Menu

1 Samuel 17:19 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוְשָׁא֤וּל וְהֵ֙מָּה֙ וְכָל־ אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּעֵ֖מֶק הָֽאֵלָ֑ה נִלְחָמִ֖ים עִם־ פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

BSATheyhêm are with SaulShâʼûwl [together, in company, Shaul, the desired one] and allkôl [every single one] the menʼîysh [individuals, males] of IsraelYisrâʼêl [the descendants of Jacob, God's chosen people] in the Valleyʻêmeq [lowland area] of ElahʼÊlâh [the oak valley] fightinglâcham [waging war, battling] againstʻim [in opposition to] the PhilistinesPᵉlishtîy [the inhabitants of Philistia, a neighboring nation]

Word
Listen & take away1 Samuel 17
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 19 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (pe.lish.Tim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Samuel 17:19quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse describes the presence of Saul and the Israelite men in the Valley of Elah, engaged in battle against the Philistines.
Who is speakingThe narrator, recounting the events involving Saul and the Israelite army.
Where we areIn the Valley of Elah, a significant location for the conflict between Israel and the Philistines.
The hard wordנִלְחָמִ֖ים
Take awayThe Israelites are actively engaged in warfare.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbעִם The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — 1 Samuel 17:19

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Battle in the Valley of Elahgenerated

18Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.
19They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”
20So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him. He reached the camp as the army was marching out to its position and shouting the battle cry.
21And Israel and the Philistines arrayed in formation against each other.

1 Samuel 17:19 tells us that Saul and the men of Israel are gathered in the Valley of Elah, preparing for battle against the Philistines. This setting is crucial as it leads to the famous encounter between David and Goliath, highlighting the tensions between the Israelites and their enemies. The Valley of Elah serves as the backdrop for this conflict, illustrating the struggle for dominance in the region.


Cross References


The Key Word שָׁאוּל, ve.sha.'Ulgenerated

The name שָׁאוּל (Sha'ul) means 'asked' or 'desired' and is associated with several figures in the Old Testament, most notably Saul, the first king of Israel. The parsing indicates it is a proper noun, specifically a masculine name, which emphasizes its importance as a title.

In this verse, שָׁאוּל identifies the leader of Israel's army, highlighting his role in the ongoing conflict. The name's roots suggest a connection to the act of asking, which may reflect the circumstances of his anointing as king.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb נִלְחָמִ֖ים governs the entire verse, indicating the action of fighting. The subject noun phrases include שָׁאוּל and הֵמָּה, along with the phrase describing their location in the Valley of Elah.

The structure emphasizes the collective effort of Saul and the Israelite men as they confront their adversaries, the Philistines, in a significant geographical setting.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Samuel 17:19 tells us that Saul and all the men of Israel are in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines. This highlights the ongoing conflict between Israel and their enemies, setting the stage for the famous battle that follows.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What is the significance of the Valley of Elah?

The Valley of Elah is significant as the site of the battle between the Israelites and the Philistines, where David would later confront Goliath.

Who is Saul in this context?

Saul is the first king of Israel, leading the Israelite army against the Philistines.

What does the term 'fighting' imply in this verse?

The term 'fighting' indicates active engagement in battle, showcasing the conflict and tension between the Israelites and the Philistines.

Why are the men of Israel described collectively?

The collective description emphasizes unity and the shared purpose of the Israelite men under Saul's leadership in the battle.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How does the setting of the Valley of Elah contribute to the overall narrative of Israel's battles?
  2. What can we learn from Saul's leadership during this conflict?
  3. In what ways do the actions of the Israelite men reflect their commitment to their nation?
  4. How does this verse set the stage for the events that follow in the story of David and Goliath?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

The early church fathers referenced this passage to discuss themes of leadership and conflict, illustrating how Saul's actions foreshadowed greater events in biblical history.

