1 Samuel 13:17

17 Nisso os saqueadores saíram do arraial dos filisteus em três companhias: uma das companhias tomou o caminho de Ofra para a terra de Sual,

1 Samuel 13:17 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 13:17

And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in
three companies
Saul not daring to come out to fight them, and there being none throughout the land to oppose them, they sent out three companies of soldiers to ravage and spoil the country; of so little use and service was a king to Israel, they were so extremely desirous of; and this was suffered, to convince them of their vain confidence in him, and that their trust ought to be in the Lord their God; never was their country more exposed to rapine and violence than now:

one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah;
a city in the land of Benjamin, of which see ( Joshua 18:23 ) and lay southwest from Michmash, where the army of the Philistines were:

unto the land of Shual:
which the Targum paraphrases,

``the land of the south;''

it seems to have had its name from the multitude of foxes in it, Shual signifying a fox.

1 Samuel 13:17 In-Context

15 Então Samuel se levantou, e subiu de Gilgal a Gibeá de Benjamim. Saul contou o povo que se achava com ele, cerca de seiscentos homens.

16 E Saul, seu filho Jônatas e o povo que se achava com eles, ficaram em Gibeá de Benjamim, mas os filisteus se tinham acampado em Micmás.

17 Nisso os saqueadores saíram do arraial dos filisteus em três companhias: uma das companhias tomou o caminho de Ofra para a terra de Sual,

18 outra tomou o caminho de Bete-Horom, e a outra tomou o caminho do termo que dá para o vale de Zebuim, na direção do deserto.

19 Ora, em toda a terra de Israel não se achava um só ferreiro; porque os filisteus tinham dito: Não façam os hebreus para si nem espada nem lança.