The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
Parallel translations
- KJV And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
- BSB The Philistines stood on one hill and the Israelites stood on another, with the valley between them.
- NKJV The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.
- NASB The Philistines were standing on the mountain on one side, while Israel was standing on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.
- NLT So the Philistines and Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them.
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 two armies stand on opposing hills with a valley between them. The geography frames the coming single-combat challenge.
Overview
The armies face each other across a valley, a natural arena for the confrontation about to unfold. The standoff conveys the tension of two forces unwilling to commit to battle. Into this divided field Goliath will step to issue his defiant challenge.
Cross-references & the web
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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 17:3 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.