Caesarius of ArlesSERMON 121.5 c. 470–542
As David came, he found the Jewish people located in the valley of Terebinth in order to fight against the Philistines, because Christ the true David was to come in order to lift up the human race from the valley of sins and tears.
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 17 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Samuel 17:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Now Saul, and they,.... That is, the sons of Jesse, and brethren of David: and all the men of Israel; the soldiers in the army: were in the valley Elah; or "by" it, near unto it; for they were set in

Read John Gill on 1 Samuel 17 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. No JFB commentary on this verse.

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Samuel 17 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

i.e. In a posture and readiness to fight with them; as it is explained, ,21. Men are oft said in Scripture to do what they intend and are prepared to do, as hath been showed formerly by instances.

Read Matthew Poole on 1 Samuel 17 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Samuel 17:19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, [were] in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.Ver. 19. Fighting,] i.e., Skirmishing, and ready to join battle.

Read John Trapp on 1 Samuel 17 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(19) In the valley of Elan, fighting with the Philistines.—The words of this verse, which read in the English Version as an explanatory parenthesis, are really part of Jesse’s direction to his shepherd son, telling him where he would find his brethren. “They are in the valley of the Terebinth (Elah), fighting with the Philistines.”

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Samuel 17 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 19. Fighting with the Philistines.] See at the end of the chapter. 1 Samuel 17:58.

Read AdamClarke on 1 Samuel 17 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

19. Now Saul, &c.] Probably, “Now Saul and they … are,” &c., i.e. it is Jesse’s direction to David where to find his brothers, not a remark of the historian.

Read Cambridge on 1 Samuel 17 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

19. Saul, and they… were in the valley of Elah — Better to supply are, instead of were, and understand this verse as a part of Jesse’s words to David.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 1 Samuel 17 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”

NETBNew English Translation2006

They are with Saul and the whole Israelite army in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the vale of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the vale of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

(Then Saul and they, and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistims)

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel [were] in the valley of terebinths, fighting against the Philistines.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel [are] in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, [are] in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Your brothers are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines.”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

But Saul, and they, and all the children of Israel were in the valley of Terebinth fighting against the Philistines.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They were with Saul and the whole Israelite army in the Valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וְandclausenoun phrase · subjectשָׁא֤וּלSaulוְandהֵ֨מָּה֙theyוְandnoun phraseכָלeverynoun phraseאִ֣ישׁ(the).manיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לof.Israelprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּ[were].inverbנִלְחָמִ֖ים[they.were].fightingprepositional phrase · prepositionalעִםwithפְּלִשְׁתִּֽים[the].Philistines

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text presents the verse as it stands, while the Septuagint matches six of the ten words, indicating some agreement in content but differing in structure and word order.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וְשָׁא֤וּל וְהֵ֙מָּה֙ וְכָל־ אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּעֵ֖מֶק הָֽאֵלָ֑ה נִלְחָמִ֖ים עִם־ פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְשָׁא֤וּל’’וְהֵ֙מָּה֙’’וְכָל־’’אִ֣ישׁ’’יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל’’בְּעֵ֖מֶק’’

6 of the 10 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

1 Samuel 17:19שָׁאוּלand Sauland Saulשָׁאוּלהֵ֫מָּהand theyand theyהֵ֫מָּהכֹּלand everyand everyכֹּלאִישׁman ofman ofאִישׁיִשְׂרָאֵלIsraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלעֵ֫מֶק[are] in [t[are] in [the] עֵ֫מֶקאֵלָהElahElahאֵלָהלָחַםfightingfightingלָחַםעִםwithwithעִםפְּלִשְׁתִּי[the] Phili[the] Philistinפְּלִשְׁתִּיהֲלַךְto goto goהֲלַךְכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלשָׂרָהto striveto striveשָׂרָהעָמֹקbe deepbe deepעָמֹקעָמַםto darkento darkenעָמַםפְּלֶ֫שֶׁתPhilistiaPhilistiaפְּלֶ֫שֶׁתשָׁאַלto askto askשָׁאַלאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁאִשָּׁהwomanwomanאִשָּׁהאֵלָהoakoakאֵלָהאִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁתIsh-boshetIsh-boshethאִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁתיְהוֹנָתָןJonathanJonathanיְהוֹנָתָןמְרִיrebellionrebellionמְרִיסֵ֫פֶרscroll: doscroll: documenסֵ֫פֶרעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהרֵעַneighborneighborרֵעַשֵׁ֫בֶטtribetribeשֵׁ֫בֶט
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in 1 Samuel 17:19

