For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.

(At that time also when they were in Silo, no one of them was found there.)

For when the people were mustered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Ja'besh-gil'ead was there.

And the people numbered themselves, and lo, there is not there a man of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead.

For when the people were numbered, not one man of the people of Jabesh-gilead was present.

(Likewise, in the time when they had been at Shiloh, not one of them was found to be there.)

For the people were numbered,.... To know who did come up, and who did not, and particularly to know whether the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead did or not, against whom an information was brought:
and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there; for as yet none that came had returned home; all came to Shiloh first, to pay their devotion to the Lord; and as none were found among the living, it did not appear they were among the slain; and very probably the muster roll was taken before they went to battle, and they were not on that.

In order, however, to confirm the correctness of this answer, which might possibly have been founded upon a superficial and erroneous observation, the whole of the (assembled) people were mustered, and not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh was found there (in the national assembly at Bethel). The situation of Jabesh in Gilead has not yet been ascertained. This town was closely besieged by the Ammonite Nahash, and was relieved by Saul (1-Samuel 11:1.), on which account the inhabitants afterwards showed themselves grateful to Saul (1-Samuel 31:8.). Josephus calls Jabesh the metropolis of Gilead (Ant. vi. 5, 1). According to the Onom. (s. v. Jabis), it was six Roman miles from Pella, upon the top of a mountain towards Gerasa. Robinson (Bibl. Res. p. 320) supposes it to be the ruins of ed Deir in the Wady Jabes.