Nahash the Ammonite besieges Jabesh-gilead, demanding as treaty terms that he gouge out every right eye as a disgrace to Israel; the elders ask for seven days to seek help. The Spirit of God rushes upon Saul when he hears the news; in fierce anger, he cuts his oxen in pieces and sends them throughout Israel, summoning the militia on pain of their oxen suffering likewise. With three hundred thousand from Israel and thirty thousand from Judah, Saul attacks at the morning watch and scatters the Ammonites; the people want to kill those who questioned Saul's kingship, but Saul forbids it, and Samuel renews the kingship at Gilgal.
Read 1 Samuel Chapter 11 Summary
Original
Characters in This Chapter
Samuel
Last judge and prophet who anointed both Saul and David as kings
Saul
First king of Israel, whose disobedience led to his rejection by God
David
Shepherd boy anointed as future king, man after God's own heart
Jonathan
Saul's son who became David's closest friend despite the rivalry
Hannah
Samuel's mother who prayed for a son and dedicated him to God
Judah
Son of Jacob, Ancestor of David and Christ
Places in This Chapter
Position in Book
Samuel's MinistryChapters 1-7
Saul's ReignChapters 8-15
Israel demands a king, Saul's anointing and early victories, his disobedience and rejection by God.
David's RiseChapters 16-31