The Meaning of 1 Samuel 13:7 Explained

1 Samuel 13:7

KJV: And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

YLT: And Hebrews have passed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; and Saul is yet in Gilgal, and all the people have trembled after him.

Darby: And the Hebrews went over the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. And Saul was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

ASV: Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And [some of] the Hebrews  went over  Jordan  to the land  of Gad  and Gilead.  As for Saul,  he [was] yet in Gilgal,  and all the people  followed  him trembling. 

What does 1 Samuel 13:7 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 13:7 mean?

And [some of] the Hebrews crossed over - the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead And as for Saul he [was] still in Gilgal and all the people trembling followed him
וְעִבְרִ֗ים עָֽבְרוּ֙ אֶת־ הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן אֶ֥רֶץ גָּ֖ד וְגִלְעָ֑ד וְשָׁאוּל֙ עוֹדֶ֣נּוּ בַגִּלְגָּ֔ל וְכָל־ הָעָ֖ם חָרְד֥וּ אַחֲרָֽיו

וְעִבְרִ֗ים  And  [some  of]  the  Hebrews 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: עִבְרִי  
Sense: a designation of the patriarchs and the Israelites adj.
עָֽבְרוּ֙  crossed  over 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
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.
הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן  the  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).
אֶ֥רֶץ  to  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
גָּ֖ד  of  Gad 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גָּד  
Sense: seventh son of Jacob by Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, and full brother of Asher.
וְגִלְעָ֑ד  and  Gilead 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּלְעָד  
Sense: a mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon; sometimes called ‘Mount Gilead’ or the ‘land of Gilead’ or just ‘Gilead’.
וְשָׁאוּל֙  And  as  for  Saul 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
עוֹדֶ֣נּוּ  he  [was]  still 
Parse: Adverb, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
בַגִּלְגָּ֔ל  in  Gilgal 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּלְגָּל 
Sense: the first site of an Israelite camp west of the Jordan, east of Jericho, here Samuel was judge, and Saul was made king; later used for illicit worship.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָעָ֖ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
חָרְד֥וּ  trembling 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָרַד  
Sense: to tremble, quake, move about, be afraid, be startled, be terrified.
אַחֲרָֽיו  followed  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).