Michmas, Michmash

Narrator: Chris Genthree
 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 8
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Michmash Gorge
City and mountain pass in the tribe of Benjamin. It was where Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines, when the victory might have been greater had not Saul distressed the people by his forbidding them to take food until the evening. Men of this town returned from the exile (1 Sam. 13:2-232Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. 3And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. 4And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal. 5And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven. 6When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. 7And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. 10And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. 11And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; 12Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. 13And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee. 15And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men. 16And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual: 18And another company turned the way to Beth-horon: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 19Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: 20But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. 21Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. 22So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. 23And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash. (1 Samuel 13:2‑23); 1 Sam. 14:5,315The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah. (1 Samuel 14:5)
31And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint. (1 Samuel 14:31); Ezra 2:2727The men of Michmas, an hundred twenty and two. (Ezra 2:27); Neh. 7:3131The men of Michmas, an hundred and twenty and two. (Nehemiah 7:31); Neh. 11:3131The children also of Benjamin from Geba dwelt at Michmash, and Aija, and Beth-el, and in their villages, (Nehemiah 11:31); Isa. 10:2828He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages: (Isaiah 10:28)). Identified with Mukhmas, 31° 53' N, 35° 16' E. The Wady is in one place nearly half a mile wide, but elsewhere it is a deep gorge with nearly perpendicular rocks with caverns and fissures. In the winter a deep and rapid torrent rushes through it.