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and Saul and they and every man of Israel [are] in [the] valley of Elah fighting with [the] Philistines
וְשָׁא֤וּלve.sha.'Ul and Saul H7586 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
407× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Shaul is a personal name meaning desired, given to several individuals in the Bible, including a Benjamite who became the first king of Israel and a Levite living during the time of the Divided Monarchy. He is mentioned in 1 Chronicles and 1 Samuel.
Amplified meaning
together, in company, Shaul, the desired one
Tyndale gloss
Shaul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁאוּל (Sha'uwl) means 'asked' and is associated with several figures in the Old Testament, most notably Saul, the first king of Israel from the tribe of Benjamin. The entries indicate that the name can refer to multiple individuals, including an early king of Edom and a Levite. The name is derived from a passive participle form, suggesting a connection to the act of asking.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁאוּל n.pr.m. (= asked)

397 1st king of Isr.

a king of Edom

a son of Simeon

a Levite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7586 שָׁאוּל (= asked)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7586 Sha'uwl shaw-ool'

passive participle of 7592; asked; Shaul, the name of an

Edomite and two Israelites:--Saul, Shaul.

see HEBREW for 07592

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) — Saul.

A king of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.2;

son of: Kish (H7027); married to Ahinoam (H0293) and Rizpah (H7532);

father of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H)

§ Saul or Shaul = "desired"

1) a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the 1st king of Israel

2) an early king of Edom and a successor of Samlah

3) a son of Simeon

4) a Levite, son of Uzziah

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) — Shaul.

A man of the tribe of Simeon living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.10;

son of: Simeon (H8095) and Canaanite_woman (H3669);

brother of: Jemuel (H3223), Jamin (H3226), Ohad (H0161), Jachin (H3199) and Zerah (H2226L);

father of: Shallum (H7967K)

Also named: sha.u.li (שָׁאוּלִי "Shaulite" H7587)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sol (sha'ul; Saoul):

(1) The first king of Israel.

I. EARLY HISTORY

1. Name and Meaning

2. Genealogy

3. Home and Station

4. Sources for Life

5. Election as King

6. Reasons for It

II. REIGN AND FALL

1. His First Action

2. Army Reorganized

3. Battle of Michmash

4. Defeats the Amalekites

5. Deposition Pronounced

6. David Introduced to Saul

7. Two Accounts

8. Saul's Envy of David

9. Attempts to Get Rid of David

10. David Spares Saul

11. Saul's Divided Energies

12. Consults a Necromancer

13. Battle of Gilboa

14. Double Accounts

15. Saul's Posterity

III. CHARACTER

1. Book of Chronicles

2. Saul's Failings

3. His Virtue

4. David's Elegy

I. Early History.

1. Name and Meaning:

The name Saul is usually regarded as simply the passive participle of the verb "to ask," and so meaning "asked" (compare 1Sa 8:4 ff), but the gentilic adjective sha'uli (

Saul

Asked for. (1.) A king of Edom (Gen. 36:37, 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48.

