1 Samuel 7:10
in 1 Samuel 7As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; but Jehovah thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten down before Israel.
KJV
And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 7
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe Lord thundered with a great thunder - Literally, The Lord thundered with a great voice - he confounded them with a mighty tempest of thunder and lightning, and no doubt slew many by the lightning.
This site's exposition
the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines
on 1 Samuel 7:10-11
The battle is decided before Israel strikes a blow, for while Samuel is sacrificing, “the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines”. The same weapon turns other battles, the hailstones at Gibeon in Joshua 10 and the stars fighting against Sisera in Judges 5, and here it answers a lamb and a prayer. Israel's pursuit to Beth-car finishes what God had already broken.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 5 · Written before 604.
proposed
20. When Samuel was offering a holocaust, the Philistines enter battle against Israel: because evil spirits then stir up graver temptations against the faithful subjects when they see Pastors standing more firmly against them. But the Lord thunders upon the Philistines: because when doctors pray and the faithful subjects pray, divine grace supplies strength. For thunder usually occurs through clouds. And by sublime clouds are understood souls raised up through heavenly desire. Whence also the prophet, marveling at the minds of the elect elevated in the love of heavenly things, said: "Who are these who fly as clouds?" (Isa. 60:8).
It happened therefore, when Samuel was offering a burnt offering, etc. It happened when the Lord offered himself as a sacrifice to God in the aroma of sweetness, that his persecutors, having set him on the cross, blasphemed or mocked him, and after his burial, …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), totally routed, and that in such a manner as highly magnified the prayer of Samuel, the power of God, and the valour of Israel. The prayer of Samuel was honoured; for at the very time when he was offering up his sacrifice, and his prayer with it, the battle began, and turned immediately against the Philistines.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Unprepared for resistance, they besought Samuel to supplicate the divine interposition to save them from their enemies. The prophet's prayers and sacrifice were answered by such a tremendous storm of thunder and lightning that the assailants, panic-struck, were disordered and fled.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֤י | vayhi | and he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| שְׁמוּאֵל֙ | shemuel | Samuel | H8050 → | 141 times |
| מַעֲלֶ֣ה | maaleh | offering up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| הָעוֹלָ֔ה | haolah | the burnt offering | H5930 → | 287 times |
| וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֣ים | ufelishtim | and [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| נִגְּשׁ֔וּ | nigeshu | they drew near | H5066 → | 125 times |
| לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה | lamilchamah | for <the> battle | H4421 → | 320 times |
| בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | beyisrael | in Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַיַּרְעֵ֣ם | vaiyarem | and he thundered | H7481 → | 13 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה׀ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בְּקוֹל־ | bekol- | with a sound | H6963 → | 506 times |
| גָּ֠דוֹל | gadol | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| בַּיּ֨וֹם | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַה֤וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פְּלִשְׁתִּים֙ | pelishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| וַיְהֻמֵּ֔ם | vayhumem | and he routed them | H2000 → | |
| וַיִּנָּגְפ֖וּ | vaiyinagefu | and they were defeated | H5062 → | 49 times |
| לִפְנֵ֥י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וַיְהִ֤יand he was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
שְׁמוּאֵל֙Samuel
shemuelH8050 →141 times
מַעֲלֶ֣הoffering up
maalehH5927 →890 times
הָעוֹלָ֔הthe burnt offering
haolahH5930 →287 times
וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֣יםand [the] Philistines
ufelishtimH6430 →287 times
נִגְּשׁ֔וּthey drew near
nigeshuH5066 →125 times
לַמִּלְחָמָ֖הfor <the> battle
lamilchamahH4421 →320 times
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לin Israel
beyisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַיַּרְעֵ֣םand he thundered
vaiyaremH7481 →13 times
יְהוָ֣ה׀Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בְּקוֹל־with a sound
bekol-H6963 →506 times
גָּ֠דוֹלgreat
gadolH1419 →526 times
בַּיּ֨וֹםon the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַה֤וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פְּלִשְׁתִּים֙[the] Philistines
pelishtimH6430 →287 times
וַיְהֻמֵּ֔םand he routed them
vayhumemH2000 →
וַיִּנָּגְפ֖וּand they were defeated
vaiyinagefuH5062 →49 times
לִפְנֵ֥י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 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 2:10Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder from heaven against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth and will give power to His king. He will exalt…
it leads to
- Psalms 2:9
You will break them with an iron scepter; You will shatter them like pottery.”
- Psalms 89:24
My faithfulness and loving devotion will be with him, and through My name his horn will be exalted.
- Psalms 96:13
before the LORD, for He is coming— He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.
- Exodus 15:6
Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.
- Psalms 18:13–14
The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded— hailstones and coals of fire.
- Psalms 2:9
Through
Judges 5:20From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
it leads to
- Joshua 10:11
As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by…
- Joshua 10:11
Through
1 Samuel 12:17Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you have committed in the…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 8:7
And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as…
- 1 Samuel 8:7
Through
Joshua 10:10And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and…
it leads to
- Psalms 18:14
He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
- Psalms 18:14
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; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 5; 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) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.