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1 Samuel 13:6

in 1 Samuel 13

Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits.

KJV

When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

This verse in 1 Samuel 13

Commentary

10 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Some, in their panic, left the country (1Sa 13:7), but most took refuge in the hiding-places which the broken ridges of the neighborhood abundantly afford. The rocks are perforated in every direction with "caves," and "holes," and "pits"--crevices and fissures sunk deep in the rocky soil, subterranean granaries or dry wells in the adjoining fields.

This site's exposition

Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel

on 1 Samuel 13:5-7

The Philistine host is "as numerous as the sand on the seashore," and Israel answers by disappearing into caves, thickets, rocks, cellars and cisterns. Saul is left at Gilgal with a shrinking remnant, "all his troops were quaking in fear." That pressure drives his decision two verses later.

This site's exposition

hid in caves and thickets

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown describe the hill country near Michmash as full of caves, rocks and dry cisterns, ready hiding places for troops in fear. John Wesley saw in the panic a lesson for a people who had asked for a king. They needed God as much as ever.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Gregory the Dialogist

Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 3 · Written before 604.

proposed

12. We are indeed in a narrow place when we are tempted inwardly by unclean spirits and outwardly behold the examples of evil men. Against the internal temptation of evil spirits, therefore, it is well said: "The people were afflicted," and against the outward examples of ungodly men: "They hid themselves." Because the cunning adversary suggests to us pleasant and joyful things to be desired, and he is never better conquered than if, when tempted, we run to the laments of devout prayer.

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Samuel · Written before 735.

proposed

When the men of Israel heard this, that they were positioned on high places, etc. When the faithful perceive the snares of the ancient enemy to be prepared to combat, either within themselves or in their neighbors by means of humility's walls, or perhaps even …

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

And hereby God intended to teach them the vanity of confidence in men; and that they did not one jot less need the help of God now, than they did when they had no king. And probably they were the more discouraged, because they did not find Samuel with Saul. Sooner or later men will be made to see, that God and his prophets are their best friends.
When the men of Israel saw they were in a strait, for the people were distressed,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

A single person, by faith, can say, I will not be afraid of 10,000 ( Ps. iii. 6 ); but here thousands of degenerate Israelites tremble at the approach of a great crowd of Philistines.
2 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

The people did hide themselves - They, being few in number, and totally unarmed as to swords and spears, were terrified at the very numerous and well-appointed army of the Philistines. Judea was full of rocks, caves, thickets, etc., where people might shelter themselves from their enemies. While some hid themselves, others fled beyond Jordan: and those who did cleave to Saul followed him trembling.
In thickets - literally, “among thorns.” High places - Not the high places for worship, but holds or towers Jdg 9:46, Jdg 9:49; that particular kind of tower which was the work of the old Canaanite inhabitants, and which remained as ruins in the time of Saul.

The words behind it

16 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְאִ֨ישׁand everyone of

    veishH376 →1663 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵ֤לIsrael

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

  • רָאוּ֙they saw

    rauH7200 →1300 times

  • כִּ֣יthat

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • צַר־it was distress

    tzar-H6862 →

  • ל֔וֹto <the> it

    lo

  • כִּ֥יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • נִגַּ֖שׂit was hard pressed

    nigasH5065 →

  • הָעָ֑םthe people

    haamH5971 →1873 times

  • וַיִּֽתְחַבְּא֣וּand they hid themselves

    vaiyitchabeuH2244 →33 times

  • הָעָ֗םthe people

    haamH5971 →1873 times

  • בַּמְּעָר֤וֹתin <the> caves

    bamearotH4631 →37 times

  • וּבַֽחֲוָחִים֙and in <the> thickets

    uvachavachimH2336 →

  • וּבַסְּלָעִ֔יםand in <the> cliffs

    uvaselaimH5553 →58 times

  • וּבַצְּרִחִ֖יםand in <the> underground chambers

    uvatzerichimH6877 →

  • וּבַבֹּרֽוֹת׃and in <the> cisterns

    uvaborotH953 →

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Hebrews 11:38

    The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.

    it leads to

    • 1 Kings 18:4

      for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)

    • 1 Kings 19:9

      There Elijah entered a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

    • 1 Samuel 22:1

      So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.

    • Isaiah 57:1

      The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are swept away, while no one considers that the righteous are guided from the presence of evil.

  • Through

    Isaiah 42:22

    But this is a people plundered and looted, all trapped in caves or imprisoned in dungeons. They have become plunder with no one to rescue them, and loot with no one to say, “Send…

    it leads to

    • Psalms 102:20

      to hear a prisoner’s groaning, to release those condemned to death,

    • Jeremiah 50:17

      Israel is a scattered flock, chased away by lions. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria; the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”

    • Isaiah 51:23

      I will place it in the hands of your tormentors, who told you: ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you,’ so that you made your back like the ground, like a street to…

  • Through

    Judges 6:2

    and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.

    it leads to

    • Hebrews 11:38

      The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.

Where this verse is studied

About 1 Samuel

Anointing of David by Samuel, Félix-Joseph Barrias, 1842, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la ville de Paris. Public domain.
Anointing of David by Samuel, Félix-Joseph Barrias, 1842, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la ville de Paris. Public domain.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.