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1 Samuel 31:2 — Word Study

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WLCוַיַּדְבְּק֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים אֶת־ שָׁא֖וּל וְאֶת־ בָּנָ֑יו וַיַּכּ֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים אֶת־ יְהוֹנָתָ֧ן וְאֶת־ אֲבִינָדָ֛ב וְאֶת־ מַלְכִּי־ שׁ֖וּעַ בְּנֵ֥י שָׁאֽוּל׃

BSAThe PhilistinesPᵉlishtîy [pursuers, aggressors] hotly pursueddâbaq SaulShâʼûwl [Shaul, the desired one] and his sonsbên [descendants, heirs] and they killednâkâh [struck down, slew] Saul’sShâʼûwl sonsbên [offspring, children] JonathanYᵉhôwnâthân [Jehonathan, God has given] AbinadabʼĂbîynâdâb [my father is noble] andʼêth MalchishuaMalkîyshûwaʻ [my king is wealth, Malchi-shua]

Word
Listen & take away1 Samuel 31
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 2 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 (sha.'Ul) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Samuel 31:2quick helps
In a sentenceThe Philistines relentlessly pursued Saul and his sons, ultimately killing them.
Who is speakingThe narrator recounts the events of a battle involving Saul and his sons.
Where we areThis passage describes the tragic end of Saul's reign during a battle.
The hard wordוַיַּדְבְּק֣וּ
Take awayThe relentless pursuit led to the downfall of Saul and his lineage.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectפְּלִשְׁתִּי verbדָּבַק 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 31:2

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 Death of Saul and His Sonsgenerated

1Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
2The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
3When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically.
4Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run it through me, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

1 Samuel 31:2 describes a critical moment in the battle between the Philistines and Israel, where the Philistines closely followed Saul and his sons, resulting in their deaths. This event marks the tragic conclusion of Saul's kingship, highlighting the ongoing conflict between the Israelites and the Philistines. The narrative sets the stage for the transition of power in Israel, as seen in subsequent chapters.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
11 Samuel 14:22When all the Israelites who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also joined Saul and Jonathan in the battle.
22 Samuel 1:6“I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” he replied, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and the cavalry closing in on him.
31 Samuel 13:2–16He chose for himself three thousand men of Israel: Two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the troops he sent away, each to his own home.
41 Samuel 14:1–14One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But Jonathan did not tell his father.
51 Samuel 18:1–4After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word וַיַּדְבְּק֣וּ, vai.yad.be.Kugenerated

The verb דָּבַק, transliterated as dabaq, means to cling or pursue closely. It is used here in the Hiphil form, indicating an action taken by the Philistines as they aggressively followed Saul. The parsing as a sequential imperfect third person masculine plural shows that this action was ongoing and relentless.

This word conveys a sense of urgency and determination, emphasizing the Philistines' intent to capture or kill Saul and his sons. The use of this verb illustrates the intensity of the battle and the dire situation faced by Saul.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses followed hard to convey the relentless pursuit by the Philistines.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb וַיַּדְבְּק֣וּ, and they pursued closely, governs the main clause, with a noun phrase indicating the subject, פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים, the Philistines, and another clause following that describes the action they took against Saul's sons.

The structure emphasizes the actions of the Philistines, with the verb at the forefront, indicating their aggressive pursuit and the subsequent fatal outcome for Saul's lineage.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint uses the Greek word συνάπτουσιν, which means to join or attach. This choice suggests a close and aggressive pursuit, aligning with the Hebrew meaning of וַיַּדְבְּק֣וּ.

This translation choice highlights the intensity of the Philistines' actions, reinforcing the narrative of their relentless pursuit of Saul and his sons.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Samuel 31:2 tells us that the Philistines closely pursued Saul and his sons, resulting in the deaths of his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. This moment marks a significant point in the battle and the end of Saul's reign.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the Philistines followed hard after Saul?

It indicates that the Philistines aggressively pursued Saul and his sons with the intent to capture or kill them.

Who were Saul's sons mentioned in this verse?

Saul's sons mentioned are Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, who were all killed in the battle.

What is the significance of this battle for Israel?

This battle signifies the downfall of Saul's kingship and the transition of power in Israel, leading to David's rise.

How does this verse connect to the overall narrative of 1 Samuel?

This verse highlights the culmination of Saul's tragic story, emphasizing the conflict with the Philistines and setting the stage for the next phase in Israel's leadership.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see relentless pursuit in my life, and how can I respond to it?
  2. How can I learn from Saul's story about the consequences of leadership decisions?
  3. What does this passage teach me about facing challenges and adversaries?
  4. How can I support others who are in difficult situations, similar to Saul and his sons?

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

Bede comments on this passage, noting the intent of the Philistines to destroy Saul's kingdom and remove his lineage.

BedeCommentary on Samuel c. 673–735
The Philistines attacked Saul and his sons, etc. The surrounding nations attacked with full intention to destroy the kingdom of Judea and to remove the sons of that kingdom from their midst, and they corrupted the priests, Scribes,
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 31 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Samuel 31:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul,.... Stuck to him, pushed him close, bore hard upon him in that part of the army where he was having a design upon his person: and upon his sons; who were

Read John Gill on 1 Samuel 31 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons. No JFB commentary on this verse.

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Samuel 31 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The Philistines slew Jonathan, David’ s dear friend; God so ordering it for the further exercise of David’ s faith and patience; and that David might depend upon God alone for his crown, and receive it solely from him, and not from Jonathan; who doubtless, had he lived, would have speedily settled the crown upon David’ s head, which would have in some sort eclipsed the glory of God’ s grace and power in this work. There was also a special providence of God in taking away Jonathan, (who of all Saul’ s sons seems to have been the fairest for the crown,) for the preventing divisions, which have happened amongst the people concerning the successor; David’ s way to the crown being by this means…

Read Matthew Poole on 1 Samuel 31 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Samuel 31:2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’ s sons.Ver. 2. And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul.] Heb., Clave to him; sat close upon his skirts: fighting neither against small nor great, so much as against him, as their capital enemy, the destroyer of their country, that had slain many of them, as Judges 16:24. And the Philistines slew Jonathan.] That peerless prince, the glory of chivalry, that lumen et columen the light and support of his country. He dieth among the rest, and hath his share as deep as any other in that common calamity: so true is that of Solomon, "there is one…

Read John Trapp on 1 Samuel 31 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons.—“The details of the battle are but seen in broken snatches, as in the short scene of a battle acted upon the stage, or beheld at remote glimpses by an accidental spectator. But amidst the showers of arrows from the Philistine archers, or pressed hard even on the mountain side by their charioteers, the figure of the king emerges from the darkness. His three sons have fallen before him; his armourbearer lies dead beside him.”—Stanley: Jewish Church, Lect. 21 And the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchi-shua, Saul’s sons.—But while, in his own record of the national disaster, the compiler or historian, in his…

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Samuel 31 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 2. Followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons] They, seeing the discomfiture of their troops, were determined to sell their lives as dear as possible, and therefore maintained the battle till the three brothers were slain.

Read AdamClarke on 1 Samuel 31 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. Saul’s sons] See 1 Samuel 14:49. There is a tragic pathos in the simplicity of the account. Cp. 1 Samuel 31:6.

Read Cambridge on 1 Samuel 31 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

2. Followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons — When Saul and his sons saw the people flying they probably placed themselves in the thickest of the battle, and sought, as by the last efforts of

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 1 Samuel 31 →

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

The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

The Philistines hotly pursued Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

NETBNew English Translation2006

The Philistines stayed right on the heels of Saul and his sons. They struck down Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul’s sons.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And the Philistims preassed sore vpon Saul and his sonnes, and slewe Ionathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua Sauls sonnes.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines smote Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and the Philistines follow Saul and his sons, and the Philistines smite Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, sons of Saul.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and the Philistines follow Saul and his sons, and the Philistines strike Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines smote Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malkishua', the sons of Saul.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The Philistines closely pursued Saul and his sons. The Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua, his sons.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And the Philistines fell upon Saul, and upon his sons, and they slew Jonathan, and Abinadab and Melchisua the sons of Saul.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The Philistines chased down Saul and his sons, killing Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and they put to death Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.

