1 Samuel 14:47Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and wherever he turned himself, he put them to the worse.
The setting
Israel, ~1025 BC. King Saul's early reign. Multiple enemy nations press Israel's borders simultaneously. Modern-day Israel/Palestine, Jordan, Syria.
The emotion here: recording with admiration the overwhelming scope of Saul's challenges
The original word
milchamah (מִלְחָמָה) — warfare requiring total commitment, not just battle
Why it matters
Zobah was an Aramean kingdom north of Damascus with professional armies
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 14:47
This lists SIX different enemies attacking at once — Israel was surrounded
Common misconceptionPeople see this as Saul being a great warrior, but it actually shows how desperate Israel's situation was — completely surrounded by enemies.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Samuel 14:47
Bible Genome reading
1 Samuel 14:47 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Samuel 14:47 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include warfare, leadership. Notable phrases: fought against all his enemies.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does 1 Samuel 14:47 mean to you, today?
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