1 Samuel 14:47
in 1 Samuel 14After Saul had assumed the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side—the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Edomites, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he routed them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he put them to the worse.
KJV
So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 14
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Compare 2Sa 8:15. The preceding narrative shows that before this time Saul had been king in name only, since his country was occupied by the Philistines, and he could only muster 600 men, and those but half armed and pent up in a narrow stronghold.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
Against Moab and the sons of Ammon, and Edom, etc. Moab and Ammon, who were conceived by incest at night through the help of drunkenness, in which there is lust (Eph. V), signify heretics, degenerate by the disorderly reception of the seed of paternal faith. …
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
The kingdom is indeed weakened when pastors fall into certain faults. But the weakened kingdom is strengthened when through the satisfaction of penance they are raised up to the work of great virtue. And it is said to be strengthened over Israel, because as one advances to the height of life, he surpasses by his conduct those whom he exceeds in rank. He is set over those who see God, but he is raised above those who see God when he is taken up beyond all others in divine contemplation.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Took the kingdom - That is, resumed the administration of it, after he had in a manner lost it by the Philistines, who had almost turned him out of it.
So Saul took the kingdom over Israel,....
It is supposed that he acted only defensively against those that used to invade the borders of Israel; and whithersoever he turned himself, as there was occasion, he vexed them, by checking and disappointing them.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
So Saul took the kingdom - The Targum appears to give the meaning of this expression: “Saul prospered in his government over Israel.” And the proofs of his prosperity are immediately subjoined. Fought against all his enemies - Of the wars which are mentioned here we have no particulars; they must have endured a long time, and have been, at least in general, successful.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשָׁא֛וּל | veshaul | and Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| לָכַ֥ד | lakhad | he had taken | H3920 → | 121 times |
| הַמְּלוּכָ֖ה | hamelukhah | the kingship | H4410 → | 24 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַיִּלָּ֣חֶם | vaiyilachem | and he waged war | H3898 → | 177 times |
| סָבִ֣יב׀ | saviv | all around | H5439 → | 336 times |
| בְּֽכָל־ | bekhol | against all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֹיְבָ֡יו | ʾoyevav | enemies his | H341 → | 282 times |
| בְּמוֹאָ֣ב׀ | bemoav | against Moab | H4124 → | 181 times |
| וּבִבְנֵי־ | uvivnei- | and against [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| עַמּ֨וֹן | amon | Ammon | H5983 → | 106 times |
| וּבֶאֱד֜וֹם | uveedom | and against Edom | H123 → | |
| וּבְמַלְכֵ֤י | uvemalkhei | and against [the] kings of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| צוֹבָה֙ | tzovah | Zobah | H6678 → | |
| וּבַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים | uvapelishtim | and against the Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| וּבְכֹ֥ל | uvekhol | and in every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִפְנֶ֖ה | yifneh | he turned | H6437 → | 135 times |
| יַרְשִֽׁיעַ׃ | yarshia' | he acted wickedly | H7561 → |
וְשָׁא֛וּלand Saul
veshaulH7586 →402 times
לָכַ֥דhe had taken
lakhadH3920 →121 times
הַמְּלוּכָ֖הthe kingship
hamelukhahH4410 →24 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַיִּלָּ֣חֶםand he waged war
vaiyilachemH3898 →177 times
סָבִ֣יב׀all around
savivH5439 →336 times
בְּֽכָל־against all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
אֹיְבָ֡יוenemies his
ʾoyevavH341 →282 times
בְּמוֹאָ֣ב׀against Moab
bemoavH4124 →181 times
וּבִבְנֵי־and against [the] people of
uvivnei-H1121 →4930 times
עַמּ֨וֹןAmmon
amonH5983 →106 times
וּבֶאֱד֜וֹםand against Edom
uveedomH123 →
וּבְמַלְכֵ֤יand against [the] kings of
uvemalkheiH4428 →2525 times
צוֹבָה֙Zobah
tzovahH6678 →
וּבַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔יםand against the Philistines
uvapelishtimH6430 →287 times
וּבְכֹ֥לand in every
uvekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁר־where
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יִפְנֶ֖הhe turned
yifnehH6437 →135 times
יַרְשִֽׁיעַ׃he acted wickedly
yarshia'H7561 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
2 Samuel 10:6When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-rehob and Zoba, as well as a thousand men from the king of Maacah…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 8:3
David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 8:5
When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand men.
- Genesis 34:30
Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if…
- 2 Samuel 8:3
Through
1 Samuel 12:2Now here is the king walking before you, and I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 8:1
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 8:5
“Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.”
- 1 Samuel 8:20
Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.”
- 1 Samuel 8:1
Through
1 Samuel 14:52And the war with the Philistines was fierce for all the days of Saul. So whenever he noticed any strong or brave man, Saul would enlist him.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 8:11
He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his own chariots and horses, to run in front of…
- 1 Samuel 8:11
Through
1 Kings 11:23And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah,
it leads to
- 1 Kings 11:14
Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom.
- 1 Kings 11:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Samuel

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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 4; 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.
