Michmash
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Named at 1 Samuel 13:2, where Saul chooses for himself three thousand men of Israel, “of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the Mount of Bethel”. At 13:5 the Philistines come up and encamp in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven, and at 13:11 Saul tells Samuel that he saw “that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash”. At 13:16 Saul and Jonathan stay in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamp in Michmash; at 13:23 the garrison of the Philistines goes out to the pass of Michmash. 1 Samuel 14:4–5 says of the rocky crags between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, “The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash”, and 14:31 says, “They struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon.”
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Source-backed narrative relations; not independent historical verification. Legacy dates and coordinates are outside this review.
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AI-assisted comparison with the cited narrative; not independent historical verification.
- 1SA 13:2–4, engwebp
2Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the Mount of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the people to their own tents.
3Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”
4All Israel heard that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was considered an abomination to the Philistines. The people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.
- 1SA 13:5–7, engwebp
5The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel: thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven.
6When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in tombs, and in pits.
7Now 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.
- 1SA 13:8–15, engwebp
8He stayed seven days, according to the time set by Samuel; but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him.
9Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering to me here, and the peace offerings.” He offered the burnt offering.
10It came to pass that as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.
11Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you didn’t come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash,
12therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down on me to Gilgal, and I haven’t entreated the favor of the LORD.’ I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering.”
13Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which he commanded you; for now the LORD would have established your kingdom on Israel forever.
14But now your kingdom will not continue. The LORD has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and the LORD has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which the LORD commanded you.”
15Samuel arose, and went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.
- 1SA 13:16–18, engwebp
16Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
17The raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual;
18another company turned the way to Beth Horon; and another company turned the way of the border that looks down on the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
- 1SA 13:19–23, engwebp
19Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears”;
20but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his own plowshare, mattock, ax, and sickle.
21The price was one payim each to sharpen mattocks, plowshares, pitchforks, axes, and goads.
22So it came to pass in the day of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.
23The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
- 1SA 14:1–5, engwebp
1Now it happened on a day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come! Let’s go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he didn’t tell his father.
2Saul stayed in the uttermost part of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron; and the people who were with him were about six hundred men,
3including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli the priest of the LORD in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. The people didn’t know that Jonathan was gone.
4Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side; and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
5The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.
- 1SA 14:31–35, engwebp
31They struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. The people were very faint;
32and the people pounced on the plunder, and took sheep, cattle, and calves, and killed them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood.
33Then they told Saul, saying, “Behold, the people are sinning against the LORD, in that they eat meat with the blood.” He said, “You have dealt treacherously. Roll a large stone to me today!”
34Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them, ‘Every man bring me here his ox, and every man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat; and don’t sin against the LORD in eating meat with the blood.’” All the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and killed them there.
35Saul built an altar to the LORD. This was the first altar that he built to the LORD.
- EZR 2:21–35, engwebp
21The children of Bethlehem, one hundred twenty-three.
22The men of Netophah, fifty-six.
23The men of Anathoth, one hundred twenty-eight.
24The children of Azmaveth, forty-two.
25The children of Kiriath Arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty-three.
26The children of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty-one.
27The men of Michmas, one hundred twenty-two.
28The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred twenty-three.
29The children of Nebo, fifty-two.
30The children of Magbish, one hundred fifty-six.
31The children of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four.
32The children of Harim, three hundred twenty.
33The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty-five.
34The children of Jericho, three hundred forty-five.
35The children of Senaah, three thousand six hundred thirty.
- ISA 10:28–32, engwebp
28He has come to Aiath. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he stores his baggage.
29They have gone over the pass. They have taken up their lodging at Geba. Ramah trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30Cry aloud with your voice, daughter of Gallim! Listen, Laishah! You poor Anathoth!
31Madmenah is a fugitive. The inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.
32This very day he will halt at Nob. He shakes his hand at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
- NEH 7:25–38, engwebp
25The children of Gibeon: ninety-five.
26The men of Bethlehem and Netophah: one hundred eighty-eight.
27The men of Anathoth: one hundred twenty-eight.
