The Meaning of 1 Samuel 11:11 Explained

1 Samuel 11:11

KJV: And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, on the morrow, that Saul putteth the people in three detachments, and they come into the midst of the camp in the morning-watch, and smite Ammon till the heat of the day; and it cometh to pass that those left are scattered, and there have not been left of them two together.

Darby: And it came to pass the next day that Saul set the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and smote Ammon until the heat of the day: and it came to pass that they who remained were scattered, and not two of them were left together.

ASV: And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and smote the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they that remained were scattered, so that not two of them were left together.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it was [so] on the morrow,  that Saul  put  the people  in three  companies;  and they came  into the midst  of the host  in the morning  watch,  and slew  the Ammonites  until the heat  of the day:  and it came to pass, that they which remained  were scattered,  so that two  of them were not left  together. 

What does 1 Samuel 11:11 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 11:1-15 - The New King's Good Beginning
A hundred years before, the Ammonites had been defeated by Jephthah; now they were beleaguering Jabesh-gilead. Help seemed impossible. But when the Spirit of God comes upon a man, what cannot that man do! That was Saul's blessed experience. He aroused the country, after the manner of the Scottish chieftains with their fiery cross; then he sent a message of hope to the agonized city; and finally, as morning broke over the quiet pasture-lands, with his army of deliverance he burst upon the Ammonite camp.
Was there not a connection between Saul's previous self-control and his present victory? And must not that connection always be realized? Each of us must fight our fight against heredity, environment and habit; against self within and Satan without. The measure of our success will be the measure of our ability to help others. The mountain of temptation in the life of our Lord was followed in due course by His freeing the bodies and souls of men. In the hour of victory, Saul was borne to the throne. His success was the stairway to his coronation. We remember that when our Lord had destroyed and broken our foes, He took His seat, amid the acclaim of heaven, at the right hand of power. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 11

1  Nahash offers them of Jabesh Gilead a reproachful condition
4  They send messengers, and are delivered by Saul
12  Saul thereby is confirmed, and his kingdom renewed

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 11:11 mean?

So it was on the next day that put Saul - the people three in companies and they came into the midst of the camp in watch the morning and killed Ammonites until the heat of the day And it came to pass that those who survived and were scattered so that no were left of them two together
וַיְהִ֣י מִֽמָּחֳרָ֗ת וַיָּ֨שֶׂם שָׁא֣וּל אֶת־ הָעָם֮ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה רָאשִׁים֒ וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ בְתוֹךְ־ הַֽמַּחֲנֶה֙ בְּאַשְׁמֹ֣רֶת הַבֹּ֔קֶר וַיַּכּ֥וּ עַמּ֖וֹן עַד־ חֹ֣ם הַיּ֑וֹם וַיְהִ֤י הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֙ וַיָּפֻ֔צוּ וְלֹ֥א נִשְׁאֲרוּ־ בָ֖ם שְׁנַ֥יִם יָֽחַד

וַיְהִ֣י  So  it  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מִֽמָּחֳרָ֗ת  on  the  next  day 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מָחֳרָת  
Sense: the morrow, the day after.
וַיָּ֨שֶׂם  that  put 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
שָׁא֣וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָעָם֮  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה  three 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
רָאשִׁים֒  in  companies 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ  and  they  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בְתוֹךְ־  into  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
הַֽמַּחֲנֶה֙  of  the  camp 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: מַחֲנֶה  
Sense: encampment, camp.
בְּאַשְׁמֹ֣רֶת  in  watch 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אַשְׁמוּרָה  
Sense: watch (a period of time), night-watch.
הַבֹּ֔קֶר  the  morning 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
וַיַּכּ֥וּ  and  killed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
עַמּ֖וֹן  Ammonites 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
חֹ֣ם  the  heat 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֹם  
Sense: heat, hot.
הַיּ֑וֹם  of  the  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וַיְהִ֤י  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֙  that  those  who  survived 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
וַיָּפֻ֔צוּ  and  were  scattered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: פּוּץ 
Sense: to scatter, be dispersed, be scattered.
וְלֹ֥א  so  that  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נִשְׁאֲרוּ־  were  left 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
בָ֖ם  of  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
שְׁנַ֥יִם  two 
Parse: Number, md
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
יָֽחַד  together 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.