companies from Judah.

Judah seems to have maintained a somewhat separate identity from the other eleven tribes of Israel. The troops of Judah are also listed separately in 1 Samuel 11:8. However, it is also clear that Judah's soldiers were considered as part of Saul's army. David and his brothers were from Judah and also stationed with Saul (1 Samuel 17).

First Samuel 15:1–9 describes Saul's partial obedience to God regarding the Amalekites. Half-obedience is the same as disobedience; Saul spares the enemy king and many of the valuable animals. This is contrary to the Lord's command. As a result, God will inform the prophet Samuel that God intends to replace Saul as king over Israel.

Samuel gives Saul a mission from the Lord: fulfill God's judgment on the Amalekites by killing all the people and all the animals. Saul and his army defeat Amalek, but they spare the king and the best animals. Samuel confronts Saul and reveals that because of his disobedience, the Lord has rejected Saul as king over Israel. Samuel worships the Lord with Saul one last time and then executes the Amalekite king Saul failed to kill.

First Samuel 14 ended with a summary of Saul's reign; chapter 15 describes God's rejection of Saul as king. First Samuel 13 had already indicated that Saul's household would not retain the kingdom due to Saul's disobedience (1 Samuel 13:8–14); here Saul himself is rejected. The Lord commands Saul to fulfill His longstanding judgment against the Amalekites. Saul and his army defeat Amalek, but Saul disobeys God by sparing the king and the best animals. Saul eventually admits that he has sinned, but Samuel says God will not change His mind about rejecting Saul as king. From a heavenly perspective, Saul is rejected; but from an earthly perspective, he would continue his rule for another fifteen to twenty years.

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.