· Translation: KJV

1 Samuel 13:23The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

The setting

Michmash pass, central Israel, ~1020 BC. Philistine soldiers establish a strategic outpost controlling the mountain pass, the key route between Israelite territories...

The emotion here: recording the ominous military movements with growing concern

The original word

matstsab (מצב) — garrison, a military outpost designed to control territory

Why it matters

Michmash pass was only 14 miles from Jerusalem, putting the capital in immediate danger

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 13:23

This garrison wasn't just camping — they were cutting off Israel's supply lines and communication

Common misconceptionThis seems like a minor military detail, but controlling this pass meant controlling all of central Israel — it was a chokehold strategy.

Bible Genome reading

1 Samuel 13:23 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power10%
Quotability30%
Memorability40%
Crisis relevance80%
Standalone40%
Themes:military movementpositioning

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Samuel 13

1 Samuel 13:23 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. The setting is the battlefield. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include military movement, positioning. Notable phrases: garrison went out; pass of Michmash.

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