1 Samuel 13:8
New International Version
He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter.

New Living Translation
Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away.

English Standard Version
He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him.

Berean Standard Bible
And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.

King James Bible
And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

New King James Version
Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

New American Standard Bible
Now he waited for seven days, until the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.

NASB 1995
Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.

NASB 1977
Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.

Legacy Standard Bible
So he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.

Amplified Bible
Now Saul waited seven days, according to the appointed time which Samuel had set, but Samuel had not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering away from Saul.

Christian Standard Bible
He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him.

American Standard Version
And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

Contemporary English Version
and they were starting to run off and leave him. Saul waited there seven days, just as Samuel had ordered him to do, but Samuel did not come.

English Revised Version
And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel. But Samuel had not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to scatter.

Good News Translation
He waited seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him to do, but Samuel still had not come to Gilgal. The people began to desert Saul,

International Standard Version
Saul waited seven days for the appointment set by Samuel. When Samuel did not arrive at Gilgal, as the people began to scatter from Saul,

Majority Standard Bible
And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.

NET Bible
He waited for seven days, the time period indicated by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the army began to abandon Saul.

New Heart English Bible
And he stayed seven days, according to the time that Samuel had said. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people began to abandon him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

World English Bible
He stayed seven days, according to the time set by Samuel; but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he waits seven days, according to the appointment with Samuel, and Samuel has not come to Gilgal, and the people are scattered from off him.

Young's Literal Translation
And he waiteth seven days, according to the appointment with Samuel, and Samuel hath not come to Gilgal, and the people are scattered from off him.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will wait some days according to the appointment which was of Samuel: and Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he waited seven days according to the appointment of Samuel, and Samuel came not to Galgal, and the people slipt away from him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But he waited for seven days, in accord with what was agreed with Samuel. But Samuel did not arrive at Gilgal, for the people were scattering away from him.

New American Bible
He waited seven days, until the appointed time Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come, and the army deserted Saul.

New Revised Standard Version
He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people began to slip away from Saul.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he waited seven days, according to the set time appointed by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were deserting Saul.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he waited seven days until the time of Shemueil, and Shemueil did not come to Galgala and the people were scattered from the presence of Shaul
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed; but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he continued seven days for the appointed testimony, as Samuel told him, and Samuel came not to Galgala, and his people were dispersed from him.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul's Unlawful Sacrifice
8And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul. 9So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered up the burnt offering.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 10:8
And you shall go before me to Gilgal, and surely I will come to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you are to do.”

1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.

1 Samuel 28:18
Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out His burning anger against Amalek, the LORD has done this to you today.

1 Samuel 14:18-19
Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (For at that time it was with the Israelites.) / While Saul was talking to the priest, the commotion in the Philistine camp continued to increase. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”

1 Samuel 15:11
“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all that night.

1 Samuel 28:6
He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.

2 Samuel 24:10
After David had numbered the troops, his conscience was stricken and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”

2 Chronicles 16:7-9
At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and told him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. / Were not the Cushites and Libyans a vast army with many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. / For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter. From now on, therefore, you will be at war.”

Psalm 27:14
Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!

Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him.

Hosea 6:6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Matthew 26:41
“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Matthew 7:21-23
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. / Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ / Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’

Matthew 25:1-13
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. / Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. / The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil. ...

Luke 6:46
Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say?


Treasury of Scripture

And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

tarried

1 Samuel 10:8
And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.

Jump to Previous
Appointed Appointment Samuel Saul's Scatter Scattered Scattering Seven Starting Tarried Time Waited Waiteth Waiting
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Appointed Appointment Samuel Saul's Scatter Scattered Scattering Seven Starting Tarried Time Waited Waiteth Waiting
1 Samuel 13
1. Saul's select band
3. He calls the Hebrews to Gilgal against the Philistines
5. The Philistines' great army
6. The distress of the Israelites
8. Saul, weary of staying for Samuel, sacrifices
11. Samuel reproves him
17. The three raiding parties of the Philistines
19. The policy of the Philistines, to allow no blacksmith in Israel














And he waited seven days
The phrase "he waited seven days" refers to King Saul's adherence to the instructions given by the prophet Samuel. The number seven in the Bible often symbolizes completeness or divine perfection, as seen in the creation week in Genesis. Saul's waiting period signifies a test of obedience and faith, reflecting the importance of patience and trust in God's timing. In the Hebrew context, the word for "waited" (חִכָּה, chikkah) implies an eager anticipation, suggesting Saul's internal struggle as he awaited Samuel's arrival.

