1 Samuel 13 · Verse 17

1 Samuel 13:17

And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:
1 Samuel 13:17, King James Version

1 Samuel 13:17 in other translations

BSBAnd raiders went out of the Philistine camp in three divisions. One headed toward Ophrah in the land of Shual,
WEBThe raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual;
ASVAnd the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual;
YLTAnd the destroyer goeth out from the camp of the Philistines--three detachments; the one detachment turneth unto the way of Ophrah, unto the land of Shual;
DARBYAnd the ravagers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned the way of Ophrah, into the land of Shual;
BBEAnd three bands of men came out from the Philistines to make an attack; one band went by the road which goes to Ophrah, into the land of Shual:
WebsterAnd the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leadeth to Ophrah, to the land of Shual:

What does 1 Samuel 13:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 13:17-18
17-18. the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies--ravaging through the three valleys which radiate from the uplands of Michmash to Ophrah on the north, through the pass of Beth-horon on the west, and down the ravines of Zeboim ("the hyænas"), towards the Ghor or Jordan valley on the east.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 The spoilers came out - The Philistines, finding that the Israelites durst not hazard a battle, divided their army into three bands, and sent them in three different directions to pillage and destroy the country. Jonathan profited by this circumstance, and attacked the remains of the army at Michmash, as we shall see in the succeeding chapter, 1 Samuel 14 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 13:15-23

See how politic the Philistines were when they had power; they not only prevented the people of Israel from making weapons of war, but obliged them to depend upon their enemies, even for instruments of husbandry. How impolitic Saul was, who did not, in the beginning of his reign, set himself to redress this. Want of true sense always accompanies want of grace. Sins which appear to us very little, have dangerous…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 13:15-23 →

1 Samuel 13:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֵּצֵ֧אvai.ye.Tze'and it came outH3318
הַמַּשְׁחִ֛יתha.mash.Chitthe destroyerH7843
מִמַּחֲנֵ֥הmi.ma.cha.Nehfrom [the] camp ofH4264
פְלִשְׁתִּ֖יםfe.lish.Tim[the] PhilistinesH6430
שְׁלֹשָׁ֣הshe.lo.ShahthreeH7969
רָאשִׁ֑יםra.ShimcompaniesH7218
הָרֹ֨אשׁha.Roshthe companyH7218
אֶחָ֥ד'e.ChadoneH259
יִפְנֶ֛הyif.Nehit turnedH6437
אֶל\־'el-toH413
דֶּ֥רֶךְDe.rekh[the] direction ofH1870
עָפְרָ֖ה'a.fe.RahOphrahH6084
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אֶ֥רֶץ'E.retz[the] land ofH776
שׁוּעָֽל\׃shu.'AlShualH7777

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 13:17

  • Joshua 18:23

    And Avim, and Parah, and Ophrah,

  • 1 Samuel 14:15

    And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.

  • Joshua 19:3

    And Hazar–shual, and Balah, and Azem,

  • 1 Samuel 11:11

    And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
in three companies.
11:11
Ophrah.
Jos 18:23
Shual.
Jos 19:3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 13:16

    And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.

  • 1 Samuel 13:17

    And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:

  • 1 Samuel 13:18

    And another company turned the way to Beth–horon: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

Read all of 1 Samuel 13

1 Samuel 13:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y salieron del campo de los Filisteos en correría tres escuadrones. El un escuadrón tiró por el camino de Ophra hacia la tierra de Sual.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et les ravageurs sortirent du camp des Philistins en trois corps: un corps prit le chemin d’Ophra, vers le pays de Shual,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der Verheerungszug ging aus von dem Lager der Philister in drei Haufen: Ein Haufe wandte sich des Weges nach Ophra, nach dem Lande Schual hin,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et egressi sunt ad prædandum de castris Philisthinorum tres cunei. Unus cuneus pergebat contra viam Ephra ad terram Sual: