1 Samuel 13:2

“Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel, etc.] Out of the 300,000 that went with him to fight the Ammonites, and returned with him to Gilgal, where he now was, and had stayed as may be supposed about a year, since now he had reigned two years. These 3000 men some of them doubtless were appointed as a guard about his person, and the rest were a standing army to preserve the peace of the nation, to protect them from their enemies, to watch the motions of the Philistines, and to be ready on any sudden invasion: whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash, and in Mount Bethel; “Michmash”, according to Bunting, f243 was four miles from Gilgal. Jerom f244 says, in his time it was shown a…”

“Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel--This band of picked men was a bodyguard, who were kept constantly on duty, while the rest of the people were dismissed till their services might be needed. It seems to have been his tactics to attack the Philistine garrisons in the country by different detachments, rather than by risking a general engagement; and his first operations were directed to rid his native territory of Benjamin of these enemies.”

“The state of things which preceded the events described in this chapter seems to have been a comparative peace between Israel and the Philistines, since Saul had only 3,000 men under arms. At the same time Philistine garrisons continued to occupy the country of the Israelites in certain strong places, whereof one was at Geba (Jeba), in the immediate neighborhood of Gibeah 1Sa 10:5; 1 Samuel 13:3, and exactly opposite Michmash (Mukhmas), which was on the northern edge of the great Wady Suweinit. return to 'Top of Page'”

“13:2 Earlier, Saul had employed 330,000 troops to fight against a much less formidable foe (11:8). The selection here of 3,000 special troops probably does not reflect overconfidence (cp. Josh 7:3-4). Rather, Saul likely recognized the need for a smaller, highly trained, elite militia to deal with the troublesome Philistines (see 1 Sam 14:52). • Micmash was located in Benjamin about two miles northwest of Saul’s home in Gibeah.”

“chose: Sa1 8:11, Sa1 14:52 Michmash: Michmash was situated east of Bethaven, or Bethel; and Eusebius says it was in his time a considerable place, about nine miles from Jerusalem, towards Rama. Sa1 13:5, Sa1 13:23, Sa1 14:5, Sa1 14:31; Isa 10:28 in Gibeah: Sa1 10:26, Sa1 15:34; Jos 18:28; Jdg 19:12; Sa2 21:6; Isa 10:29 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 13:3”

“The war with the Philistines (1 Samuel 13-14) certainly falls, at least so far as the commencement is concerned, in the very earliest part of Saul's reign. This we must infer partly from the fact, that at the very time when Saul was seeking for his father's asses, there was a military post of the Philistines at Gibeah ( Sa1 10:5), and therefore the Philistines had already occupied certain places in the land; and partly also from the fact, that according to this chapter Saul selected an army of 3000 men out of the whole nation, took up his post at Michmash with 2000 of them, placing the other thousand at Gibeah under his son Jonathan, and sent the rest of the people home ( Sa1 13:2), because…”