Changes

But in fact only the Septuagint furnishes the number ''thirty'' above; the [[Masoretic Text]] has no number. As to the length of reign, the Hebrew text has only the number two, not the number forty. In fact, a better rendition of the Hebrew text would be, "Saul was ... years old when he began to reign, and he had already reigned for two years."

But in fact only the Septuagint furnishes the number ''thirty'' above; the [[Masoretic Text]] has no number. As to the length of reign, the Hebrew text has only the number two, not the number forty. In fact, a better rendition of the Hebrew text would be, "Saul was ... years old when he began to reign, and he had already reigned for two years."

When Saul began to fight his wars with the Philistines in the second official year of his reign, he already had a son, [[Jonathan]], who was old enough not only to serve in the army but also to receive an important field command. [[Floyd Nolen Jones]] shows that Jonathan was twenty-eight years older than [[David]], because he must have been at least twenty years of age when he led the attack against the Philistine garrison.<ref name=Jones>Jones, Floyd N., ''The Chronology of the Old Testament'', Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2004, pp. 97-98</ref> ({{Bible ref|book=1_Samuel|chap=14}}) Therefore Jonathan was born in 1113 BC. Saul was probably born at least twenty years earlier, in 1133 BC. This would make Saul thirty-eight years old when he began to reign, not thirty.

When Saul began to fight his wars with the Philistines in the second official year of his reign, he already had a son, [[Jonathan]], who was old enough not only to serve in the army but also to receive an important field command. [[Floyd Nolen Jones]] shows that Jonathan was twenty-eight years older than [[David]], because he must have been at least twenty years of age when he led the attack against the Philistine garrison.<ref name=Jones>Jones, Floyd N., ''The Chronology of the Old Testament'', Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2004, pp. 97-98</ref> ({{Bible ref|book=1_Samuel|chap=14}}) Therefore, Jonathan was born in 1113 BC. Saul was probably born at least twenty years earlier, in 1133 BC. This would make Saul thirty-eight years old when he began to reign, not thirty.

The editors of the [[Amplified Bible]] estimated that Saul was forty years old when he began to reign. Though they gave no rationale for that estimate, this would be consistent with Jonathan's age when he was entrusted with a highly sensitive military command.

The editors of the [[Amplified Bible]] estimated that Saul was forty years old when he began to reign. Though they gave no rationale for that estimate, this would be consistent with Jonathan's age when he was entrusted with a highly sensitive military command.