1 Samuel 13:5

1 Samuel 13:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth–aven.
• New International Version (NIV)The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth Aven.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven.

Context of 1 Samuel 13:5

3Then Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4And all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked an outpost of the Philistines, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines!” Then the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal. Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven. 6Seeing 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. 7Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, remained at Gilgal, and all his troops were quaking in fear.

1 Samuel 13:5 word by word

וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֞ים נֶאֶסְפ֣וּ׀ לְהִלָּחֵ֣ם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל שְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים אֶ֤לֶף רֶ֙כֶב֙ וְשֵׁ֤שֶׁת אֲלָפִים֙ פָּרָשִׁ֔ים וְעָ֕ם כַּח֛וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־שְׂפַֽת־הַיָּ֖ם לָרֹ֑ב וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙ וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ בְמִכְמָ֔שׂ קִדְמַ֖ת בֵּ֥ית אָֽוֶן׃Read the interlinear

• Now the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• assembledאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
• to fightלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
• againstעִם‛im · withH5973
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• with threeשְׁלֹשִׁיםshelôshîym shelôshîym · thirtyH7970
• thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• chariotsרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
• sixשֵׁשׁshêsh shishshâh · sixH8337
• horsemenפָּרָשׁpârâsh · horsemanH6571
• and troopsעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• as numerousרֹבrôb · abundanceH7230
• as the sandחוֹלchôl · sandH2344
• ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• onעַל‛al · uponH5921
• the seashoreשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lip: shoreH8193
• the seashoreיָםyâm · seaH3220
• They went upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• and campedחָנָהchânâh · to campH2583
• at Michmashמִכְמָס, מִכְמָשׂmikmâs mikmâsh mikmash · MichmashH4363
• eastקִדְמָהqidmâh · eastH6926
• of Beth-avenבֵּית אָ֫וֶןbêyth 'âven · Beth-avenH1007

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 13:5

• Genesis 22:17I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
• Joshua 11:4So these kings came out with all their armies, a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore, along with a great number of horses and chariots.
• Judges 7:12Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the other people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore.
• 2 Chronicles 1:9Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to my father David be fulfilled. For You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.
• Isaiah 48:19Your descendants would have been as countless as the sand, and your offspring as numerous as its grains; their name would never be cut off or eliminated from My presence.”
• Jeremiah 15:8I will make their widows more numerous than the sand of the sea. I will bring a destroyer at noon against the mothers of young men. I will suddenly bring upon them anguish and dismay.
• Romans 9:27Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
• 1 Samuel 14:23So the LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth-aven.
• Joshua 7:2Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
• Joshua 18:12On the north side their border began at the Jordan, went up past the northern slope of Jericho, headed west through the hill country, and came out at the wilderness of Beth-aven.
• Hosea 4:15Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel, may Judah avoid such guilt! Do not journey to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear on oath, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’
• Hosea 5:8Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah; raise the battle cry in Beth-aven: Lead on, O Benjamin!
• Hosea 10:5The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn over it with its idolatrous priests— those who rejoiced in its glory— for it has been taken from them into exile.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 13:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen - There is no proportion here between the chariots and the cavalry. The largest armies ever brought into the field, even by mighty emperors, never were furnished with thirty thousand chariots. I think שלשים sheloshim, Thirty, is a false reading for שלש shalosh, Three. The Syriac has telotho alpin, and the Arabic thalathato alf, both signifying Three thousand; and this was a fair proportion to the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Thirty thousand chariots - Probably a copyist‘s mistake for 300. (Compare, for a similar numerical variation, 1 Chronicles 18:4 with 2 Samuel 8:4.) Eastward from Bethaven - Or more simply “to the east of Bethaven,” which Joshua 7:2 lay “on the east side of Bethel.” Bethaven (thought to be the same as Deir Diwan) lay between Bethel and Michmash, which had been evacuated by Saul.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5The Israelites were greatly outnumbered, which made them afraid. The Philistine army had 3,000 chariots and 6,000 charioteers, showing Israel's weaker position. In 1 Samuel, it never mentions Israel having any chariots (see study note on 1 Samuel 13:19–22).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. The Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen--Either this number must include chariots of every kind--or the word "chariots" must mean the men fighting in them (2Sa 10:18; 1Ki 20:21; 1Ch 19:18); or, as some eminent critics maintain, Sheloshim ("thirty"), has crept into the text, instead of Shelosh ("three"). The gathering of the chariots and horsemen must be understood to be on…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 13:5

• Beth-Aven
• Cavalry
• Chariot
• Gilgal
• Michmash
• Philistines

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Philistines
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Beth-Aven
• Bethaven
• Chariot
• Continue
• Samuel

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings