1st Samuel Chapter 14 verse 47 Holy Bible

Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 47. - So Saul took the kingdom. Instead of so the Hebrew has and, rightly; for this is no result or consequence of Saul's victory over the Philistines, but a mere historical introduction to the summary of his wars. The more correct translation would be, "When Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought," etc. Saul's reign was valiant and full of military glory. He was, in fact, in war all that the people had longed for, and not only. did he gain independence for Israel.. but laid the foundation of the vast empire of David and Solomon. But it is not the purpose of Holy, Scripture to give us the history of all Saul s valiant exploits, but only of his moral probation and failure. Of wars we read more than enough in profane history; here we read of the formation of character, and how a hero in the midst of noble and worthy feats of arms may yet lose something nobler and worthier - the favour of God. On every side. Moab and Ammon were on the east, Edom on the south, Zobah on the northeast, and the Philistines on the west. Zobah lay beyond Damascus, and, from the accounts given in 2 Samuel 8:3-8; 2 Samuel 10:6, must have been a powerful state. He vexed them. The verb is a judicial one, used of punishing the guilty, and might be translated "he chastised them." The Syriac and Vulgate give the real sense - "he was victorious."

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(47) So Saul took the kingdom over Israel.--Some expositors closely connect this verse with the successful termination of the Philistine war, considering that it was through this great victory over the nation which had so long harassed and impoverished Israel that Saul really acquired for the first time the regal authority over all Israel, and that previously his rule had only been acknowledged in certain of the tribes. It is, however, better to consider the statement contained in this verse as simply a general view of Saul's reign, which was a reign of perpetual wars. The words, then, of our verse are simply introductory to the list of wars waged from the very beginning of his government. It should be observed that this view is supported by the mention of the Ammonite war, which took place a considerable time before the events just related. Such a mention would, therefore, be out of place, unless we take this verse as containing a general statement--in other words, "Saul assumed the reins of government, and during his reign he waged the following wars."On every side . . . Moab . . . Ammon . . . Edom . . . Zobah . . . Philistines.--This enumeration of the nations with whom he fought literally included the countries on every side of the Land of Promise. Moab and Ammon bounded the Israelites on the east; Edom on the south; the Philistines on the west, along the coast of the Mediterranean; while Zobah was a district of Syria on the north-east of the territory of the twelve tribes, lying between the Euphrates and the Syrian Orontes.He vexed them.--The exact sense of the Hebrew word yar'shia, rendered in our version "he vexed," has puzzled all commentators. The LXX. evidently read another word here, as they translate it by es?zeto, "he was preserved." The majority of the versions and Gesenius, however, give the real sense: "Whithersoever he (Saul) turned himself lie was victorious." Luther's rendering is scholarly: "Whithersoever he turned he inflicted punishment," and is adopted by Keil.