Telaim
“The young lambs”
Summary
Telaim was the place where Saul assembled and numbered his army before his campaign against the Amalekites.
☩The Mustering of Saul's Army
Telaim was the assembly point where King Saul gathered his forces for the divinely commanded campaign against the Amalekites. The text records that he numbered two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah at this location before launching his attack. The southern location would have been strategic for an expedition into Amalekite territory, which lay to the south of Judah.
☩Location and Identity
The name Telaim means 'young lambs,' and the place is probably identical with Telem, listed among the southernmost cities of Judah. Curiously, both the Septuagint and Josephus read 'Gilgal' instead of Telaim, but this location in the Jordan valley would not have been a suitable mustering point for an Amalekite campaign. Jewish tradition associated the name with Passover lambs, suggesting the census was taken by counting the lambs brought for sacrifice, though this is likely a fanciful interpretation.
Related Verses1 mention
1 Samuel· 1 verse
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Telaim," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Telaim," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. V (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Telaim," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Telaim," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).