1 Samuel Chapter 11    

“that all of your right eyes be gouged out​.” The right eye was invaluable to the warrior because in order for the body to be protected in war the shield had to be mostly in front of the warrior, covering the left eye (the soldier held the sword in his right hand). If the right eye was blind, the warrior had to move the shield so far to the left to see to fight that the shield became essentially useless and the soldier would be vulnerable. In making his demand, Nahash was saying to the men of Jabesh-gilead that they would no longer be able to fight in battle and would be defenseless against any aggression.

“his anger burned exceedingly​.” This is an idiom in Hebrew: his nose burned greatly.

“they came out as one man.” This means the people had one singular purpose.

“and struck the Ammonites.” The people of Jabesh-gilead never forgot this kind action of King Saul in rescuing them from the Ammonites, and years later risked their lives to take his body down from the wall of Beth-shean to keep it from being desecrated (1 Sam. 31:11-12).

“survived.” The Hebrew is more literally, “were left,” but the idea is “left alive” after the battle.

“let’s go to Gilgal.” Gilgal was the first place Israel set up camp after they crossed the Jordan River (Josh. 5:9-10). So Gilgal was the first camp associated with Israel being a nation of united tribes possessing their very own land, the Promised Land. Up until then, they had not had a land of their own. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all shepherds and wandered the land without actually owning it, and then Jacob took his children and clan and went to Egypt. So Israel first actually became a nation with land when they camped at Gilgal under Joshua’s leadership. Now, hundreds of years later, the united tribes of Israel will morph into an actual kingdom, so crowning Saul as king, with everyone recognizing him as such, is very much a new beginning for Israel and so it is very fitting that it should occur in Gilgal.