the time set by Samuel
This phrase underscores the authority of the prophet Samuel, who was God's appointed messenger. Samuel's instructions were not merely human commands but carried divine weight. The Hebrew word for "set" (מוֹעֵד, mo'ed) can also mean an appointed time or season, indicating that this was a divinely ordained period. This highlights the importance of adhering to God's timing and instructions, a recurring theme throughout Scripture.

but Samuel did not come to Gilgal
The location, Gilgal, holds significant historical and spiritual importance. It was the first campsite of the Israelites after crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 4:19-20) and a place of covenant renewal. The absence of Samuel at this critical juncture tests Saul's faith and leadership. The phrase "did not come" emphasizes the tension and uncertainty Saul faced, a reminder of the challenges believers encounter when God's promises seem delayed.

and the troops began to scatter
The scattering of the troops reflects the fear and instability among Saul's men. The Hebrew root for "scatter" (פוץ, puts) conveys a sense of being dispersed or driven away, often used in contexts of fear or judgment. This situation reveals the fragility of human confidence when not anchored in divine assurance. It serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of impatience and the importance of steadfast faith in leadership.

(8) And he tarried seven days.--When was this "set time" appointed? It seems difficult at first to refer back to the day of Saul's mysterious prophetic consecration (1Samuel 10:8), which took place at least some three or four years--perhaps much longer--before the event here related, especially as we know that Saul and Samuel had been together on one occasion certainly at Gilgal in the meantime (1Samuel 11:14-15); and yet the extraordinary solemnity of the warning of the seer at the time of the anointing at Ramah evidently pointed to some event which should in the future happen at Gilgal, and which would be a most important epoch in King Saul's career. All these conditions are satisfied in the meeting between the prophet and the king, here related. It is best, then, to understand this event as the one alluded to on the day of anointing at Ramah, and to conclude that this grave warning and positive direction had been repeated, probably more than once, since then by the seer to the king. (On the place Gilgal, and on the nature of the "sin of Saul," which was so terribly punished, see Excursus E and F at end of this Book.) Saul, we read, waited seven days, but before the seventh expired, gave up waiting, and offered the sacrifice without the seer, and thus, as Josephus says, "he did not fully obey the command." His faith failed him under pressure at the last, and he acted on his own responsibility, quite irrespective of the positive command of God.

The people were scattered from him.--This trial of the king's faith was doubtless a severe one. The panic which pervaded all Israel was every hour thinning the host Saul had gathered round him at Gilgal. The martial king longed for a chance of joining battle: and this he was forbidden to do until the seer had offered sacrifice, and publicly inquired of the Lord; and the day passed by, and Samuel came not. An attack on the part of the Philistine army, encamped at no great distance, seemed imminent, and Saul's forces were rapidly melting away.

Verse 8. - Seven days, according, to the set time. See on 1 Samuel 10:8. The lapse of time between Samuel's appointment of the seven days during which Saul was to wait for him to inaugurate the war of independence, and the present occasion, was probably not so great as many commentators suppose; for 1 Samuel 13:1 is, as we have seen, wrongly translated, and everything else leads to the conclusion that the defeat of the Ammonites, the choice of the 3000, and Jonathan's attack on the garrison at Geba followed rapidly upon one another. As the Philistines would rightly regard Israel's choice of a king as an act of rebellion, we cannot suppose them to have been so supine and negligent as not at once to have prepared for war. Had appointed. The Hebrew word for this has been omitted by some accident. It is given in the Septuagint and Chaldee and some MSS. The whole importance of the occurence arose out of its having been appointed by Samuel on his selection of Saul as king.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And [Saul] waited
וַיּ֣וֹחֶל ׀ (way·yō·w·ḥel)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3176: To wait, to be patient, hope

seven
שִׁבְעַ֣ת (šiḇ·‘aṯ)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number

days
יָמִ֗ים (yā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

for the time appointed
לַמּוֹעֵד֙ (lam·mō·w·‘êḏ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4150: Appointed time, place, or meeting

by
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

Samuel,
שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל (šə·mū·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8050: Samuel -- 'name of God', a prophet of Israel

but Samuel
שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל (šə·mū·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8050: Samuel -- 'name of God', a prophet of Israel

did not
וְלֹא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

come
בָ֥א (ḇā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to Gilgal,
הַגִּלְגָּ֑ל (hag·gil·gāl)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1537: Gilgal -- 'circle (of stones)', the name of several places in Palestine

and the troops
הָעָ֖ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

began to desert
וַיָּ֥פֶץ (way·yā·p̄eṣ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6327: To be dispersed or scattered

[Saul].
מֵעָלָֽיו׃ (mê·‘ā·lāw)
Preposition-m | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against


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OT History: 1 Samuel 13:8 He stayed seven days according to (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 13:7
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