1 Samuel 11:15 kjv
And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
1 Samuel 11:15 nkjv
So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they made sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
1 Samuel 11:15 niv
So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the LORD. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.
1 Samuel 11:15 esv
So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
1 Samuel 11:15 nlt
So they all went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the LORD they made Saul king. Then they offered peace offerings to the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites were filled with joy.
1 Samuel 11 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Saul's Kingship: Divine Election & Popular Acclaim | ||
| 1 Sam 9:16 | "Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man... that he may rule my people Israel." | God's prior divine appointment of Saul. |
| 1 Sam 10:1 | "Then Samuel took a flask of oil... and anointed him..." | Samuel's initial anointing of Saul as king by God's command. |
| 1 Sam 10:24 | "And Samuel said to all the people, 'Do you see him... that the Lord has chosen?' And all the people shouted, 'Long live the king!'" | Initial, less unified public presentation of Saul as king. |
| 2 Sam 5:3 | "So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron... and they anointed David king..." | Another instance of a king being "made king" by the people. |
| Deut 17:15 | "you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses." | God's instruction for how a king should be chosen in Israel. |
| Judg 9:6 | "And all the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo assembled... and made Abimelech king..." | Example of an unauthorized or worldly attempt at making a king. |
| Acts 2:36 | "Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus..." | God's ultimate kingship in Christ, affirmed after His victory. |
| Significance of Gilgal | ||
| Josh 4:19-20 | "The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day... and encamped at Gilgal... And those twelve stones..." | Gilgal as the first camp after Jordan crossing, memorializing God's power. |
| Josh 5:9 | "And the Lord said to Joshua, 'Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.' So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day." | Place of covenant renewal (circumcision) and removal of disgrace. |
| Josh 5:10 | "While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover..." | Celebration of Passover at Gilgal, highlighting its religious significance. |
| 1 Sam 7:16 | "He used to go on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah..." | Samuel's judicial center, indicating its status as a gathering place. |
| 1 Sam 13:12 | "So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering." | Saul's later disobedience at Gilgal, contrasting with this initial obedience and joy. |
| Worship & Covenant: "Before the Lord" & Peace Offerings | ||
| Lev 3 | "If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering..." | Prescriptions for peace offerings, highlighting their purpose of communion. |
| Exod 24:5 | "And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings..." | Peace offerings used to ratify the Mosaic Covenant. |
| 1 Kgs 8:63 | "Solomon offered as peace offerings to the Lord 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep." | Peace offerings on a massive scale for temple dedication, symbolizing national reconciliation and joy. |
| Ps 16:11 | "In your presence there is fullness of joy..." | The blessing and joy found in the presence of the Lord. |
| Acts 17:28 | "For in him we live and move and have our being..." | New Testament understanding of existing continually in God's presence. |
| Joy & Unity | ||
| Deut 12:7 | "And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice..." | Command to rejoice communally before the Lord, often associated with sacrifices. |
| Ps 133:1 | "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!" | Celebration of communal unity and harmony. |
| Neh 12:43 | "And on that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy..." | Great rejoicing during covenant renewal, similar to this event. |
| Eph 4:3 | "eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." | New Testament emphasis on spiritual unity among believers. |
1 Samuel 11 verses
1 Samuel 11 15 Meaning
1 Samuel 11:15 describes the pivotal moment when the entire nation of Israel, united and grateful after Saul's decisive victory over the Ammonites, formally and publicly affirmed Saul's kingship at Gilgal. This event was not merely a political ceremony but a sacred act performed "before the Lord," emphasizing its divine ratification. The communal joy and reconciliation were sealed through peace offerings, signifying renewed covenantal fellowship with God and unity among the people.
1 Samuel 11 15 Context
Chapter 11 of 1 Samuel narrates the pivotal event that solidified Saul's position as king over Israel. Before this chapter, Saul had been privately anointed by Samuel (Ch. 10) and then publicly presented, but not all Israel acknowledged him. He was a somewhat hesitant leader living a private life until news came of Nahash the Ammonite's brutal siege against Jabesh-Gilead. Upon hearing this, the Spirit of God powerfully came upon Saul, igniting divine wrath within him. He acted decisively, rallying the Israelite tribes through a powerful and urgent call to arms (cutting up oxen as a dramatic summons), culminating in a massive unified force.
Saul led this army to a decisive, swift victory, scattering and utterly defeating the Ammonites. This military success served as irrefutable proof of God's favor on Saul and His deliverance through him. In the wake of this triumph, the people, filled with zeal, sought to punish those who had previously doubted Saul. However, Saul displayed remarkable humility and statesmanship, refusing vengeance and declaring that the victory belonged entirely to the Lord, transforming a moment of potential division into one of national reconciliation. This act of grace paved the way for the unanimous and joyful affirmation of his kingship described in verse 15. The entire nation recognized God's hand in Saul's leadership and embraced him as their divinely appointed monarch, sealing this covenant at the ancient and sacred site of Gilgal.
1 Samuel 11 15 Word analysis
And all the people (וַיֵּלְכוּ כָל-הָעָם - va-yelekhu kol-ha-am):
- And they went: Va-yelekhu (from הָלַךְ, halakh, to go), imperfect consecutive, indicating immediate and unified action after Saul's victory and act of clemency.
