1 Samuel 29 · Verse 1

1 Samuel 29:1

Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.
1 Samuel 29:1, King James Version

1 Samuel 29:1 in other translations

BSBNow the Philistines brought all their forces together at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.
WEBNow the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek; and the Israelites encamped by the spring which is in Jezreel.
ASVNow the Philistines gathered together all their hosts to Aphek: and the Israelites encamped by the fountain which is in Jezreel.
YLTAnd the Philistines gather all their camps to Aphek, and the Israelites are encamping at a fountain which is in Jezreel,
DARBYAnd the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek; and Israel encamped by the spring that is in Jizreel.
BBENow the Philistines got all their army together at Aphek: and the Israelites put their forces in position by the fountain in Jezreel.
WebsterNow the Philistines collected all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites encamped by a fountain which is in Jezreel.

What does 1 Samuel 29:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
1Sa 29:1-5. David Marching with the Philistines to Fight with Israel. 1. Aphek--(Jos 12:8), in the tribe of Issachar, and in the plain of Esdraelon. A person who compares the Bible account of Saul's last battle with the Philistines, with the region around Gilboa, has the same sort of evidence that the account relates what is true, that a person would have that such a battle as Waterloo really took place. Gilboa, Jezreel, Shunem, En-dor, are all found, still bearing the same names. They lie within sight of each other. Aphek is the only one of the cluster not yet identified. Jezreel on the northern slope of Gilboa, and at the distance of twenty minutes to the east, is a large fountain, and a smaller one still nearer; just the position which a chieftain would select, both on account of its elevation and the supply of water needed for his troops [Hackett, Scripture Illustrated].

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

The Philistines gather their armies together against Israel, and encamp at Aphek; while the Israelites encamp at Jezreel, 1Sam 29:1. The lords of the Philistines refuse to let David go to battle with them, lest he should betray them, 1Sam 29:2-5. Achish expresses his confidence in David; but begs him to return, 1Sam 29:6-10. David and his men return, 1Sam 29:11. Verse 1 To Aphek - This was a place in the valley of Jezreel, between Mounts Tabor and Gilboa. Pitched by a fountain - To be near a fountain, or copious spring of water, was a point of great importance to an army in countries such as these, where water was so very scarce. It is supposed, as William of Tyre says, that it was at this same fountain that Saladin pitched his camp, while Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, pitched his by another fountain between Nazareth and Sephoris; each being anxious to secure that without which it was impossible for their armies to subsist.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 29:1-5
David waited with a secret hope that the Lord would help him out of his difficulty. But he seems to have been influenced too much by the fear of man, in consenting to attend Achish. It is hard to come near to the brink of sin, and not to fall in. God inclined the princes of the Philistines to oppose David's being employed in the battle. Thus their dislike befriended him, when no friend could do him such a kindness.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Samuel 29:1 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.

וַיִּקְבְּצ֧וּvai.yik.be.Tzuand they gatheredH6908
פְלִשְׁתִּ֛יםfe.lish.Tim[the] PhilistinesH6430
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
מַחֲנֵיהֶ֖םma.cha.nei.Hemarmies theirH4264
אֲפֵ֑קָה'a.Fe.kahAphek towardsH663
וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣לve.Yis.ra.'Eland IsraelH3478
חֹנִ֔יםcho.Nim[were] encampedH2583
בַּעַ֖יִןba.'A.yinat the springH5869
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
בְּיִזְרְעֶֽאל\׃be.yiz.re.'El[is] in JezreelH3157

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 29:1

  • 1 Samuel 4:1

    And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben–ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

  • Joshua 19:30

    Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty and two cities with their villages.

  • 1 Kings 21:1

    And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

  • Joshua 12:18

    The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;

  • 1 Kings 20:30

    But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben–hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

  • 2 Kings 9:30

    And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.

  • Joshua 19:18

    And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,

  • 1 Samuel 28:4

    And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.

  • 1 Samuel 28:1-2

    And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men. And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.

  • 2 Kings 9:36

    Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:

  • 1 Kings 21:23

    And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

  • Judges 6:33

    Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 David marching with the Philistines,
3 is disallowed by their princes.
6 Achish dismisses him, with commendations of his fidelity.

the Philistines.
28:1,2
Aphek.
4:1; Jos 19:30; 1Ki 20:30
Jezreel.
28:4; Jos 19:18; Jud 6:33; 1Ki 18:45,46; 21:1,23; 2Ki 9:36
Ho 1:4-11

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 29:1

    Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.

  • 1 Samuel 29:2

    And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.

Read all of 1 Samuel 29

1 Samuel 29:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y LOS Filisteos juntaron todos sus campos en Aphec; é Israel puso su campo junto á la fuente que está en Jezreel.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Et les Philistins rassemblèrent toutes leurs armées à Aphek; et Israël était campé à la source qui est à Jizreël.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Philister versammelten alle ihre Heere nach Aphek; und Israel war an der Quelle gelagert, die bei Jisreel ist.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Congregata sunt ergo Philisthiim universa agmina in Aphec: sed et Israël castrametatus est super fontem qui erat in Jezrahel.