New International Version
1 Samuel 13:5
5The 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven.
Context of 1 Samuel 13:5
3Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4So all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines.” And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal. 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. 6When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. 7Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.
Read all of 1 Samuel 131 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
- gathered themselves togetherאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
- to fightלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
- with Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- thirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםshelôshîym shelôshîym · thirtyH7970
- thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- chariotsרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
- and sixשֵׁשׁshêsh shishshâh · sixH8337
- horsemenפָּרָשׁpârâsh · horsemanH6571
- and peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
- as the sandחוֹלchôl · sandH2344
- on the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- shoreשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lip: shoreH8193
- in multitudeרֹבrôb · abundanceH7230
- and they came upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- and pitchedחָנָהchânâh · to campH2583
- in Michmashמִכְמָס, מִכְמָשׂmikmâs mikmâsh mikmash · MichmashH4363
- eastwardקִדְמָהqidmâh · eastH6926
- from Beth–avenבֵּית אָ֫וֶןbêyth 'âven · Beth-avenH1007
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 13:5
- Genesis 22:17I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,
- Joshua 11:4They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots—a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.
- Judges 7:12The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.
- 2 Chronicles 1:9Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth.
- Isaiah 48:19Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grains; their name would never be blotted out nor destroyed from before me.”
- Jeremiah 15:8I will make their widows more numerous than the sand of the sea. At midday I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of their young men; suddenly I will bring down on them anguish and terror.
- Romans 9:27Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
- 1 Samuel 14:23So on that day the Lord saved Israel, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.
- Joshua 7:2Now 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 region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
- Joshua 18:12On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan, passed the northern slope of Jericho and headed west into the hill country, coming out at the wilderness of Beth Aven.
- Hosea 4:15“Though you, Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty. “Do not go to Gilgal; do not go up to Beth Aven. And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’
- Hosea 5:8“Sound the trumpet in Gibeah, the horn in Ramah. Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven; lead on, Benjamin.
- Hosea 10:5The people who live in Samaria fear for the calf-idol of Beth Aven. Its people will mourn over it, and so will its idolatrous priests, those who had rejoiced over its splendor, because it is 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
In the dictionaries
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
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