1 Samuel 17:1

1 Now the Pelishtim gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Sokho, which belongs to Yehudah, and encamped between Sokho and `Azeka, in Efes-Dammim.

1 Samuel 17:1 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:1

Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle,
&c.] Josephus ^F19 says this was not long after the things related in the preceding chapter were transacted; and very probably they had heard of the melancholy and distraction of Saul, and thought it a proper opportunity of avenging themselves on Israel for their last slaughter of them, and for that purpose gathered together their dispersed troops:

and were gathered together at Shochoh,
which belongeth to Judah; a city of the tribe of Judah, ( Joshua 15:35 ) , which shows that, notwithstanding their last defeat, they had great footing in the land of Israel, or however had penetrated far into it in this march of theirs:

and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah;
which were both in the same tribe, and near one another, of which (See Gill on Joshua 10:10), (See Gill on Joshua 15:35).

in Ephesdammim;
which, by an apocope of the first letter, is called Pasdammim, ( 1 Chronicles 11:13 ) which the Jews ^F20 say had this name because there blood ceased.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 9. sect. 1.
F20 Midrash Ruth, fol. 48. 2. Kimchi in loc.

1 Samuel 17:1 In-Context

1 Now the Pelishtim gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Sokho, which belongs to Yehudah, and encamped between Sokho and `Azeka, in Efes-Dammim.

2 Sha'ul and the men of Yisra'el were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Pelishtim.

3 The Pelishtim stood on the mountain on the one side, and Yisra'el stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

4 There went out a champion out of the camp of the Pelishtim, named Golyat, of Gat, whose height was six cubits and a span.

5 He had a helmet of brass on his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.