Bible Strands
1 Samuel 13:1
Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the accession details of Israel’s first king, Saul, immediately before describing his military mobilization at Michmash and Gibeah.
The words — בֶּן־ (ben-) literally means “son of,” functioning here to denote age, while שָנָ֖ה (sha.Nah) and שָנִ֔ים (sha.Nim) mark the singular and plural forms of “year.”
The thread — This regnal dating pattern recurs in the royal chronicles of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, while the explicit age notation parallels the age specifications in Exodus 12:5 and the covenantal inquiries in Micah 6:6.
Why it lands — The text establishes Saul’s tenure before shifting to his military actions, requiring the reader to note the chronological boundary that separates his accession from the subsequent covenant failure narrative.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
Cross-references
- Exodus 12:5 Your lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats.
- Micah 6:6 With what shall I come before the LORD when I bow before the God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves?