And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
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Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Gill's Exposition
And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel,.... To prevent their further encroachments on them, and designs against them; for they perceived they intended to cast off their…
Barnes' Notes
Thirty thousand chariots - Probably a copyist’s mistake for 300. (Compare, for a similar numerical variation, 1Ch 18:4 with 2Sa 8:4.) Eastward from Bethaven - Or more simply “to the east of Bethaven,”…
Adam Clarke
Thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen - There is no proportion here between the chariots and the cavalry. The largest armies ever brought into the field, even by mighty emperors, never…
We are not told wherein it was that the people of Israel offended God, so as to forfeit his presence and turn his hand against them, as Samuel had threatened (Sa1 12:15); but doubtless they left God,…
Cambridge Bible
thirty thousand chariots This reading, though as old as the Sept., is certainly wrong. The number of chariots was always less than that of horsemen, and such an enormous force of chariots is not only…
Cross References
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