Although Saul had been privately anointed king by Sam'u-el at Ra'mah and his appointment had been publicly approved at Miz'peh, it seems that he did not assume the office at once. Instead, he returnt to his father's farm, and continued to engage in the work of agriculture and stock-raising. It was not long, however, before the occasion arose through which he was led by the LORD to take his place of leadership over all the tribes of Is'ra-el.
On the east side of the Jor'dan there lived a clan known as the Gil'e-ad-ites, who were members of the tribe of Ma-nas'seh. The territory which they occupied had once belonged to the Am'mon-ites, but had been taken by the Am'o-rites and later conquered by the children of Is'ra-el under the leadership of Mo'ses. The Am'mon-ites claimed the right to take back this territory, and frequently pressed their claims by making war upon the Gil'e-ad-ites. It was in subduing one of their attacks that Jeph'thah rose to the rank of judge in Is'ra-el. A threatened war by them against the Gil'e-ad-ites was one of the circumstances which led the Is'ra-el-ites to demand a king.
After the newly elected king failed to assume the leadership of Is'ra-el and returnt to his father's farm, the Am'mon-ites decided that he lacked the courage and ability to resist their demands upon Gil'e-ad. They therefore marched against Ja-besh-Gil'e-ad, the capital of the Gil'e-ad-ites, knowing that the people there were too few and too weak to oppose them. In great fear the people of that city offered to become subjects of the Am'mon-ites, provided that their lives be spared.
Na'hash, king of the Am'mon-ites, agreed to accept their offer of surrender on condition that his soldiers be permitted to put out the right eye of all the men of the city. By this cruel measure the Gil'e-ad-ites would be made unfit for army service, since the left eye was covered by a shield in battle, and the right eye was used in aiming the spear.
The elders of Ja-besh-Gil'e-ad asked for a truce of seven days, during which to seek help from the other tribes of Is'ra-el, and agreed to submit to the cruel demands of Na'hash if help did not come within that time. Messengers came to Gib'e-ah, the home of Saul, with the news of the tragedy facing the Gil'e-ad-ites, and the people cried out in fear and sympathy. When Saul came in from the fields where he had been working and saw the entire town bowed in wailings, he asked for an explanation. They told him of the plight of their brethren at Ja'besh, and as he listened a spirit of supernatural power came upon him. He expressed his feelings by cutting two oxen into twelve pieces, and sending the pieces among the tribes of Is'ra-el by special messengers. He then summoned all Is'ra-el to join him and Sam'u-el in a war against the Am'mon-ites, saying, "Whoever fails to come, so shall it be done unto his oxen."
From every tribe of Is'ra-el there came a hearty response to the call, and more than three hundred thousand people gathered at Be'zek, on the plains of Jez're-el within the territory of Is'sa-char, to follow the leadership of their new king in the first crises of his reign.
Saul then sent messengers to Ja'besh with the good news that on the next day he would attack the Am'mon-ites who were gathered before their gates. The men of Ja'besh then notified the Am'mon-ites that they would come out on the following day and submit to having their right eyes put out. Saul organized his army in the evening and marched all night, moving over the mountains of central Ca'naan to one of the fords of the Jor'dan, crossing the river, and climbing the plateau of Gil'e-ad. Early the next morning, therefore, the Am'mon-ites were trapped between the men of Ja'besh and the armies of Is'ra-el.
