1 Samuel 14:52
in 1 Samuel 14And 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.
KJV
And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 14
Commentary
7 notes on this verseWhen Saul saw any strong man - This was very politic. He thus continued to recruit his army with strong and effective men.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
There was indeed a mighty war against the Philistines, etc. The primary cause of the mighty war against the Philistines was this, because Saul was gathering all the strong and fit men for battle to himself. For if the king himself were not encircled by …
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
Such men, because they profitably stand over the chosen faithful, because they mightily advance their subjects to victories of virtues, it follows: "And there was fierce war against the Philistines all the days of Saul." The war of those teachers is weak and altogether feeble who have neither the light of divine knowledge nor the strength of good work. Therefore war is called powerful when harsh sons rule over the chosen peoples, because he is able to speak good things profitably to others who has been accustomed to precede his words with great deeds.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He had little reason to be proud of his royal dignity, nor had any of his neighbours cause to envy him, for he had little enjoyment of himself after he took the kingdom. He could not vex his enemies without some vexation to himself, such thorns are crowns quilted with.
And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. 4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
), as Samuel had told them the manner of the king would be ( ch. viii. 11 ); and, if he must have a standing army, it was his prudence to fill it up with the ablest men he could make choice of.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
1 more voice on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul,....
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתְּהִ֤י | vatehi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ | hamilchamah | the war | H4421 → | 320 times |
| חֲזָקָ֣ה | chazakah | severe | H2389 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים | pelishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| כֹּ֖ל | kol | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יְמֵ֣י | yemei | [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| שָׁא֑וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| וְרָאָ֨ה | veraah | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| שָׁא֜וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אִ֤ישׁ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| גִּבּוֹר֙ | gibor | mighty | H1368 → | 158 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| חַ֔יִל | chayil | strength | H2428 → | 246 times |
| וַיַּאַסְפֵ֖הוּ | vaiyaasfehu | and he gathered him | H622 → | 200 times |
| אֵלָֽיו׃ ס | ʾelav | to himself | H413 → | 5510 times |
וַתְּהִ֤יand it was
vatehiH1961 →3559 times
הַמִּלְחָמָה֙the war
hamilchamahH4421 →320 times
חֲזָקָ֣הsevere
chazakahH2389 →
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים[the] Philistines
pelishtimH6430 →287 times
כֹּ֖לall
kolH3605 →5413 times
יְמֵ֣י[the] days of
yemeiH3117 →2304 times
שָׁא֑וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
וְרָאָ֨הand he saw
veraahH7200 →1300 times
שָׁא֜וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אִ֤ישׁman
ʾishH376 →1663 times
גִּבּוֹר֙mighty
giborH1368 →158 times
וְכָל־and every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
בֶּן־son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
חַ֔יִלstrength
chayilH2428 →246 times
וַיַּאַסְפֵ֖הוּand he gathered him
vaiyaasfehuH622 →200 times
אֵלָֽיו׃ סto himself
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
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
1 Samuel 8:1When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 16:18–19
You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.
- 1 Timothy 5:21
I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality.
- Nehemiah 7:2
Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.
- 2 Chronicles 19:5–6
He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah.
- Judges 8:22–23
Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
- Deuteronomy 16:18–19
Through
1 Samuel 8:11He 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…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 10:25
Then Samuel explained to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own…
- Deuteronomy 17:14–20
When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like…
- 2 Samuel 15:1
Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him.
- 1 Samuel 10:25
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; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.