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.

וַandclauseverbיַּדְבְּק֣וּthey.pursued.closelysubjectפְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים[the].Philistinesnoun phrase · objectnoun phraseאֶת(et)שָׁא֖וּלSaulוְandnoun phraseאֶת(et)noun phraseבָּנָ֑יsonsוhisוַandclauseverbיַּכּ֣וּthey.struck.downsubjectפְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים[the].Philistinesnoun phrase · objectnoun phrasenoun phraseאֶת(et)יְהוֹנָתָ֧ןJonathanוְandnoun phraseאֶת(et)אֲבִינָדָ֛בAbinadabוְandnoun phraseאֶת(et)noun phraseבְּנֵ֥יthe.sonsשָׁאֽוּלof.Saul

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


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

The Masoretic Text aligns with the Septuagint in the overall narrative but shows some variation in word order. The Dead Sea Scrolls partially restore the text, with some words supplied by an editor, indicating a close match with the Masoretic Text in meaning.

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

וַיַּדְבְּק֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים אֶת־ שָׁא֖וּל וְאֶת־ בָּנָ֑יו וַיַּכּ֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים אֶת־ יְהוֹנָתָ֧ן וְאֶת־ אֲבִינָדָ֛ב וְאֶת־ מַלְכִּי־ שׁ֖וּעַ בְּנֵ֥י שָׁאֽוּל׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיַּדְבְּק֣וּσυνάπτουσινפְלִשְׁתִּ֔יםἀλλόφυλοιשָׁא֖וּלσαουλוְאֶת־καὶבָּנָ֑יוαὐτοῦוַיַּכּ֣וּτύπτουσινפְלִשְׁתִּ֗יםἀλλόφυλοιיְהוֹנָתָ֧ןιωναθανוְאֶת־καὶאֲבִינָדָ֛בαμιναδαβוְאֶת־καὶבְּנֵ֥יυἱοὺςשָׁאֽוּל׃σαουλ

13 of the 17 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.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q51a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[וידבקו] [פלשתיים] [אחרי] [שאול] [ואחרי] [בני׳ו] [ויכו] [פלשתיים] [את] יהונתן ואת [אבינדב] [ואת] [מלכי] [שע] [בני] [שאול]

nothing on the leather here — 2 partly restored, 15 supplied entire by an editor.

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 31:2דָּבַקand they puand they pursueדָּבַקפְּלִשְׁתִּי[the] Phili[the] Philistinפְּלִשְׁתִּיאֵתthe object the object markאֵתשָׁאוּלSaulSaulשָׁאוּלאֵתand the objand the object אֵתבֵּןsons hissons hisבֵּןנָכָהand they stand they struckנָכָהפְּלִשְׁתִּי[the] Phili[the] Philistinפְּלִשְׁתִּיאֵתthe object the object markאֵתיְהוֹנָתָןJonathanJonathanיְהוֹנָתָןאֵתand the objand the object אֵתאֲבִינָדָבAbinadabAbinadabאֲבִינָדָבאֵתand the objand the object אֵתמַלְכִּישׁוּעַMalki-Malki-מַלְכִּישׁוּעַמַלְכִּישׁוּעַShuaShuaמַלְכִּישׁוּעַבֵּן[the] sons [the] sons ofבֵּןשָׁאוּלSaulSaulשָׁאוּלאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתפְּלֶ֫שֶׁתPhilistiaPhilistiaפְּלֶ֫שֶׁתבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהמֶ֫לֶךְKing'sKing'sמֶ֫לֶךְשָׁאַלto askto askשָׁאַליהוהThe LordThe Lordיהוהאָבfatherfatherאָבמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁסֶ֫רֶןlordlordסֶ֫רֶןנָכָהto smiteto smiteנָכָהאִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁתIsh-boshetIsh-boshethאִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁתיְהוֹנָתָןJonathanJonathanיְהוֹנָתָןעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןמַלְכִּישׁוּעַמַלְכִּישׁוּעַאֲבִינָדָבAbinadabAbinadabאֲבִינָדָבחֵךְpalatepalateחֵךְלָשׁוֹןtonguetongueלָשׁוֹן
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 31:2