28The men of Beth Azmaveth: forty-two.
29The men of Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth: seven hundred forty-three.
30The men of Ramah and Geba: six hundred twenty-one.
31The men of Michmas: one hundred twenty-two.
32The men of Bethel and Ai: one hundred twenty-three.
33The men of the other Nebo: fifty-two.
34The children of the other Elam: one thousand two hundred fifty-four.
35The children of Harim: three hundred twenty.
36The children of Jericho: three hundred forty-five.
37The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: seven hundred twenty-one.
38The children of Senaah: three thousand nine hundred thirty.
- NEH 11:31–36, engwebp
31The children of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash and Aija, and at Bethel and its towns,
32at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
33Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,
34Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
35Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.
36Of the Levites, certain divisions in Judah settled in Benjamin’s territory.
AI-assisted, human review pending, 2026-09-26
Machine comparison on 2026-10-07: the wording raised none of the 3 rules against the passages this entry cites. No person has read it.
Geographic sources & candidates
Matched to OpenBible.info’s “Michmash” by name and 11 shared verses. The coordinate of its leading identification, Mukhmas (confidence 601 of 1000), is adopted as a sourced approximation: not verified here, and not the place of any particular event. 1 other identification is listed too.
AI-assisted source review; human approval pending, 2026-09-29
- Mukhmas
OpenBible.info confidence 601 of 1000 (current scholarship)
31.87282, 35.27686
OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, “Michmash” (CC BY 4.0) - Khirbet el Hara el Fawqa
OpenBible.info confidence 298 of 1000 (current scholarship)
31.87971, 35.2751
OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, “Michmash” (CC BY 4.0)
Original editorial notes; linked source texts retain their own rights. Candidate lists are not exhaustive.
All 4 relationships: AI-assisted, human review pending
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Narrated location (4) — Jonathan strikes the garrison in Geba, and the people are gathered after Saul to Gilgal, The Philistines encamp in Michmash, and the people hide themselves in caves and thickets, Saul and Jonathan stay in Geba of Benjamin, and the raiders come out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies, No blacksmith in all the land of Israel, and sword and spear only with Saul and Jonathan
A relationship with an event rests on the passages the event cites: each event’s page has them.
Verses tagged with this entry
Names in the World English Bible text that carry this entry’s tag. They are carried over from the tags on the Korean Revised Version, which are matched by name inside chapters that already have collected evidence, and a verse where the English says “he” carries none. All await human review. They are a separate list from the source passages above. An empty list does not mean the entry is absent from the text.
Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the Mount of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the people to their own tents.
The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel: thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven.
Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you didn’t come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash,
Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.
They struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. The people were very faint;
The men of Michmas, one hundred twenty-two.
The men of Michmas: one hundred twenty-two.
The children of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash and Aija, and at Bethel and its towns,
He has come to Aiath. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he stores his baggage.
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[Bibliadatum entry report] Entry: Michmash (place-michmash) Address: https://bibliadatum.org/en/wiki/place/michmash Current wording: Named at 1 Samuel 13:2, where Saul chooses for himself three thousand men of Israel, “of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the Mount of Bethel”. At 13:5 the Philistines come up and encamp in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven, and at 13:11 Saul tells Samuel that he saw “that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash”. At 13:16 Saul and Jonathan stay in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamp in Michmash; at 13:23 the garrison of the Philistines goes out to the pass of Michmash. 1 Samuel 14:4–5 says of the rocky crags between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, “The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash”, and 14:31 says, “They struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon.” Cited evidence: 1SA 13:2–4, engwebp / 1SA 13:5–7, engwebp / 1SA 13:8–15, engwebp / 1SA 13:16–18, engwebp / 1SA 13:19–23, engwebp / 1SA 14:1–5, engwebp / 1SA 14:31–35, engwebp / EZR 2:21–35, engwebp (and 3 more of 11) Review state: ai-assisted / human-review-pending What looks wrong: (not written yet) --- This collection records what the text says and does not settle interpretation. A report about a reading that divides opinion may be registered as an unresolved issue rather than corrected.