The Meaning of 1 Samuel 14:47 Explained

1 Samuel 14:47

KJV: So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and 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 whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.

YLT: and Saul captured the kingdom over Israel, and he fighteth round about against all his enemies, against Moab, and against the Bene-Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines, and whithersoever he turneth he doth vex them.

Darby: And Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies round about, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; and whithersoever he turned himself, he discomfited them.

ASV: 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 whithersoever he turned himself, he put them to the worse.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So Saul  took  the kingdom  over Israel,  and 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 whithersoever he turned  himself, he vexed  [them]. 

What does 1 Samuel 14:47 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 14:36-52 - The Man Who Wrought With God Rescued
In this case the voice of the people was the voice of God. If a man dares to stand alone with God, he cannot be put to shame. If he says of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust." Ten thousand voices answer: "He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shall thou trust"¦. Thou shalt not be afraid." "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn," One with God is always on the stronger side.
How safe are they who do God's commandments, hearkening to the voice of His wind! When our Lord was arrested, He stood boldly before His captors and, interposing between them and His timid disciples, said, "If ye seek me, let these go their way." This is His invariable method. As the mother-bird interposes for her helpless young; as the ring-fence of fire intercepts the night attack of the wild beast: as the broad river and its streams bar the progress of the foe; as the arm of masonry protects the ships from the storm, so the Lord is round about His people forever! [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 14

1  Jonathan goes and miraculously smites the Philistine's garrison
15  A divine terror makes them beat themselves
17  Saul, not staying the priest's answer, sets on them
21  The captivated Hebrews, and the hidden Israelites, join against them
24  Saul's unadvised adjuration hinders the victory
31  He restrains the people from eating blood
35  He builds an altar
37  Jonathan, taken by lot, is save by the people
47  Saul's victories, strength, and family

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 14:47 mean?

So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel and fought on every side against all his enemies against Moab and against the sons of Ammon and against Edom and against the kings of Zobah and against the Philistines and wherever he turned he harassed [them]
וְשָׁא֛וּל לָכַ֥ד הַמְּלוּכָ֖ה עַל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּלָּ֣חֶם סָבִ֣יב ׀ בְּֽכָל־ אֹיְבָ֡יו בְּמוֹאָ֣ב ׀ וּבִבְנֵי־ עַמּ֨וֹן וּבֶאֱד֜וֹם וּבְמַלְכֵ֤י צוֹבָה֙ וּבַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וּבְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־ יִפְנֶ֖ה יַרְשִֽׁיעַ

וְשָׁא֛וּל  So  Saul 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
לָכַ֥ד  established 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לָכַד  
Sense: to capture, take, seize.
הַמְּלוּכָ֖ה  his  sovereignty 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְלוּכָה  
Sense: kingship, royalty, kingly office.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וַיִּלָּ֣חֶם  and  fought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
סָבִ֣יב ׀  on  every  side 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.
בְּֽכָל־  against  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֹיְבָ֡יו  his  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
בְּמוֹאָ֣ב ׀  against  Moab 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
וּבִבְנֵי־  and  against  the  sons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּ֨וֹן  of  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.
וּבֶאֱד֜וֹם  and  against  Edom 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱדֹום 
Sense: Edom.
וּבְמַלְכֵ֤י  and  against  the  kings 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
צוֹבָה֙  of  Zobah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צֹובָא 
Sense: the name of a portion of Syria which formed a separate kingdom in the times of Saul, David, and Solomon; located northeast of Damascus.
וּבַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים  and  against  the  Philistines 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
אֲשֶׁר־  wherever 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יִפְנֶ֖ה  he  turned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
יַרְשִֽׁיעַ  he  harassed  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָשַׁע  
Sense: to be wicked, act wickedly.