Bible Strands
1 Samuel 14:52
And the war with the Philistines was fierce for all the days of Saul. So whenever he noticed any strong or brave man, Saul would enlist him.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator reports on Saul’s continuous military campaigns against the Philistines. This statement follows the genealogical note about Saul’s father Kish in 1 Samuel 14:51.
The words — חֲזָקָה (cha.za.Kah) translates literally to "severe," describing the relentless intensity of the conflict. מִלְחָמָה (mil.cha.Mah) means "war," establishing the entrenched, day-to-day state of hostilities.
The thread — The verse’s depiction of a ruler conscripting able men mirrors the warning in 1 Samuel 8:11 about the future conduct of Israel’s kings. It also reflects the broader narrative shift toward human monarchy initiated in 1 Samuel 8:1.
Why it lands — The text records Saul’s reliance on forced recruitment of strong men to sustain his campaigns. It asks the reader to observe how earthly kingship operates through coercion rather than covenantal order.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 8:11 He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to serve his own chariots and horses, and to run in front of his chariots.
- 1 Samuel 8:1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.