1 Samuel 15:12
New International Version
Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”

New Living Translation
Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”

English Standard Version
And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.”

Berean Standard Bible
Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel, and behold, he has set up a monument for himself and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.”

King James Bible
And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

New King James Version
So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.”

New American Standard Bible
Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was reported to Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.”

NASB 1995
Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.”

NASB 1977
And Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told to Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.”

Amplified Bible
When Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul, he was told, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up for himself a monument [commemorating his victory], then he turned and went on and went down to Gilgal.”

Christian Standard Bible
Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but it was reported to Samuel, “Saul went to Carmel where he set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and went down to Gilgal.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but it was reported to Samuel, “Saul went to Carmel where he set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and went down to Gilgal.”

American Standard Version
And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a monument, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal.

Contemporary English Version
Early the next morning he went to talk with Saul. Someone told him, "Saul went to Carmel, where he had a monument built so everyone would remember his victory. Then he left for Gilgal."

English Revised Version
And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a monument, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Early in the morning he got up to meet Saul. Samuel was told, "Saul went to Carmel to set up a monument in his honor. Then he left there and went to Gilgal."

Good News Translation
Early the following morning he went off to find Saul. He heard that Saul had gone to the town of Carmel, where he had built a monument to himself, and then had gone on to Gilgal.

International Standard Version
Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul, but Samuel was told, "Saul went up to Carmel to set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and traveled on to Gilgal."

Majority Standard Bible
Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel, and behold, he has set up a monument for himself and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.”

NET Bible
Then Samuel got up early to meet Saul the next morning. But Samuel was informed, "Saul has gone to Carmel where he is setting up a monument for himself. Then Samuel left and went down to Gilgal."

New Heart English Bible
And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul came to Carmel, and look, he set up a monument for himself, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal." And Samuel came to Saul, and look, he was offering up a burnt offering to the LORD, the best of the spoils which he had brought from Amalek.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set him up a place, and has gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

World English Bible
Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and Samuel was told, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, turned, passed on, and went down to Gilgal.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Samuel rises early to meet Saul in the morning, and it is declared to Samuel, saying, “Saul has come to Carmel, and behold, he is setting up a monument to himself, and goes around, and passes over, and goes down to Gilgal.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Samuel riseth early to meet Saul in the morning, and it is declared to Samuel, saying, 'Saul hath come in to Carmel, and lo, he is setting up to himself a monument, and goeth round, and passeth over, and goeth down to Gilgal.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Samuel will rise early to meet Saul in the morning, and it will be announced to Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he sets up to him a hand, and he will turn round and pass over and go down to Gilgal.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when Samuel rose early, to go to Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, that Saul was come to Carmel, and had erected for himself a triumphant arch, and returning had passed on, and gone down to Galgal. And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul was offering a holocaust to the Lord out of the choicest of the spoils which he had brought from Amalec.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when Samuel had risen while it was still dark, so that he might go to Saul in the morning, it was reported to Samuel that Saul had arrived at Carmel, and that he had erected for himself a triumphant arch. And, while returning, he had continued on and descended to Gilgal. Therefore, Samuel went to Saul. And Saul was offering a holocaust to the Lord, from the best of the spoils, which he had brought from Amalek.

New American Bible
Early in the morning he went to meet Saul, but was informed that Saul had gone to Carmel, where he set up a monument in his own honor, and that on his return he had gone down to Gilgal.

New Revised Standard Version
Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, and Samuel was told, “Saul went to Carmel, where he set up a monument for himself, and on returning he passed on down to Gilgal.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul has come to Carmel, and, behold, he has set up a dwelling place for himself, and has turned and passed on and gone down to Gilgal.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Shemueil arose early at dawn for the meeting of Shaul, and it was told Shemueil: "Shaul comes to Karmela and behold, he built for himself a place, and he turned and he passed by and came down to Galgala.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying: 'Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he is setting him up a monument, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Samuel rose early and went to meet Israel in the morning, and it was told Saul, saying, Samuel has come to Carmel, and he has raised up help for himself: and he turned his chariot, and came down to Galgala to Saul; and, behold, he was offering up a whole-burnt-offering to the Lord, the chief of the spoils which he brought out of Amalec.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Samuel Denounces Saul
11“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all that night. 12Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel, and behold, he has set up a monument for himself and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.” 13When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”…

Cross References
1 Samuel 13:13-14
“You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. / But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.”

1 Samuel 16:1
Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.”

1 Samuel 28:18
Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out His burning anger against Amalek, the LORD has done this to you today.

1 Samuel 9:1-2
Now there was a Benjamite, a powerful man, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. / And he had a son named Saul, choice and handsome, without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the people.

1 Samuel 10:1
Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?

1 Samuel 12:14-15
If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and if you do not rebel against the command of the LORD, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the LORD your God, then all will be well. / But if you disobey the LORD and rebel against His command, then the hand of the LORD will be against you as it was against your fathers.

1 Samuel 14:35
Then Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first time he had built an altar to the LORD.

2 Samuel 12:7-9
Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. / I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. / Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own. You have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.

1 Kings 13:33-34
Even after these events, Jeroboam did not repent of his evil ways, but again he appointed priests for the high places from every class of people. He ordained anyone who desired to be a priest of the high places. / And this was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its extermination and destruction from the face of the earth.

1 Kings 15:5
For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not turned aside from anything the LORD commanded all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

2 Kings 17:15-18
They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate. / They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal. / They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. ...

Hosea 13:11
So in My anger I gave you a king, and in My wrath I took him away.

Acts 13:21-22
Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. / After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’

Romans 11:29
For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.

