1 Samuele 17:2

2 E Saulle e gl’Israeliti si adunarono anch’essi, e si accamparono nella valle di Ela, ed ordinarono la battaglia contro ai Filistei.

1 Samuele 17:2 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:2

And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together
He being cured, at least being better of his disorder, through the music of David, and alarmed and aroused by the invasion of the Philistines, which might serve to dissipate any remains of it, or prevent its return, got together his forces:

and pitched by the valley of Elah;
which Jerom ^F21 says Aquila and Theodotion interpret "the valley of the oak"; but the Vulgate Latin version, the valley of Terebinth; which, according to our countryman Sandys ^F23, was four miles from Ramaosophim, where Samuel dwelt; for he says,

``after four miles riding, we descended into the valley of Terebinth, famous, though little, for the slaughter of Goliath;''

and in the Targum this valley is called the valley of Butma, which in the Arabic language signifies a "terebinth", or turpentine tree; though some translate it "the oak"; and, according to some modern travellers {x}, to this day it bears a name similar to that; for they say it is

``now called the vale of Bitumen, very famous all over those parts for David's victory over Goliath:''

and set the battle in array against the Philistines;
prepared to give them battle.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 Deloc. Heb. fol. 91. F.
F23 Travels, p. 157. ed. 5.
F24 Egmont and Heyman's Travels, vol. 1. p. 305.

1 Samuele 17:2 In-Context

1 OR i Filistei adunarono i lor campi in battaglia; e, fatta lor massa in Soco, che è di Giuda, si accamparono fra Soco ed Azeca, all’estremità di Dammin.

2 E Saulle e gl’Israeliti si adunarono anch’essi, e si accamparono nella valle di Ela, ed ordinarono la battaglia contro ai Filistei.

3 Ora, mentre i Filistei se ne stavano nell’un de’ monti di qua, e gl’Israeliti nell’altro monte di là, la valle in mezzo fra loro,

4 uscì del campo de’ Filistei un uomo, che si presentò nel mezzo fra i due campi, il cui nome era Goliat, da Gat; alto di sei cubiti, e d’una spanna.

5 E avea in testa un elmo di rame, ed era armato d’una corazza di rame a scaglie, il cui peso era di cinquemila sicli.