(2.) The son of Kish (probably his only son, and a child of prayer, “asked for”), of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Jewish nation. The singular providential circumstances connected with his election as king are recorded in 1 Sam. 8-10. His father’s she-asses had strayed, and Saul was sent with a servant to seek for them. Leaving his home at Gibeah (10:5, “the hill of God,” A.V.; lit., as in R.V. marg., “Gibeah of God”), Saul and his servant went toward the north-west over Mount Ephraim, and then turning north-east they came to “the land of Shalisha,” and thence eastward to the land of Shalim, and at length came to the district of Zuph, near Samuel’s home at Ramah (9:5-10). At this point…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(desired), more accurately Shaul. One of the early kings of Edom, and successor of Samlah. (Genesis 36:37,38; 1 Chronicles 1:48) (B.C. after 1450.) The first king of Israel, the son of Kish, and of the tribe of Benjamin. (B.C, 1095-1055.) His character is in part illustrated by the fierce, wayward, fitful nature of the tribe and in part accounted for by the struggle between the old and new systems in which he found himself involved. To this we must add a taint of madness. which broke out in violent frenzy at times leaving him with long lucid intervals. He was remarkable for his strength and activity, (2 Samuel 1:25) and, like the Homeric heroes, of gigantic stature, taller by head and shoulders than the rest of the people, and…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Israelites, anointed by Samuel, B. C. 1091, and after a reign of forty years filled with various events, slain with his sons on Mount Gilboa. He was succeeded by David, who was his son-in-law, and whom he had endeavored to put to death. His history is contained in 1Sa 10:1-31:13. It is a sad and admonitory narrative. The morning of his reign was bright with special divine favors, both providential, and spiritual, 1Sa 9:20 10:1-11,24,25. But he soon began to disobey God, and was rejected as unworthy to found a line of kings; his sins and misfortunes multiplied, and his sun went down in gloom. In his first war with the Ammonites, God was with him; but then follow his presumptuous sacrifice, in the absence of Samuel…

and Saul and they and every man of Israel [are] in [the] valley of Elah fighting with [the] Philistines
וְהֵ֙מָּה֙ve.He.mah and they H1992 Conjunction · pronoun
553× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to refer to a group of men, emphasizing that it is specifically them. It is often translated as 'they' or 'them' in the Bible, and appears in books like Exodus and Isaiah.
Tyndale gloss
they(masc.)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הֵ֫מָּה (hemmah) is a masculine plural pronoun meaning 'they.' The entries indicate that it can also mean 'these,' 'the same,' or refer to people in an emphatic context. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its usage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֵ֫מָּה and הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except prob. in so far as the longer or shorter form was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences) pron. 3 pl. masc. they

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1992 הֵ֫מָּה, הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except prob. in so far as the longer or shorter form was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences) they

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1992 hem haym

or (prolonged) hemmah {haym'-maw}; masculine plural from

1981; they (only used when emphatic):--it, like, X (how, so)

many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, X so, X such,

their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.

see HEBREW for 01981

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֵ֫מָּה (hem.mah) — they(masc.).

they, these, the same, who

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Pron — Conjunction · pronoun
HC/Pp3mp
and Saul and they and every man of Israel [are] in [the] valley of Elah fighting with [the] Philistines
וְכָל־ve.khol and every H3605 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Amplified meaning
every single one
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/Ncmsc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and Saul and they and every man of Israel [are] in [the] valley of Elah fighting with [the] Philistines
אִ֣ישׁ'ish man of H376 Noun common · masculine singular construct
1,664× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for man, referring to a male person or individual, is used in the Bible to describe humans in contrast to God or animals, as seen in Genesis and Psalms. It can also mean husband or servant. In the KJV, it is translated as man or male.
Amplified meaning
individuals, males
Tyndale gloss
man
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אִישׁ (iysh) means 'man' and can refer to an individual male, a husband, or a human being in general. It encompasses various meanings, including champion and great man, and can also imply 'whosoever' or 'each.' The word is built from a root suggesting existence and is used throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H376 אִישׁ man (= vir)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

376 'iysh eesh

contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root

meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male

person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and

in such cases frequently not expressed in

translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, +

champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-,

husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree),

him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people,

person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.

Compare 802.

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0802

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִישׁ (ish) — man.

: man

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: husband.

: husband

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: anyone.