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 they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
וַיַּדְבְּק֣וּvai.yad.be.Ku and they pursued closely H1692 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
54× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To cleave means to cling or stick to something, like pursuing something closely. It's used in the Bible to describe following God or others.
Tyndale gloss
to cleave
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּבַק, transliterated as dabaq, is a Hebrew verb meaning to cling or cleave. It encompasses a range of actions such as adhering closely, pursuing, and being joined together. The word appears in various forms, including Qal, Pual, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating different nuances of the action. Notably, it can describe both physical and metaphorical closeness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּבַק, דָּבֵק vb. cling, cleave, keep close

Qal

cling, cleave to

cling, cleave to

Pu. of crocodile’s scales, they are joined together

Hiph.

cause to cling or cleave to

pursue closely

overtake

Hoph. and my tongue is made to cleave (to) my gums

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1692 דָּבַק, דָּבֵק cling, cleave, keep close

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1692 dabaq daw-bak'

a primitive root; properly, to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere;

figuratively, to catch by pursuit:--abide fast, cleave (fast

together), follow close (hard after), be joined (together),

keep (fast), overtake, pursue hard, stick, take.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּבַק (da.vaq) — to cleave.

1) to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to cling, cleave to

1a2) to stay with

1b) (Pual) to be joined together

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to cleave to

1c2) to pursue closely

1c3) to overtake

1d) (Hophal) to be made to cleave

Aramaic equivalent: de.vaq (דְּבֵק "to cleave" H1693)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vhw3mp
and they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
פְלִשְׁתִּ֔יםfe.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
pursuers, aggressors
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.

and they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | DirObjM — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
שָׁא֖וּלsha.'Ul Saul H7586 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
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
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
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 they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
וְאֶת־ve.'Et and the object marker H853 Conjunction · particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/To — Conjunction · particle
HC/To
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
בָּנָ֑יוba.Nav sons his H1121 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
descendants, heirs
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

and they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
וַיַּכּ֣וּvai.ya.Ku and they struck down H5221 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to strike or hit something, and it's used in many different ways, like in Exodus when God strikes down the Egyptians. It can also mean to punish or destroy, as seen in Isaiah. The word is used to describe God's judgment.
Amplified meaning
struck down, slew
Tyndale gloss
to smite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָכָה (nakah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to strike or smite, encompassing a range of actions from lightly hitting to fatal blows. It appears in various forms, indicating actions like attacking, punishing, or causing disease. The entries suggest its use in both literal and figurative contexts, including divine judgment and applause. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָכָה] 501 vb. smite (not in Qal)

Niph. and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

Pu. both be smitten down by the hail

Hiph.

lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

smite repeatedly, beat a man

and they clapped hands (in applause)

give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

smite, of sun

Smite fatally

Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

Of God

smite with a plague, disease, etc.

smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

of God’s destroying palaces

Hoph. be smitten

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5221 נָכָה smite (not in Qal) . and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

. both be smitten down by the hail

. . . lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

. smite repeatedly, beat a man

. and they clapped hands (in applause)

. give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

. rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

. smite, of sun

. Smite fatally

. Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

. Of God . smite with a plague, disease, etc.

. smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

. of God’s destroying palaces

. be smitten

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5221 nakah naw-kaw'

a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally

or figuratively):--beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), X

go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer,

punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike,

be stricken, (give) stripes, X surely, wound.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָכָה (na.khah) — to smite.

