Bible Strands
1 Samuel 7:10
As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was offering up the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Samuel acts as priest while the Philistine army advances to engage Israel at Mizpah. He presents the burnt offering at the exact moment the enemy forces close in for battle.
The words — The Hebrew מַעֲלֶה (ma'aleh) denotes the action of causing smoke to ascend, describing the ritual ascent of the burnt offering. The verb נִגְּשׁוּ (niggshu) literally means they approached or drew near for combat.
The thread — The motif of divine thunder against opposing armies appears in 1 Samuel 2:10 and 1 Samuel 7:10, while the tactical phrase "threw them into confusion" parallels Joshua 10:10.
Why it lands — The text records a historical intervention where divine action directly reverses a military threat. It requires the reader to acknowledge that ritual obedience and divine power operate simultaneously in moments of crisis.
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 as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 2:10 Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder from heaven against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth and will give power to His king. He will exalt the horn of His anointed.”
- Joshua 10:10 And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
- Judges 5:20 From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
- 1 Samuel 12:17 Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you have committed in the sight of the LORD by asking for a king.”
- 2 Samuel 22:14 The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
- Deuteronomy 20:3 saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them.
- Zechariah 4:6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.
- Exodus 9:23 So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt.
- Judges 4:15 And in front of him the LORD routed with the sword Sisera, all his charioteers, and all his army. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot.
- Judges 5:8 When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.