1 Samuel 17:1

David and Goliath

1 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah.

1 Samuel 17:1 in Other Translations

1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.

1 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

1 The Philistines now mustered their army for battle and camped between Socoh in Judah and Azekah at Ephes-dammim.

1 The Philistines drew up their troops for battle. They deployed them at Socoh in Judah, and set up camp between Socoh and Azekah at Ephes Dammim.

1 The Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah and camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-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 Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah.

2 Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines.

3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.

5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels ;

Cross References

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