All at once, at ver. 7, it is assumed without being
stated, that Saul had stayed at Gilgal since he was chosen king
till now, and had only now advanced from there against the
Philistines who were waiting for him before Gibeah. Verse 16,
however, gives us the impression that Saul had been posted at
Gibeah with his men for some time, when the Philistines took up
their camp over against them. Only in this way is justice done
to the contrasted participle of state (_sedentes_) and inchoative
perfect (_castrametati sunt_). And in the sequel the triumphant
continuation of the story, especially in chap. xiv., shows no
indication that the ominous scene in Gilgal weighed on the mind of
Saul, or of the people, or of the historian.
According to xiii. 7-15, Saul is to wait seven days for Samuel at
Gilgal. Here there is a reference to x. 8, where the seer says
to the future king, "Thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal, and
I will come after thee there to offer sacrifices; seven days
shalt thou tarry till I come and show thee what thou shalt do."
This verse is condemned by other arguments than its connection
with xii.
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