Bible Strands
1 Samuel 29:1
Now the Philistines brought all their forces together at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrative places the Philistine coalition and the Israelite army in opposing positions just before a major battle, with David’s contingent marching behind the Philistine leaders. The words — מַחֲנֵי/הֶ֖ם (ma.cha.nei./Hem) = armies/their, and חֹנִ֔ים (cho.Nim) = [were] encamped, marking the deliberate staging of opposing forces. The thread — Aphek appears as a Philistine military site in 1 Samuel 4:1, a royal territory in Joshua 12:18, and a Canaanite city in Joshua 19:30. Why it lands — The text demands the reader track the physical positioning of armies to grasp the tactical reality and theological tension of the impending conflict.
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
Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 4:1 Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek.
- Joshua 12:18 the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;
- Joshua 19:30 Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob. There were twenty-two cities, along with their villages.
- 1 Kings 20:30 The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
- 1 Kings 21:1 Some time after these events, Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
- 2 Kings 9:30 Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window.
- Joshua 19:18 Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,
- Judges 6:33 Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
- 1 Samuel 28:1 Now in those days the Philistines gathered their forces for warfare against Israel. So Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men are to go out to battle with me.”
- 1 Samuel 28:4 The Philistines gathered together and camped at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and camped at Gilboa.