1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill

1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten

1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust

1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast)

1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage

1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy

1d) (Hophal) to be smitten

1d1) to receive a blow

1d2) to be wounded

1d3) to be beaten

1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain

1d5) to be attacked and captured

1d6) to be smitten (with disease)

1d7) to be blighted (of plants)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vhw3mp
and they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
פְלִשְׁתִּ֗יםfe.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.
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
HNgmpa — 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.

and they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
יְהוֹנָתָ֧ןye.ho.na.Tan Jonathan H3083 Noun proper masculine
82× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jehonathan was a son of King Saul and a friend of David, meaning 'Jehovah has given'. He was also known as Jonathan.
Amplified meaning
Jehonathan, God has given
Tyndale gloss
Jonathan
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word יְהוֹנָתָן (*Yhownathan*) means 'Jehovah has given' and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, primarily Jonathan, the son of King Saul and a close friend of David. The entries detail various figures named Jonathan, including a high priest's son, warriors, and Levites, with notable mentions in Judges and 1 Samuel.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְהוֹנָתָן, יוֹנָתָן n.pr.m. (י׳ hath given)

son of Saul

son of Abiathar

nephew of David

of David, i.e. his uncle?

one of David’s heroes

one of David’s treasurers

a scribe

Levites

a priest

priest to the tribe of Dan, son of Gershom

a Judaite captain, after fall of Jerus.

a Judaite

father of Ebed

son of Asahel

a priest

son of Joiada

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3083 יְהוֹנָתָן, יוֹנָתָן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3083 Yhownathan yeh-ho-naw-thawn'

from 3068 and 5414; Jehovah-given; Jehonathan, the name of

four Israelites:--Jonathan. Compare 3129.

see HEBREW for 03068

see HEBREW for 05414

see HEBREW for 03129

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהוֹנָתָן (ye.ho.na.tan) — Jonathan.

A man living before Israel's Monarchy, only mentioned at Jdg.18.30;

son of: Gershom (H1647)(?)

§ Jonathan or Jehonathan = "Jehovah has given"

1) a son of king Saul and a friend of David

2) a son of the high priest Abiathar and the last descendant of Eli of whom we hear

3) a nephew of David who like David slew a giant of Gath

4) an uncle of David

5) one of David's mighty warriors

6) one of David's treasurers

7) a scribe in the time of Jeremiah

8) a Levite and father of Zechariah, a priest who blew the trumpet at the dedication of the wall

9) a son or descendant of Gershom, the son of Moses, and a priest to the tribe of Dan

10) a son of Kareah and a brother of Johanan; a Judaite captain after the fall of Jerusalem

11) another Judaite father of Peleth

12) father of Ebed in the time of Ezra

13) son of Asahel in the time of Ezra

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Jonathan

Whom Jehovah gave, the name of fifteen or more persons that are mentioned in Scripture. The chief of these are, (1.) A Levite descended from Gershom (Judg. 18:30). His history is recorded in 17:7-13 and 18:30. The Rabbins changed this name into Manasseh “to screen the memory of the great lawgiver from the stain of having so unworthy an apostate among his near descendants.” He became priest of the idol image at Dan, and this office continued in his family till the Captivity.

(2.) The eldest son of king Saul, and the bosom friend of David. He is first mentioned when he was about thirty years of age, some time after his father’s accession to the throne (1 Sam. 13:2). Like his father, he was a man of great strength and activity (

that is, "the gift of Jehovah, " the eldest son of King Saul. (B.C. about 1095-1056.) He was a man of great strength and activity. (2 Samuel 1:23) He was also famous as a warrior, (1 Chronicles 12:2) as is shown by the courage he showing in attacking the garrison of the Philistines, in company with is armor-bearer only, slaying twenty men and putting an army to flight. (1 Samuel 14:6-16) During the pursuit, Jonathan, who had not heard of the rash curse, ch. (1 Samuel 14:24) which Saul invoked on any one who ate before the evening, tasted the honey which lay on the ground. Saul would have sacrificed him; but the people interposed in behalf of the hero of that great day, and…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. A Levite, son of Gershom, and grandson of Moses, who after the death of Joshua impiously served as a priest, first to Micah, and then to the Danites in Laish or Dan, where his posterity succeeded him until the captivity, Jud 17:1-18:31.

