The Meaning of 1 Samuel 13:3 Explained

1 Samuel 13:3

KJV: And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

YLT: And Jonathan smiteth the garrison of the Philistines which is in Geba, and the Philistines hear, and Saul hath blown with a trumpet through all the land, saying, 'Let the Hebrews hear.'

Darby: And Jonathan smote the outpost of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

ASV: And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba: and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Jonathan  smote  the garrison  of the Philistines  that [was] in Geba,  and the Philistines  heard  [of it]. And Saul  blew  the trumpet  throughout all the land,  saying,  Let the Hebrews  hear. 

What does 1 Samuel 13:3 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 13:1-12 - Saul's First Act Of Folly
The story of a great tragedy! Here was the overcasting of a bright sunrise. The king was certainly subjected to a tremendous test. He had been bidden to wait until Samuel came, before offering the sacrifice, because from the first it was understood that Saul was on the throne only as the nominee and vicegerent of Jehovah. And Saul did wait, with growing impatience, for seven weary days; then, when the allotted period had nearly expired, he "forced" himself and offered the sacrifice. Apparently he had done this within half-an-hour of Samuel's arrival, because the offering would hardly have taken longer.
The one lesson for us is that the man after God's own heart will obey God to the uttermost, will wait till the last moment with assured faith, will dare to stand amid a dwindling army and with disaster imminent for the lack of marching-orders. Man thinks God slow, behind the appointed time, and forgetful. Nay, but God is waiting to be gracious-waiting for the precise moment when He can intervene with most effect, Isaiah 30:15; Isaiah 30:18. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 13:3 mean?

And attacked Jonathan - the garrison of the Philistines that [was] in Geba and heard [of it] the Philistines and Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land saying let hear the Hebrews
וַיַּ֣ךְ יוֹנָתָ֗ן אֵ֣ת נְצִ֤יב פְּלִשְׁתִּים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּגֶ֔בַע וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וְשָׁאוּל֩ תָּקַ֨ע בַּשּׁוֹפָ֤ר בְּכָל־ הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יִשְׁמְע֖וּ הָעִבְרִֽים

וַיַּ֣ךְ  And  attacked 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
יוֹנָתָ֗ן  Jonathan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄונָתָן  
Sense: a son of king Saul and a friend of David.
אֵ֣ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
נְצִ֤יב  the  garrison 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְצִיב  
Sense: set over, something placed, pillar, prefect, garrison, post.
פְּלִשְׁתִּים֙  of  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּגֶ֔בַע  in  Geba 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גֶּבַע  
Sense: a city in Benjamin, modern ‘Jeba’, which stands on the top of a steep terraced hill, six miles or ten kilometres north east of Jerusalem and three miles or five kilometres from Gibeah, on the edge of the Wadi Suweinit looking northward to the opposite village of ancient Michmash, modern ‘Mukhmas’.
וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ  and  heard  [of  it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
וְשָׁאוּל֩  and  Saul 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
תָּקַ֨ע  blew 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: תֹּוקְעִים 
Sense: to blow, clap, strike, sound, thrust, give a blow, blast.
בַּשּׁוֹפָ֤ר  the  trumpet 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁופָר  
Sense: horn, ram’s horn.
בְּכָל־  throughout  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יִשְׁמְע֖וּ  let  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
הָעִבְרִֽים  the  Hebrews 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: עִבְרִי  
Sense: a designation of the patriarchs and the Israelites adj.