Matthew 7:21-23
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. / Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ / Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’


Treasury of Scripture

And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

Carmel

1 Samuel 25:2
And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

Joshua 15:55
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,

1 Kings 18:42
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

he set him

1 Samuel 7:12
Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

Joshua 4:8,9
And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there…

2 Samuel 18:18
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.

a place

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Carmel Early Meet Monument Morning Passed Rose Samuel Saul Setting Turned
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Carmel Early Meet Monument Morning Passed Rose Samuel Saul Setting Turned
1 Samuel 15
1. Samuel sends Saul to destroy Amalek
6. Saul favors the Kenites
7. He spares Agag and the best of the spoil
10. Samuel denounces unto Saul God's rejection of him for his disobedience
24. Saul's humiliation
32. Samuel kills Agag
34. Samuel and Saul part














Early in the morning
This phrase indicates the urgency and importance of Samuel's mission. In the Hebrew context, rising early often signifies diligence and a sense of purpose. Samuel, as a prophet, is committed to his duty to confront Saul, reflecting the seriousness of Saul's disobedience to God's command. The early morning also symbolizes a new beginning, yet here it is a prelude to judgment.

Samuel got up to confront Saul
Samuel's role as a prophet is to deliver God's messages, whether they are of blessing or rebuke. The Hebrew root for "confront" implies a direct and bold approach, underscoring the gravity of Saul's actions. Samuel's confrontation is not merely personal but is a divine mandate to hold Saul accountable for his failure to fully obey God's command regarding the Amalekites.

but it was reported to Samuel
This phrase suggests that Samuel is not immediately aware of Saul's actions, indicating a breakdown in communication and relationship between the prophet and the king. The passive construction implies that others are observing Saul's actions and reporting them, highlighting Saul's public disobedience and the community's awareness of his failure.

Saul went to Carmel
Carmel, in this context, is not the famous Mount Carmel but a town in the territory of Judah. The name "Carmel" means "vineyard" or "garden," suggesting a place of fruitfulness. Ironically, Saul's visit to Carmel is not to cultivate spiritual fruit but to celebrate his own achievements, which contrasts with the humility expected of a king under God's authority.

where he set up a monument for himself
The act of setting up a monument indicates Saul's pride and self-glorification. In the ancient Near East, monuments were often erected to commemorate victories or significant events. Saul's focus on self-aggrandizement reveals his heart's departure from God's command to destroy the Amalekites completely. This act of self-promotion is a stark contrast to the humility and obedience God desires.

Then he turned and went down to Gilgal
Gilgal holds significant historical and spiritual importance as the first campsite of the Israelites after crossing the Jordan River. It was a place of renewal and covenant, where Saul was initially confirmed as king. Saul's return to Gilgal, after setting up a monument for himself, underscores the tragic irony of his kingship—returning to a place of covenant while being in disobedience. This movement from Carmel to Gilgal symbolizes Saul's physical journey but also his spiritual decline, as he moves away from God's favor.

(12) And when Samuel rose early . . .--After the revelations of that sad night, the prophet rose, and at once went to seek the guilty king. He was told Saul was come to Carmel, identical with Kurmul in Judah, to the south-east of Hebron; there the victorious monarch had erected a monument of his victory, literally, a hand. In 2Samuel 18:18, Absalom's Pillar is styled Absalom's Hand (yad), not "place," as in the English Version. It has been suggested that very likely these victory cairns or columns erected by the Hebrews had a hand engraved upon them.

Verse 12. - Samuel rose early. If Samuel was at home at Ramah, he would have a journey of several days before reaching Carmel, the city mentioned in Joshua 15:55, on the road from Arad, on the borders of the wilderness of Judah, about ten miles southeast of Hebron. The words in the morning should be joined with rose early. Before setting out, however, Samuel learned that Saul had already marched northward towards Gilgal, having first set him up a place - Hebrew, "a hand," i.e. a monument, something to call attention to his victory. In 2 Samuel 18:18 Absalom's pillar is styled "Absalom's hand." A Hebrew trophy in honour of a victory possibly had a hand carved upon it. Gilgal was the city in the Jordan valley near Jericho, whither Samuel now followed Saul.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Early in the morning
בַּבֹּ֑קֶר (bab·bō·qer)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1242: Dawn, morning

Samuel
שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל (šə·mū·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8050: Samuel -- 'name of God', a prophet of Israel

got up
וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֧ם (way·yaš·kêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7925: To load up, to start early in the morning

to confront
לִקְרַ֥את (liq·raṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7122: To encounter, befall

Saul,
שָׁא֖וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

but [he] was told,
וַיֻּגַּ֨ד (way·yug·gaḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

“Saul
שָׁא֤וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

has gone
בָּֽא־ (bā-)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to Carmel,
הַכַּרְמֶ֙לָה֙ (hak·kar·me·lāh)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3760: Carmel -- a mountain promontory on the Mediterranean, also a city near Hebron

and behold,
וְהִנֵּ֨ה (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

he has set up
מַצִּ֥יב (maṣ·ṣîḇ)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5324: To take one's stand, stand

a monument
יָ֔ד (yāḏ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

for himself
לוֹ֙ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

and has turned
וַיִּסֹּב֙ (way·yis·sōḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5437: To turn about, go around, surround

and gone down
וַיֵּ֖רֶד (way·yê·reḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

to Gilgal.”
הַגִּלְגָּֽל׃ (hag·gil·gāl)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1537: Gilgal -- 'circle (of stones)', the name of several places in Palestine


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OT History: 1 Samuel 15:12 Samuel rose early to meet Saul (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 15:11
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