: anyone/someone

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and Saul and they and every man of Israel [are] in [the] valley of Elah fighting with [the] Philistines
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'El Israel H3478 Noun proper
2,508× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Amplified meaning
the descendants of Jacob, God's chosen people
Tyndale gloss
Israel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) refers to both the second name of Jacob, meaning 'God prevails,' and the name of the Hebrew nation descended from him. It is derived from roots meaning 'to rule' and 'God.' The term encompasses Jacob's descendants and is used historically for the northern kingdom of Israel and the nation as a whole after the Babylonian exile.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)

n.pr.m. second name of Jacob

n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth) . n. pr. m. second name of Jacob

. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'

from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical

name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:

--Israel.

see HEBREW for 08280

see HEBREW for 0410

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;

son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);

brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);

father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently

§ Israel = "God prevails"

1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel

2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob

2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

iz'-ra-el.

See JACOB.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Israel

The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed.” (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).

This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3;

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(the prince that prevails with God). The name given, (Genesis 32:28) to Jacob after his wrestling with the angel, (Hosea 12:4) at Peniel. Gesenius interprets Israel "soldier of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes collectively. They are so called in (Exodus 3:16) and afterward. It is used in a narrower sense, excluding Judah, in (1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16) Thenceforth it was assumed and accepted as the name of the northern kingdom. After the Babylonian captivity, the returned exiles resumed the name Israel as the designation of…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Who prevails with God, a name given to Jacob, after having wrestled with the Angel-Jehovah at Penuel. Ge 32:1,2,28,30 Ho 12:3. See JACOB. By the name Israel is sometimes understood all the posterity of Israel, the seed of Jacob, 1Co 10:18; sometimes all true believers, his spiritual seed, Ro 9:6; and sometimes the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and Saul and they and every man of Israel [are] in [the] valley of Elah fighting with [the] Philistines
בְּעֵ֖מֶקbe.'E.mek [are] in [the] valley of H6010 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
69× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Describes a valley or lowland area, like the Valley of Elah where David fought Goliath.
Amplified meaning
lowland area
Tyndale gloss
valley
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עֵ֫מֶק (*'emeq*) means 'vale' or 'valley,' indicating a broad depression in the landscape. It is derived from the root meaning 'deepening' or 'depth.' This term is often used in proper names, such as the Valley of Achor and the Valley of Elah, and covers a range of valleys and lowlands mentioned in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֵ֫מֶק 70 n.m. vale (prop. deepening, depth)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6010 עֵ֫מֶק vale (prop. deepening, depth)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6010 `emeq ay'-mek

from 6009; a vale (i.e. broad depression):--dale, vale,

valley (often used as a part of proper names). See also 1025.

see HEBREW for 06009

see HEBREW for 01025

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֵ֫מֶק (e.meq) — Valley (of Achor).

Combined with a.khor (עָכוֹר " of Achor" H5911)

§ valley, vale, lowland, open country

עֵ֫מֶק (e.meq) — Valley (of Beracah).

Combined with be.ra.khah (בְּרָכָה " of Beracah" H1294H)

§ valley, vale, lowland, open country

עֵ֫מֶק (e.meq) — Valley (of Elah).

Combined with e.lah (אֵלָה "Elah" H0425L)

§ valley, vale, lowland, open country

עֵ֫מֶק (e.meq) — Emek.

§ valley, vale, lowland, open country

עֵ֫מֶק (e.meq) — Valley (of Hebron).

Combined with chev.ron (חֶבְרוֹן " of Hebron" H2275H)

§ valley, vale, lowland, open country

עֵ֫מֶק (e.meq) — Valley (of Topheth).

valley, vale, lowland, open country

Another name of to.phet (תֹּ֫פֶת "Topheth" H8612)

עֵ֫מֶק (e.meq) — Valley (of Jezreel).

Combined with yiz.re.el (יִזְרְעֶאל " of Jezreel" H3157L)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and Saul and they and every man of Israel [are] in [the] valley of Elah fighting with [the] Philistines
הָֽאֵלָ֑הha.'e.Lah Elah H425 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Elah refers to a place in Palestine or the name of several Israelites and an Edomite, meaning an oak valley. It appears in the Bible as a location and a personal name. In 1 Samuel 17:2, the Valley of Elah is where David fought Goliath.
Amplified meaning
the oak valley
Tyndale gloss
(Valley of) Elah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵלָה (Elah) refers to a terebinth tree and is associated with several figures in the Old Testament, including an Edomite chief, a king of Israel, and individuals from the tribe of Judah. The name means 'oak' and is also linked to the Valley of Elah. The entries consistently identify Elah as a personal name and a geographical location.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵלָה n.pr.m. (terebinth)

a chief of Edom

son of Baasha

father of Hoshea who was last king of Isr.

a son of Caleb

a son of Uzzi

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H425 אֵלָה (terebinth)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

425 'Elah ay-law'

the same as 424; Elah, the name of an Edomite, of four

Israelites, and also of a place in Palestine:--Elah.

see HEBREW for 0424

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵלָה (e.lah) — Elah.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.36.41

§ Elah = "An oak"

an Edomite chief

אֵלָה (e.lah) — Elah.

A king living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.16.6;

son of: Baasha (H1201)

§ Elah = "An oak"

a king of Israel for two years, son of Baasha

אֵלָה (e.lah) — Elah.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.15.30;

father of: Hoshea (H1954)

§ Elah = "An oak"

the father of king Hoshea of Israel

אֵלָה (e.lah) — Elah.

A man of the tribe of Judah living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.4.15;

son of: Caleb (H3612);

brother of: Achsah (H5915), Iru (H5900) and Naam (H5277);

father of: Kenaz (H7073J)

§ Elah = "An oak"

אֵלָה (e.lah) — Elah.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at 1Ch.9.8;

son of: Uzzi (H5813J)

§ Elah = "An oak"

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Elah

Terebinth or oak. (1.) Valley of, where the Israelites were encamped when David killed Goliath (1 Sam. 17:2, 19). It was near Shochoh of Judah and Azekah (17:1). It is the modern Wady es-Sunt, i.e., “valley of the acacia.” “The terebinths from which the valley of Elah takes its name still cling to their ancient soil. On the west side of the valley, near Shochoh, there is a very large and ancient tree of this kind known as the ’terebinth of Wady Sur,’ 55 feet in height, its trunk 17 feet in circumference, and the breadth of its shade no less than 75 feet. It marks the upper end of the Elah valley, and forms a noted object, being one of the largest terebinths in Palestine.” Geikie’s, The Holy Land, etc.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

One of the dukes of Edom. (Genesis 36:41; 1 Chronicles 1:52) Shimei ben-Elah was Solomon’s commissariat officer in Benjamin. (1 Kings 4:18) (B.C. 1013.) A son of Caleb the son of Jephuneh. (1 Chronicles 4:15) (B.C. 1450.) Son of Uzzi, a Benjamite, (1 Chronicles 9:8) s, and one of the chiefs of the tribe at the settlement of the country. (B.C. 536.)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. A valley in which David slew Goliath, 1Sa 17:2,3,19. It was probably about eleven miles southwest from Jerusalem.

2. Son and successor of Baasha, king of Israel, B. C. 926. After reigning two years, he was slain while intoxicated, by Zimri, one of his officers, who succeeded him as king. Zimri destroyed all the family of Baasha, according to the prediction of Jehu, 1Ki 16:6- 10.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

an oak; a curse; perjury

and Saul and they and every man of Israel [are] in [the] valley of Elah fighting with [the] Philistines
נִלְחָמִ֖יםnil.cha.Mim fighting H3898 Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine plural
177× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means to feed on or consume something, often referring to eating food or battling against someone. It's used in stories like David's battles and the Israelites' struggles in the wilderness.
Amplified meaning
waging war, battling
Tyndale gloss
to fight
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word לָחַם (lacham) has two primary meanings: to fight or do battle, and to eat or use as food. It is a primitive root that conveys both the act of engaging in combat and the act of consuming food. The entries indicate that the word can imply destruction in the context of battle.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[לָחַם] 171 vb. fight, do battle

Qal fight, do battle

Niph. engage in battle (recipr.), sometimes wage war

base

[לָחַם] vb. use as food, eat

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3898a לָחַם fight, do battle .fight, do battle

. engage in battle (recipr.), sometimes wage war

H3898b לָחַם use as food, eat

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3898 lacham law-kham'

a primitive root; to feed on; figuratively, to consume; by

implication, to battle (as destruction):--devour, eat, X ever,

fight(-ing), overcome, prevail, (make) war(-ring).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָחַם (la.cham) — to fight.

1) to fight, do battle, make war

1a) (Qal) to fight, do battle

1b) (Niphal) to engage in battle, wage war

לָחַם (la.cham) — to feed on.

(Qal) to eat, use as food

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal — Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine plural
HVNrmpa
and Saul and they and every man of Israel [are] in [the] valley of Elah fighting with [the] Philistines
עִם־'im- with H5973 Preposition
1,052× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means with or together, like when God is with his people in Exodus 33:14-15. It's used to describe accompaniment or association, and can also mean against or beside. The word is used to convey a sense of relationship or proximity between people or things.
Amplified meaning
in opposition to
Tyndale gloss
with
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עִם (im) is a preposition meaning 'with' and covers a range of relationships, including companionship, locality, and possession. It can imply actions done jointly, equality, or even opposition in contexts like combat. The related form מֵעִם (me.im) means 'from with' or 'beside.' The entries reflect various nuances but do not present significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִם prep. with

of fellowship and companionship

of aid

Of actions done jointly with another

If the common action be of the nature of a contest or combat, with in the sense of against

Of dealing with a person, or of the relation in which one stands with, or towards, another

Of a common lot together with the wicked

Of equality or resemblance generally aid

Of time, as long as

Of a locality, close to, beside

Of persons, עִם is spec.

in the house or family or service of

In possession of

In the custody or care of

Beside = except

With = friendly with

Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

base

מֵעִם 72 from with or beside

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5973a עִם with . of fellowship and companionship

. Of a locality, close to, beside

. Of persons, עִם is spec. . in the house or family or service of

. In possession of

. In the custody or care of

. Beside = except

. With = friendly with

. Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

. Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

H5973b מֵעִם from with, beside

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5973 `im eem

from 6004; adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction

with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with;

often with prepositional prefix (and then usually

unrepresented in English):--accompanying, against, and, as (X

long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from

(among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-)to,

with(-al).

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִם (im) — with.

1) with

1a) with

1b) against

1c) toward

1d) as long as

מֵעִם (me.im) — from with.

1a) beside, except

1b) in spite of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and Saul and they and every man of Israel [are] in [the] valley of Elah fighting with [the] Philistines
פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃pe.lish.Tim [the] Philistines H6430 Noun gentilic · masculine plural absolute
288× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A Philistine is a person from the region of Philistia, which was inhabited by immigrants from other places. The Philistines were known for their conflicts with the Israelites, as recorded in the Bible. They were a distinct ethnic group.
Amplified meaning
the inhabitants of Philistia, a neighboring nation
Tyndale gloss
(Sea of the) Philistines
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פְּלִשְׁתִּי (*pelishtiy*) means 'Philistine' and refers to an inhabitant of Philistia, with roots indicating they are descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor. It is derived from the lemma for Philistia, פְּלֶ֫שֶׁת (*peleshet*), and is first mentioned in Genesis 10:14.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פְּלִשְׁתִּי 288 adj.gent. Philistine

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6430 פְּלִשְׁתִּי Philistine

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6430 Plishtiy pel-ish-tee'

patrial from 6429; a Pelishtite or inhabitant of

Pelesheth:--Philistine.

see HEBREW for 06429

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פְּלִשְׁתִּי (pe.lish.ti) — Philistine.

Philistine = "immigrants"

an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan

Another spelling of pe.le.shet (פְּלֶ֫שֶׁת "Philistia" H6429)

פְּלִשְׁתִּי (pe.lish.ti) — Philistine.

A Philistine living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.14;

son of: Casluhim (H3695)

§ Philistine = "immigrants"

an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan

פְּלִשְׁתִּי (pe.lish.ti) — (Sea of the) Philistines.

Philistine = "immigrants"

an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan

Another name of ga.dol (גָּדוֹל "Great( Sea)" H1419J)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Ngmpa — Noun gentilic · masculine plural absolute
HNgmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fi-lis'-tinz, fil'-is-tinz, fil'-is-tinz (pelishtim; Phulistieim, allophuloi):

I. OLD TESTAMENT NOTICES

1. Race and Origin

2. Religion

3. Individual Philistines Mentioned

4. Title of Ruler and Circumcision

5. History in the Old Testament to Death of Saul

6. History Continued to Time of Ahaz

7. Later Notices

II. MONUMENTAL NOTICES

1. Palestinian Excavations

2. Egyptian Monuments

3. Assyrian Texts

III. THE CRETAN THEORY

1. Cherethim and Kretes

2. Caphtor and Keft

IV. DAVID'S GUARDS

1. The "Cherethi" and the "Pelethi" Not Mercenaries

2. Meaning of These Terms

3. Native Hebrews

4. Review

LITERATURE

I. Old Testament Notices.

1. Race and Origin:

The Philistines were an uncircumcised people inhabiting the shore plain between Gezer and Gaza in Southwestern Palestine (see PHILISTIA). The name Palestine itself (Hebrew pelesheth) refers to their country. The word means "migrants," and they came from another country. They…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Philistines

(Gen. 10:14, R.V.; but in A.V., “Philistim”), a tribe allied to the Phoenicians. They were a branch of the primitive race which spread over the whole district of the Lebanon and the valley of the Jordan, and Crete and other Mediterranean islands. Some suppose them to have been a branch of the Rephaim (2 Sam. 21:16-22). In the time of Abraham they inhabited the south-west of Judea, Abimelech of Gerar being their king (Gen. 21:32, 34; 26:1). They are, however, not noticed among the Canaanitish tribes mentioned in the Pentateuch. They are spoken of by Amos (9:7) and Jeremiah (47:4) as from Caphtor, i.e., probably Crete, or, as some think, the Delta of Egypt. In the whole record from Exodus to Samuel they are…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(immigrants), The origin of the Philistines is nowhere expressly stated in the Bible; but as the prophets describe them as "the Philistines-from Caphtor," (Amos 9:7) and "the remnant of the maritime district of Caphtor" (Jeremiah 47:4) it is prima facie probable that they were the Caphtorim which came out of Caphtor" who expelled the Avim from their territory and occupied it; in their place, (2:23) and that these again were the Caphtorim mentioned in the Mosaic genealogical table among the descendants of Mizraim. (Genesis 10:14) It has been generally assumed that Caphtor represents Crete, and that the Philistines migrated from that island, either directly or through Egypt, into Palestine. But the name Caphtor is more probably…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A celebrated people, who inhabited the southern seacoast of Canaan, which from them took the name of Philistia, Ps 60:8 108:9, or Palestine. They seem originally to have migrated form Egypt to Caphtor, by which some understand Crete, and others with the ancients Cappadocia, Ge 10:14, and thence to have passed over to Palestine under the name of Caphtorim, where they drove out the Avim, who dwelt from Hazerim to Azzah, that is, Gaza, and swelt in their stead, De 2:23. The country they inhabited lay between the higher land of Judea and the Mediterranean, and was in the main a level and fertile territory. It resembles our own western prairies; and bears splendid crops year after year, though miserably cultivated and never manured.

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate