1 Samuel 17:52

52 And the men of Israel rise -- also Judah -- and shout, and pursue the Philistines till thou enter the valley, and unto the gates of Ekron, and the wounded of the Philistines fall in the way of Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron,

1 Samuel 17:52 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:52

And the men of Israel and of Judah arose
From their encampment and entrenchment, or they prepared for a pursuit:

and shouted, and pursued the Philistines;
shouted when they first set out, and continued shouting as they pursued, to animate their own troops, and terrify the enemy:

until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron;
which was one of the five principalities of the Philistines; so that they pursued them to their own cities, and to the very gates of them:

and the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim;
a city in the tribe of Judah, and seems to be the same with Sharaim, (See Gill on Joshua 15:36). Josephus says ^F14, there were killed of the Philistines thirty thousand, and twice as many wounded:

even unto Gath, and unto Ekron;
Josephus ^F15 has it, to the borders of Gath, and to the gates of Ashkelon, which were two other principalities of the Philistines; according to Bunting ^F16, the whole chase was this, to the valley and river Sorek four miles; from thence to Ekron eight miles; to Ashkelon twenty miles, and to Gath twenty four miles; that is, from the place where Goliath was killed.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 9. sect. 5.
F15 Ibid.
F16 Travels of the Patriarchs p. 128.

1 Samuel 17:52 In-Context

50 And David is stronger than the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smiteth the Philistine, and putteth him to death, and there is no sword in the hand of David,

51 and David runneth and standeth over the Philistine, and taketh his sword, and draweth it out of its sheath, and putteth him to death, and cutteth off with it his head; and the Philistines see that their hero [is] dead, and flee.

52 And the men of Israel rise -- also Judah -- and shout, and pursue the Philistines till thou enter the valley, and unto the gates of Ekron, and the wounded of the Philistines fall in the way of Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron,

53 and the sons of Israel turn back from burning after the Philistines, and spoil their camps.

54 And David taketh the head of the Philistine, and bringeth it in to Jerusalem, and his weapons he hath put in his own tent.