1 Samuel 28:5
in 1 Samuel 28When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid and trembled violently.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
KJV
And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 28
Commentary
6 notes on this verseNow he remembered the guilty blood of the Amalekites which he had spared, and the innocent blood of the priests which he had spilt. His sins were set in order before his eyes, which put him into confusion, embarrassed all his counsels, robbed him of all his courage, and produced in him a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation.
This site's exposition
pitched in Shunem
on 1 Samuel 28:4-5
Shunem and Gilboa face each other across the valley of Jezreel, and Endor lies just beyond the Philistine camp on the far side of the ridge, so Saul's night trip later in the chapter will cross ground his own enemy is holding. Verse 5 gives the king's state before he does anything: he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled, the same dismay that gripped the whole army at the sight of Goliath in chapter 17, except now no young shepherd stands ready to answer for him. Matthew Henry reads the fear as the guilty blood of Amalek and the innocent blood of the priests at Nob finally catching up with him.
This site's exposition
he was afraid and trembled violently
Adam Clarke names three grounds for the fear: the strength of the Philistine army, the state of Saul's own forces, and his standing before God. The third is the one verse 6 exposes. Saul inquires of the LORD and receives no answer.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines,....
When God in his word speaks terror to sinners he opens to them, at the same time, a door of hope if they repent: but those that apply to the gates of hell for succour must there expect darkness without any glimpse of light. With what difficulty he was persuaded to take so much relief as was necessary to carry him back to his post in the camp.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
When Saul saw - He saw from the superiority of his enemies, from the state of his army, and especially from his own state towards God, that he had every thing to fear.
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֥רְא | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| שָׁא֖וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מַחֲנֵ֣ה | machaneh | [the] camp of | H4264 → | 215 times |
| פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים | felishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| וַיִּרָ֕א | vaiyira' | and he was afraid | H3372 → | 315 times |
| וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד | vaiyecherad | and it trembled | H2729 → | 39 times |
| לִבּ֖וֹ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| מְאֹֽד׃ | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
וַיַּ֥רְאand he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
שָׁא֖וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מַחֲנֵ֣ה[the] camp of
machanehH4264 →215 times
פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים[the] Philistines
felishtimH6430 →287 times
וַיִּרָ֕אand he was afraid
vaiyira'H3372 →315 times
וַיֶּחֱרַ֥דand it trembled
vaiyecheradH2729 →39 times
לִבּ֖וֹheart his
liboH3820 →595 times
מְאֹֽד׃exceedingly
meodH3966 →300 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
Proverbs 10:24What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
it leads to
- Job 15:21
Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 145:19
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.
- Isaiah 66:4
So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did evil in My sight and…
- Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
- 1 John 5:14–15
And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
- Job 15:21
Through
Job 18:11Terrors frighten him on every side and harass his every step.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 6:25
Do not go out to the fields; do not walk the road. For the enemy has a sword; terror is on every side.
- Jeremiah 6:25
Through
Isaiah 7:2When it was reported to the house of David that Aram was in league with Ephraim, the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled like trees in the forest shaken by the wind.
it leads to
- Isaiah 8:12
“Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread.
- Isaiah 7:13
Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well?
- Isaiah 8:12
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 on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.