New King James Version
1 Samuel 13:5
5Then 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.
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 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
3And Jonathan attacked the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4Now all Israel heard it said that Saul had attacked a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel had also become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal. 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. 6When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits. 7And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
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 22:17blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
- Joshua 11:4So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.
- Judges 7:12Now the Midianites and Amalekites, all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude.
- 2 Chronicles 1:9Now, O Lord God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.
- Isaiah 48:19Your descendants also would have been like the sand, And the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; His name would not have been cut off Nor destroyed from before Me.”
- Jeremiah 15:8Their widows will be increased to Me more than the sand of the seas; I will bring against them, Against the mother of the young men, A plunderer at noonday; I will cause anguish and terror to fall on them suddenly.
- Romans 9:27Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved.
- 1 Samuel 14:23So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle shifted to Beth Aven.
- Joshua 7:2Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
- Joshua 18:12Their border on the north side began at the Jordan, and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the mountains westward; it ended at the Wilderness of Beth Aven.
- Hosea 4:15“Though you, Israel, play the harlot, Let not Judah offend. Do not come up to Gilgal, Nor go up to Beth Aven, Nor swear an oath, saying, ‘As the Lord lives’—
- Hosea 5:8“Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah, The trumpet in Ramah! Cry aloud at Beth Aven, ‘Look behind you, O Benjamin!’
- Hosea 10:5The inhabitants of Samaria fear Because of the calf of Beth Aven. For its people mourn for it, And its priests shriek for it— Because its glory has departed from it.
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries