1 Samuel 17:1

Goliath's Challenge

1 Now ¹the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between ²Socoh and ³Azekah, in ⁴Ephes-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.

---

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 Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

2 Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines.

3 The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.

4 Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

5 He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 13:5
• 2. Joshua 15:35; 2 Chronicles 28:18
• 3. Joshua 10:10
• 4. 1 Chronicles 11:13