- All the people: Kol-ha-am. This signifies complete national consensus and participation. It indicates the removal of the previous skepticism or division (cf. 1 Sam 10:27, where "some worthless fellows" questioned Saul's authority), showcasing unprecedented unity following a common cause and shared triumph.
to Gilgal (הַגִּלְגָּל - ha-Gilgal):
- Gilgal (literally "rolling") was a profoundly significant site in Israel's history. It was the first encampment of Israel after crossing the Jordan (Josh 4:19), the place where the new generation was circumcised (Josh 5:9), marking the rolling away of the reproach of Egypt, and where Passover was first celebrated in Canaan (Josh 5:10). It served as Joshua's headquarters and a frequent gathering place for Samuel (1 Sam 7:16). Its selection for this event underlines the sacred, covenantal nature of Saul's enthronement, connecting it to foundational acts of God's deliverance and covenant renewal.
and there they made Saul king (וַיַּמְלִיכוּ שָׁם אֶת-שָׁאוּל - va-yamlichu sham et-Shaul):
- And there they made king: Va-yamlichu (Hiphil imperfect consecutive from מָלַךְ, malakh, to be king/reign), meaning "to cause to reign" or "to make king." This is the people's act of official enthronement, ratifying God's prior anointing of Saul through Samuel (1 Sam 9:16, 10:1). It highlights the interplay of divine initiative and human affirmation in Israelite monarchy.
before the Lord (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה - lifney YHWH):
- This critical phrase emphasizes that the event was not merely a secular political ceremony but a solemn, sacred act performed in God's acknowledged presence. It invoked divine witness, blessing, and covenantal obligation. It means that God was the supreme authority overseeing this transfer of human power, indicating the theocratic nature of Israel even under a king.
in Gilgal (בַּגִּלְגָּל - ba-Gilgal):
- Repetition of Gilgal's significance, confirming the specific, consecrated location of the proceedings.
and there they sacrificed peace offerings (וַיִּזְבְּחוּ-שָׁם זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים - va-yizb'chu-sham zivchei shlamim):
- Peace offerings: Zivchei shlamim. These sacrifices, also called fellowship offerings, were unique because they were characterized by communion. Portions were offered to God, to the priests, and the remainder was eaten by the worshippers in a communal feast. They symbolized peace (from shalom), reconciliation, gratitude, and fellowship with God and fellow Israelites. Their offering here signifies the establishment of peace between God and Israel (after the nation's turning to God in crisis), and renewed unity and joyful communion among the people under Saul's kingship.
before the Lord (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה - lifney YHWH):
- Another reiteration of the sacred context of these sacrifices. They were an act of worship directed to God.
and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly (וַיִּשְׂמַח שָׁם שָׁאוּל וְכָל-אַנְשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל מְאֹד - va-yismach sham Shaul vechol-anshei Yisrael me'od):
- And rejoiced: Va-yismach (imperfect consecutive from שָׂמַח, samach, to rejoice). Indicates the heartfelt, pervasive joy.
- Saul and all the men of Israel: Underscores the universal joy shared by the newly enthroned king and the entirety of his people.
- Greatly: Me'od. This intensifies the rejoicing, conveying overwhelming and unanimous happiness after God's deliverance and the successful, unifying inauguration of the monarchy.
1 Samuel 11 15 Bonus section
This moment at Gilgal represents the peak of Saul's initial favor with God and the people. The enthusiasm, unity, and genuine spiritual joy ("rejoiced greatly before the Lord") stands in stark contrast to his later actions at Gilgal itself, where he disobeyed the Lord by offering sacrifices prematurely (1 Sam 13). This comparison highlights a significant theme throughout 1 Samuel: the fragility of human faithfulness even in moments of profound divine blessing. The events at Gilgal set the standard for what Israel's kingship should embody – submission to God's will, fostering national unity, and leading in joyful worship – a standard Saul initially met, only to tragically deviate from later. The ceremony thus serves as both a high point and a poignant backdrop for subsequent narratives of obedience and failure within the Israelite monarchy.
1 Samuel 11 15 Commentary
1 Samuel 11:15 is the culminating act of Saul's initial ascendancy, formalizing his rule after a divinely enabled military victory. The shift from individual anointing by Samuel to popular acclamation demonstrates the hybrid nature of the early Israelite monarchy, where divine choice and popular affirmation converged. The phrase "before the Lord" is paramount, asserting that this new political structure remained under God's ultimate authority, differentiating it from surrounding pagan monarchies which often viewed their kings as deified or completely autonomous. The chosen location, Gilgal, steeped in Israel's covenant history, further reinforced the religious gravity of the event, echoing past moments of covenant renewal and divine provision. The peace offerings symbolize reconciliation and joyful fellowship, solidifying the new social and political order in a sacred act of communion with God. This verse encapsulates the euphoria of unity and deliverance, yet it subtly foreshadows the future challenges of upholding God's covenant within the human institution of kingship, as Saul would later demonstrate by his own failures at this very site.