2. The eldest son of Saul, and one of the loveliest characters in Old Testament history. The narrative of his brilliant exploit in Michmash, 1Sa 13:1-14:52, illustrates his pious faith, his bravery, (see also 1Sa 13:3) and the favor borne him by the people, who would not suffer him to be put to death in consequence of Saul’s foolish vow. This valiant and generous prince loved David as his own soul, 1Sa 18:1-4 19:2 20:1-42; and though…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

given of God

and they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
וְאֶת־ve.'Et and the object marker H853 Conjunction · particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/To — Conjunction · particle
HC/To
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
אֲבִינָדָ֛ב'a.vi.na.Dav Abinadab H41 Noun proper masculine
12× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Abinadab was the name of several Israelites, including a man who sheltered the ark and a brother of King David. His name means 'my father is noble' or 'my father is willing'. These men played important roles in biblical history.
Amplified meaning
my father is noble
Tyndale gloss
Abinadab
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֲבִינָדָב (*Abiynadab*) means 'my father is noble' or 'my father is willing.' It refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including a man from Gibeah who sheltered the ark, a son of Jesse (David's older brother), and a son of Saul who died with him. The entries indicate a common understanding of the name's meaning and its biblical references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲבִינָדָב n.pr.m. (my father is noble)

a man of Gibeah, in whose house the ark tarried

a son of Jesse

a son of Saul

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H41 אֲבִינָדָב

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

41 'Abiynadab ab-ee-naw-dawb'

from 1 and 5068; father of generosity (i.e. liberal);

Abinadab, the name of four Israelites:--Abinadab.

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 05068

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲבִינָדָב (a.vi.na.dav) — Abinadab.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.7.1;

father of: Eleazar (H0499H), Uzzah (H5798A), Ahio (H0283)

§ Abinadab = "my father is noble" or "my father is willing"

1) a man of Gibeah who sheltered the ark

2) second son of Jesse, David's older brother

3) a son of Saul, slain with him by the Philistines

אֲבִינָדָב (a.vi.na.dav) — Abinadab.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.14.49;

son of: Saul (H7586G) and Ahinoam (H0293);

brother of: Jonathan (H3083H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764) and Michal (H4324);

half-brother of: Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764) and Mephibosheth (H4648H); also called Ishvi (KJV: Ishui) at 1Sa.14.49;

Also named: yish.vi (יִשְׁוִי "Ishvi" H3440H)

§ Abinadab = "my father is noble" or "my father is willing"

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

a-bin'-a-dab ('abhinadhabh, "father of willingness," or, "my father is willing." This is according to the ordinary usage of the second word in the name--"willing" rather than "munificent" or "noble"):

(1) The man in whose house the men of Kiriath-jearim placed the ark, after its return from the land of the Philistines, his house being either in Gibeah of Benjamin or "in the hill" (1Sa 7:1; 2Sa 6:3,4). To account for the ambiguity note that gibh`ah means hill, and that the place-name Gibeah ordinarily has the definite article. It is natural to think that Abinadab was himself a man of Kiriath-jearim, though the account does not explicitly say so. The record is that the men of Kiriath-jearim were summoned to take charge of the ark at a time when no one else dared to have it (

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Abinadab

Father of nobleness; i.e., “noble.” (1.) A Levite of Kirjath-jearim, in whose house the ark of the covenant was deposited after having been brought back from the land of the Philistines (1 Sam. 7:1). It remained there twenty years, till it was at length removed by David (1 Sam. 7:1,2; 1 Chr. 13:7).

(2.) The second of the eight sons of Jesse (1 Sam. 16:8). He was with Saul in the campaign against the Philistines in which Goliath was slain (1 Sam. 17:13).

(3.) One of Saul’s sons, who peristed with his father in the battle of Gilboa (1 Sam. 31:2;

A Levite, a native of Kirjath-jearim, in whose house the ark remained 20 years. (1 Samuel 7:1,2; 1 Chronicles 13:7) (B.C. 1124.) Second son of Jesse, who followed Saul to his war against the Philistines, (1 Samuel 16:8; 17:13) (B.C. 1063.) A son of Saul, who was slain with his brothers at the fatal battle on Mount Gilboa. (1 Samuel 31:2) (B.C. 1053.) Father of one of the twelve chief officers of Solomon. (1 Kings 4:11) (B.C. before 1014.)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The same as Aminadab, b and m is often interchanged in Hebrew.

1. A son of Jesse, one of the three who followed Saul in the war with the Philistines, 1Sa 16:8; 17:13.

2. A son of Saul, slain in the battle at Gilboa, 1Sa 31:2.

3. A Levite of Kirjath-jearim, in whose house the ark of God, when restored by the Philistines, remained seventy years, 1Sa 7:1; 1Ch 13:7.

and they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
וְאֶת־ve.'Et and the object marker H853 Conjunction · particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/To — Conjunction · particle
HC/To
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
מַלְכִּי־mal.ki- Malki- H4444 Noun proper masculine
10× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Amplified meaning
my king is wealth, Malchi-shua
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַלְכִּישׁוּעַ n.pr.m. son of Saul (my king (= י׳) is opulence)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4444 מַלְכִּישׁוּעַ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4444 Malkiyshuwa` mal-kee-shoo'-ah

from 4428 and 7769; king of wealth; Malkishua, an

Israelite:--Malchishua.

see HEBREW for 04428

see HEBREW for 07769

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַלְכִּישׁוּעַ (mal.ki.shu.a) — Malchi-shua.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.14.49;

son of: Saul (H7586G) and Ahinoam (H0293);

brother of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Merab (H4764) and Michal (H4324);

half-brother of: Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764) and Mephibosheth (H4648H)

§ Malchishua or Melchishua = "my king is wealth"

a son of king Saul of Israel

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
and they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
שׁ֖וּעַShu.a' Shua H4444 Noun proper masculine
10× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַלְכִּישׁוּעַ n.pr.m. son of Saul (my king (= י׳) is opulence)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4444 מַלְכִּישׁוּעַ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4444 Malkiyshuwa` mal-kee-shoo'-ah

from 4428 and 7769; king of wealth; Malkishua, an

Israelite:--Malchishua.

see HEBREW for 04428

see HEBREW for 07769

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַלְכִּישׁוּעַ (mal.ki.shu.a) — Malchi-shua.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.14.49;

son of: Saul (H7586G) and Ahinoam (H0293);

brother of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Merab (H4764) and Michal (H4324);

half-brother of: Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764) and Mephibosheth (H4648H)

§ Malchishua or Melchishua = "my king is wealth"

a son of king Saul of Israel

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpm — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Shua

Wealth. (1.) A Canaanite whose daughter was married to Judah (1 Chr. 2:3).

(2.) A daughter of Heber the Asherite (1 Chr. 7:32).

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

crying; saving

Nave's Topical Bible

1. A Canaanite and the father-in-law of Judah Ge 38:2,12

R. V., A. V. SHUAH) 1Ch 2:3

2. Daughter of Heber 1Ch 7:32

and they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
בְּנֵ֥יbe.Nei [the] sons of H1121 Noun common · masculine plural construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
offspring, children
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See SON, SONS.

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 they pursued closely [the] Philistines the object marker Saul and the object marker sons his and they struck down [the] Philistines the object marker Jonathan and the object marker Abinadab and the object marker Malki- Shua [the] sons of Saul
שָׁאֽוּל׃sha.'Ul Saul H7586 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.
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)

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
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…

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.

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