For Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the Valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
- KJV Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
- BSB They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”
- NKJV Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
- NLT David’s brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The narrator situates Saul and all Israel in the Valley of Elah, locked in conflict with the Philistines. The scene is set for the confrontation to come.
Overview
This verse provides the geographic and military backdrop: Israel's army, led by Saul, faces the Philistines in the Valley of Elah. The standoff has reached an impasse, with neither side advancing. The setting frames the contrast between Saul, the tall king who should lead but cowers, and David, who will soon trust God where the king fails.
Cross-references & the web
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Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 17:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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