1 Samuel 14:48

48 He did valiantly, and struck the `Amaleki, and delivered Yisra'el out of the hands of those who despoiled them.

1 Samuel 14:48 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 14:48

And he gathered an host
A large army; for after the battle with the Ammonites he disbanded his army, and sent them home, retaining only 3000 men, and these deserted him to six hundred, which were all the men he had with him, when he fought last with the Philistines; but now, finding he had enemies on every side of him, he gathered a numerous host to defend his country against them, and particularly to attack the people next mentioned:

and he smote the Amalekites;
a people that Israel, by the law of God, were bound to destroy, and blot out their name; a particular account of his expedition against them is given in the following chapter:

and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them;
the nations before mentioned, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Syrians, and Philistines.

1 Samuel 14:48 In-Context

46 Then Sha'ul went up from following the Pelishtim; and the Pelishtim went to their own place.

47 Now when Sha'ul had taken the kingdom over Yisra'el, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Mo'av, and against the children of `Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Tzovah, and against the Pelishtim: and wherever he turned himself, he put [them] to the worse.

48 He did valiantly, and struck the `Amaleki, and delivered Yisra'el out of the hands of those who despoiled them.

49 Now the sons of Sha'ul were Yonatan, and Yishvi, and Malki-Shua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merav, and the name of the younger Mikhal:

50 and the name of Sha'ul's wife was Achino'am the daughter of Achima`atz. The name of the captain of his host was Aviner the son of Ner, Sha'ul's uncle.