1 Samuel 11:5 kjv
And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.
1 Samuel 11:5 nkjv
Now there was Saul, coming behind the herd from the field; and Saul said, "What troubles the people, that they weep?" And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.
1 Samuel 11:5 niv
Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, "What is wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping?" Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.
1 Samuel 11:5 esv
Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, "What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?" So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh.
1 Samuel 11:5 nlt
Saul had been plowing a field with his oxen, and when he returned to town, he asked, "What's the matter? Why is everyone crying?" So they told him about the message from Jabesh.
1 Samuel 11 5 Cross References
(Verse, Text, Reference)
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Judg 2:18 | When the LORD raised up for them judges, then the LORD was with the judge and delivered them... for they groaned because of those who oppressed them. | Weeping of the people indicating oppression, necessitating a deliverer. |
| Judg 6:6-7 | So Israel was brought very low because of Midian... when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD on account of Midian... | People's distress leading to a cry for divine intervention and a deliverer. |
| Judg 21:8-14 | And they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who did not come up to Mizpah to the LORD?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-Gilead... | Past connection and obligation of Jabesh-Gilead to the other tribes, setting up their cry for help. |
| 1 Sam 8:20 | ...that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles. | Israel's initial reason for demanding a king: to fight their battles, which Saul now fulfills. |
| 1 Sam 9:27 | As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to pass on ahead of us, and you yourselves stop here awhile, that I may make known to you the word of God.” | Saul's anointing as king prior to this event, a hidden truth about to be revealed publicly. |
| 1 Sam 10:9 | When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart... | God preparing Saul for leadership, although this heart change is manifested only in 1 Sam 11:6. |
| 1 Sam 10:20-24 | ...and the lot came upon Saul the son of Kish... Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen?...” | Saul's previous public but unenthusiastic presentation as king; this event validates him. |
| 1 Sam 31:11-13 | But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul... | Jabesh-Gilead's future loyalty to Saul due to this deliverance. |
| 2 Kgs 6:26-28 | As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him... | Other instances of national leaders encountering and responding to public cries for help. |
| Ps 78:70-71 | He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people... | God choosing humble shepherds/farmers for leadership, exemplified by David and initially by Saul. |
| Ps 107:13 | Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. | The pattern of God's people crying out in distress and being delivered. |
| Isa 6:11 | Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” He said: “Until cities are laid waste... | A people's weeping signifying devastation and need for God's intervention. |
| Lam 2:19 | “Arise, cry out in the night... Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children... | Description of national weeping and lamentation due to severe trouble. |
| Jer 25:34 | “Wail, you shepherds, and cry out; roll in the ashes, you masters of the flock... | Prophets lamenting the plight of their people due to coming judgment or oppression. |
| Zech 12:10 | And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child... | Future mourning of Israel leading to repentance and divine intervention. |
| Amos 7:14-15 | Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock...” | God choosing ordinary individuals from their daily work for extraordinary service. |
| Mk 6:34 | When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. | Leaders showing compassion and responding to the desperate need of the people. |
| Rom 13:3-4 | For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good... | The God-ordained role of civil authority (like a king) to protect and serve the people. |
| 1 Cor 1:26-29 | For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards... But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong... | God often chooses the humble and unassuming, as seen in Saul coming from the field. |
| 2 Cor 7:10 | For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly sorrow produces death. | The concept of a profound sorrow that prompts action or change, as with Israel's weeping. |
1 Samuel 11 verses
1 Samuel 11 5 Meaning
1 Samuel 11:5 describes the pivotal moment when Saul, the recently anointed king, is found in his humble, agrarian life, tending oxen in the field. He encounters the deeply distressed Israelite people, weeping openly, and inquires about the cause of their sorrow. He is then informed about the grievous plight of the men of Jabesh-Gilead, who were facing a brutal ultimatum from Nahash the Ammonite. This verse sets the immediate scene for Saul's Spirit-empowered act of deliverance and his public inauguration as king.
