What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 11:1? Then Nahash the Ammonite • Nahash appears as the oppressor of Israel from east of the Jordan—descended from Lot’s younger son (Genesis 19:38), the Ammonites had long harbored hostility toward God’s people (Judges 11:4–6). • His name resurfaces when Samuel later reminds Israel, “When Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us’” (1 Samuel 12:12). The threat was real, immediate, and national. • Scripture shows God often allowing foreign pressure to reveal Israel’s need for divine—and, now, royal—deliverance (Deuteronomy 28:47–48; Judges 3:12–15). came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead • Jabesh-gilead sat on the eastern side of the Jordan, somewhat isolated from the main tribal territories—making it an easier target (Judges 21:8–14 gives earlier background on the town). • “Laid siege” tells us Nahash wasn’t content with raiding; he wanted complete subjugation, foreshadowing the brutality he would demand (1 Samuel 11:2). • Scripture often pictures sieges as tests of covenant loyalty: God had warned Israel that disobedience would bring enemies who would “besiege you in all your towns” (Deuteronomy 28:52). • Yet God also raises deliverers: Saul will shortly answer the cry of Jabesh, echoing Gideon’s rescue of oppressed Israelites in Judges 6–7. All the men of Jabesh said to him • The entire community speaks—it’s a corporate crisis. Fear can unify, but without faith it pushes toward compromise (Numbers 14:1-4). • Siege conditions erode resolve quickly; Hezekiah’s Jerusalem faced similar taunts centuries later (2 Kings 18:19-27), yet held firm by trusting the LORD. Jabesh initially looks horizontally, not upward. “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” • The plea reveals desperation. Israel was expressly forbidden to cut such covenants with hostile nations (Exodus 23:32; Deuteronomy 7:2), because service to a pagan king meant rejecting God’s rule. • Their words mirror the tragic offer of servitude Israel made when demanding a human king in chapter 8: “We will be like all the other nations” (1 Samuel 8:19–20). Both stem from fear of man rather than faith in God (Proverbs 29:25). • The coming verses will show how God graciously intervenes despite this faithless request, using Saul’s Spirit-empowered leadership (1 Samuel 11:6-11) to turn potential slavery into deliverance—demonstrating again that the LORD saves “not by sword or by spear” alone (1 Samuel 17:47). summary A ruthless Ammonite king surrounds an isolated Israelite town. Pressed by fear, the men of Jabesh seek a human solution—servitude through treaty—contrary to God’s commands. The verse sets the stage for God to showcase His faithfulness: He will raise Saul to rescue His people, proving that even when His covenant community falters, He remains committed to their deliverance and to His glory among the nations. |
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