1 Samuel 14:47

Contextual Overview

⁴⁷After Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them.⁴⁷ After Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them. ⁴⁷Now Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, and he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, the sons of Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines; and wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment. ⁴⁷ Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, the sons of Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines; and wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment.⁴⁷ And so Saul helde the kingdome ouer Israel, and fought against all his enemies on euery side, against Moab, against the children of Ammon, against Edom, against the kinges of Zoba, and against the Philistines: And whyther soeuer he turned him selfe, he put them to the worse. ⁴⁷ Saul took full control of Israel and fought all the enemies who lived around Israel. Saul fought Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the king of Zobah, and the Philistines. He defeated Israel's enemies wherever he went. ⁴⁷ And Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies all around, with Moab, and with the sons of Ammon, and with Edom, and with the kings of Zobah, and with the Philistines, and wherever he turned, he put them tothe worse. ⁴⁷ When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; wherever he turned he put them to the worse. ⁴⁷ Now 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. ⁴⁷ So Saul tooke the kingdom ouer Israel, and fought against all his enemies on euery side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoeuer hee turned himselfe, he vexed them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Saul: 1 Samuel 13:1

fought: 2 Kings 14:27

Ammon: 1 Samuel 11:11, 1 Samuel 12:2

Zobah: 2 Samuel 10:6, 1 Kings 11:23

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 20:13 - he hath been with my father 1 Samuel 22:3 - the king 2 Samuel 8:2 - he smote 2 Samuel 8:3 - Zobah 1 Chronicles 18:3 - Zobah 1 Chronicles 18:5 - Zobah 1 Chronicles 19:6 - Zobah 1 Chronicles 26:28 - Abner

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So Saul took the kingdom over Israel,.... Which seemed to be almost taken from him when he was shut up in Gibeah, and the Philistines ravaged his country at pleasure; but now, having obtained a victory over them, he recovered his kingdom, and reassumed his power and authority; or he was now strengthened in it, as Kimchi interprets it; the people seeing that he succeeded in his wars with their enemies, they readily submitted to his government without any hesitation, and obeyed his commands; so the Targum,

"Saul prospered in the kingdom over Israel;''

and, according to Abarbinel, these words will admit of another sense, that whereas, after he was anointed and made king, he followed the herd, and attended rustic affairs; but now, after this victory over the Philistines, he took upon him the state and majesty of a king, and no more concerned himself with his farm and cattle, but betook himself wholly to regal and military affairs, as follows:

and fought against all his enemies on every side; who invaded his kingdom from different quarters; he defended himself against them, and preserved his kingdom:

against Moab, and against the children of Ammon; who lay to the east of him:

and against Edom; which was on the southern border of his land:

and against the king of Zobah; a part of Syria, which was to the north of the land of Israel, and was near Damascus, see 2 Samuel 8:3, and, according to Benjamin of Tudela o, the same with Haleb, or Aleppo, There never were but two kings of it, Rehob and Hadadezer, who lived in the reigns of Saul and David, 2 Samuel 8:3

and against the Philistines; who were on the western border of the land of Canaan:

and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them; disturbed and disquieted them, and made them very uneasy; he terrified and distressed them; the Targum is, he "condemned" them, he treated them as wicked and ungodly persons, and punished them as such.

o Itinerar. p. 59.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare 2 Samuel 8:15. The preceding narrative shows that before this time Saul had been king in name only, since his country was occupied by the Philistines, and he could only muster 600 men, and those but half armed and pent up in a narrow stronghold. Now, however, on the expulsion of the Philistines from his country, and the return of the Israelites from their vassalage and from their hiding places 1 Samuel 14:21-22, Saul became king in deed as well as in name, and acted the part of a king through the rest of his reign in defending his people against their enemies round about. A comprehensive list of these enemies, including the Ammonite war which had already been described 1 Samuel 11:1-15, and the Amalekite war which follows in 1 Samuel 15:0, is given in 1 Samuel 14:47-48. There is not the slightest indication from the words whether this “taking the kingdom” occurred soon or really years after Saul’s anointing at Gilgal. Hence, some would place the clause 1 Samuel 14:47-52 immediately after 1 Samuel 11:1-15, or 1 Samuel 12:0, as a summary of Saul’s reign. The details of the reign, namely, of the Philistine war in 1 Samuel 13:0; 1 Samuel 14:0, of the Amalekite war in 1 Samuel 15:0, and the other events down to the end of 1 Samuel 31:1-13, preceded by the formulary, 1 Samuel 13:1, would then follow according to the common method of Hebrew historical narrative.

Zobah - This was one of the petty Ara-roman kingdoms flourishing at this time (Psalms 60:1-12 title). It seems to have been situated between Damascus and the Euphrates.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 14:47. So Saul took the kingdom — The Targum appears to give the meaning of this expression: "Saul prospered in his government over Israel." And the proofs of his prosperity are immediately subjoined.

Fought against all his enemies — Of the wars which are mentioned here we have no particulars; they must have endured a long time, and have been, at least in general, successful.