In 1 Samuel Chapter 11 is Saul’s first battle as king. In this battle he wins the hearts of the people of Israel and they accept him. Jabesh Gilead is threatened by Nahash of Ammon. The citizens plead peace, but Nahash wants to gouge out their right eyes. Apparently the name Nahash means “snake” or serpent. So we may be dealing with a symbol of Satan in this narrative.

His name may also mean “oracle” according to Lockyer (cited in Coffman) According to Josephus this brutal eye-gouging act was so that they were unable to fight. Effectively it meant they couldn’t shoot a bow properly with only one eye, and make them subject permanently.

In the Dead Sea Scrolls in 4QSam - an extra verse was found in the Samuel Scroll - “Now Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the Gadites and the Reubenites. He would gouge out th ...