1 Samuel 11 5 Context
1 Samuel 11:5 is positioned at a crucial juncture in Saul’s story, bridging his initial anointing and his decisive action as Israel's first king. Historically, Israel had demanded a king "like all the nations" (1 Sam 8:5) to lead them in battle against their enemies, specifically the powerful Philistines and others. Saul had already been secretly anointed by Samuel (1 Sam 9:27-10:1) and publicly presented and confirmed through casting lots (1 Sam 10:20-24). However, at the time of this verse, he had not yet performed any act befitting a king, and some among Israel still questioned his fitness (1 Sam 10:27). Saul, having returned to his farming life in Gibeah, symbolized his humble origins and lack of the kingly fanfare associated with the anointing. The immediate context is the threat posed by Nahash the Ammonite to the Transjordanian city of Jabesh-Gilead, who had imposed a brutal condition: gouging out every man’s right eye. This severe ultimatum sent despair throughout Israel, causing the people to weep, leading directly to Saul's intervention.
1 Samuel 11 5 Word analysis
- Now Saul was coming: The phrase opens abruptly, highlighting Saul's everyday activity before his extraordinary call. "Saul" (שָׁאוּל, Sha'ul) means "asked" or "requested," perhaps a subtle nod to Israel's asking for a king, or perhaps hinting at Saul being a prayer's answer.
- behind the oxen from the field: This image profoundly conveys Saul's continued humility and connection to his rural, pre-monarchical life. He is not in a palace or throne, but engaged in common agrarian labor, demonstrating his lack of royal pomp or self-promotion, which underscores that his subsequent action is divinely prompted, not self-willed. This paints him as a true "man of the people."
- and Saul said, ‘What is wrong with the people that they weep?’: Saul's direct inquiry indicates both his innocence regarding the cause of distress and his compassionate empathy for his countrymen. His concern is immediate and personal. The Hebrew word for "weep" (בָּכָה, bakah) implies a deep, public lamentation, a collective outcry of distress. This weeping signals a profound crisis beyond typical concerns.
- And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh: This straightforward act of informing provides the crucial catalyst. The "men of Jabesh" (אַנְשֵׁי יָבֵישׁ, anshei Yavish) were ambassadors who had journeyed to Gibeah, Saul's home, seeking aid after Nahash's horrific demand (see 1 Sam 11:1-4). This transfer of information immediately precedes the divine Spirit coming upon Saul in the next verse, showing that the need and the word about the need were necessary preconditions for the Spirit’s empowerment.
Words-group analysis:
- "Now Saul was coming behind the oxen from the field": This phrase dramatically sets the stage for Saul's transition. It vividly portrays him as a humble farmer, undistinguished by any kingly display, directly before he receives a divine anointing for battle. This portrays God's choice of an unlikely candidate from everyday life to fulfill a crucial role.
- "What is wrong with the people that they weep?": This indicates Saul's unforced concern for his people. He's not seeking glory or a platform, but genuinely empathetic to their plight. This common-man query underscores his role as a compassionate leader, a stark contrast to the oppressive kings Israel often feared or experienced. The depth of the people's weeping emphasizes the severity of the threat and their desperation for a deliverer.
1 Samuel 11 5 Bonus section
The scene of Saul arriving from the field contrasts sharply with the expectation of a newly anointed king. Most monarchs would immediately assume royal duties and pomp. Saul's actions demonstrate his initial humility and also imply a certain anonymity regarding his new status as king in Gibeah, despite the earlier public lot casting. The urgency and widespread nature of the weeping suggest the complete hopelessness felt by the people regarding Nahash's cruel terms. This particular incident for Jabesh-Gilead also held historical significance as they had suffered a near-annihilation in the tribal war in Judges 21, creating a shared history of distress and need for protection. Saul’s readiness to help them would solidify a long-standing bond between his kingship and their city, which is seen in their loyalty to him even after his death.
1 Samuel 11 5 Commentary
1 Samuel 11:5 serves as the critical turning point from Saul's humble, unestablished anointing to his public manifestation as God's chosen deliverer. His unpretentious arrival "behind the oxen" highlights that his anointing did not immediately change his outward circumstances or elevate his status in human eyes; he was still a working farmer. This detail underscores God's method of choosing the ordinary and revealing His power through them. Saul's question, motivated by compassion, reveals a shepherd-like concern for his people's distress, indicating a heart sensitive to their suffering, a necessary quality for a divinely appointed leader. The relaying of "the words of the men of Jabesh" becomes the divine spark, igniting Saul's dormant anointing and paving the way for the Spirit of God to rush upon him, compelling him to act decisively in Israel's hour of desperate need. This incident proves Saul's calling and establishes his initial credibility as Israel’s king by divine commissioning, responding to the very reason Israel desired a king: to fight their battles.