1 Samuel 17:19

19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel [were] in the valley of Elah fighting [the] Philistines.

1 Samuel 17:19 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:19

Now Saul, and they
That is, the sons of Jesse, and brethren of David:

and all the men of Israel;
the soldiers in the army:

were in the valley Elah;
or "by" it, near unto it; for they were set in array on the mountain on the side of it:

fighting with the Philistines;
not actually engaged in battle, but drawn up for it; prepared and in readiness to engage whenever it was necessary, or they were obliged to it; and perhaps there might be now and then some skirmishes in the outer parts of the camp.

1 Samuel 17:19 In-Context

17 Then Jesse said to his son David, "Please take for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and bring [them] quickly to the camp for your brothers.

18 And these ten portions of cheese you will bring to the commander of the thousand; {find out how your brothers are doing}, and take their pledge."

19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel [were] in the valley of Elah fighting [the] Philistines.

20 David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and he took [the provisions] and went as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the encampment while the troops [were] going to the battle line, and they raised the war cry.

21 Israel and [the] Philistines drew up [in] battle lines, {one battle line against the other}.

Footnotes

• [a]. That is, David's brothers