1 Samuel 14:16
New International Version
Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions.

New Living Translation
Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin saw a strange sight—the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction.

English Standard Version
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was dispersing here and there.

Berean Standard Bible
Now when Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in Benjamin looked and saw the troops melting away and scattering in every direction,

King James Bible
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

New King James Version
Now the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and there was the multitude, melting away; and they went here and there.

New American Standard Bible
Now Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude dissolved; they went here and there.

NASB 1995
Now Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away; and they went here and there.

NASB 1977
Now Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away; and they went here and there.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away; and they went here and there.

Amplified Bible
Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away and they went here and there.

Christian Standard Bible
When Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, they saw the panicking troops scattering in every direction.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, they saw the panicking troops scattering in every direction.

American Standard Version
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went hither and thither.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the Watchmen of Shaul who were in Gebatha of Benyamin saw, and behold the army of the Philistines trembled and left and were defeated

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the watchmen of Saul beheld in Gabaa of Benjamin, and, behold, the army was thrown into confusion on every side.

Contemporary English Version
Saul's lookouts at Geba saw that the Philistine army was running in every direction, like melted wax.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the watchmen of Saul, who were in Gabaa of Benjamin looked, and behold a multitude overthrown, and fleeing this way and that.

English Revised Version
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went hither and thither.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Saul's watchmen at Gibeah in Benjamin could see the crowd [in the Philistine camp] dispersing in all directions.

Good News Translation
Saul's men on watch at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin saw the Philistines running in confusion.

International Standard Version
Saul's sentries in Gibeah of Benjamin watched as the camp was in disarray, going this way and that.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeath-benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went hither and thither.

Literal Standard Version
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin see, and behold, the multitude has melted away, and it goes on, and is beaten down.

Majority Standard Bible
Now when Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in Benjamin looked and saw the troops melting away and scattering in every direction,

New American Bible
Saul’s sentinels in Gibeah of Benjamin saw that the enemy camp had scattered and were running in all directions.

NET Bible
Saul's watchmen at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin looked on as the crowd of soldiers seemed to melt away first in one direction and then in another.

New Revised Standard Version
Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin were watching as the multitude was surging back and forth.

New Heart English Bible
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin saw, and look, the multitude was scattering here and there.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

World English Bible
The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude melted away and scattered.

Young's Literal Translation
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin see, and lo, the multitude hath melted away, and it goeth on, and is beaten down.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jonathan's Victory over the Philistines
15Then terror struck the Philistines in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even those in the outposts and raiding parties trembled. Indeed, the earth quaked and panic spread from God. 16Now when Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in Benjamin looked and saw the troops melting away and scattering in every direction, 17Saul said to the troops who were with him, “Call the roll and see who has left us.” And when they had called the roll, they saw that Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 14:15
Then terror struck the Philistines in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even those in the outposts and raiding parties trembled. Indeed, the earth quaked and panic spread from God.

1 Samuel 14:17
Saul said to the troops who were with him, "Call the roll and see who has left us." And when they had called the roll, they saw that Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.


Treasury of Scripture

And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

melted away

Psalm 58:7
Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

Psalm 68:2
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

beating down

1 Samuel 14:20
And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

Judges 7:22
And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

2 Chronicles 20:22-25
And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten…

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Army Beating Benjamin Directions Hither Melted Melting Multitude Saul Saul's Slaying Surging Thither Watchmen
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Army Beating Benjamin Directions Hither Melted Melting Multitude Saul Saul's Slaying Surging Thither Watchmen
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














(16) And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked . . .--The distance between the outposts of the little Israelite army and the vast Philistine host was only about two miles, but a deep ravine or chasm lay between them. The watchmen of Saul were well able to see the scene of dire confusion in the outposts, a confusion which they could discern was rapidly spreading through the more distant camp of the main body.

The Hebrew words, vay?leh vah?lom, in the last clause of the verse, have been variously rendered; the Rabbinical interpretation is the best: "magis magisque pangebatur"--"were more and more broken up." This takes h?lom as an infinitive absolute. The LXX. considers this word an adverb, and translates enthen hai enthen, hither and thither, and does not attempt to give any rendering for vay?leh.

Verse 16. - The watchmen, etc. Condor says ('Tent Work,' 2:115), "The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin must have seen dearly across the chasm the extraordinary conflict of two men against a host, as the 'multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.' The noise in the host was also, no doubt, clearly heard at the distance of only two miles, and the army would have crossed the passage with comparatively little difficulty by the narrow path which leads down direct from Geba to Michmash, west of the Philistine camp. Thence the pursuit was towards Bethel, across the watershed, and headlong down the steep descent of Aijalon - that same pass where the first great victory of Joshua had been gained, and where the valiant Judas was once more, in later times, to drive back the enemies of Israel to the plains." The multitude. The Hebrew is, "And behold the tumult (the word is so rendered in ver. 19, margin) was reeling and going... and thither." Of course hither has dropped out of the text before and thither (comp. 1 Samuel 13:8). The Septuagint and Vulgate both read "hither and thither." Tumult means the din made by a confused mass of people, and so the crowd itself. Melted away does not give the exact meaning. The Philistines were not dispersing, but were reeling, moving to and fro purposeless, and in confusion. It may mean, however, to shake or melt with terror, as in Isaiah 14:31, where it is rendered art dissolved.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now when Saul's
לְשָׁא֔וּל (lə·šā·’ūl)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

watchmen
הַצֹּפִים֙ (haṣ·ṣō·p̄îm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 6822: To lean forward, to peer into the distance, to observe, await

at Gibeah
בְּגִבְעַ֖ת (bə·ḡiḇ·‘aṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1390: Gibeah -- 'hill', three cities in Palestine

in Benjamin
בִּנְיָמִ֑ן (bin·yā·min)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1144: Benjamin -- 'son of the right hand', youngest son of Jacob, also the name of two other Israelites

looked
וַיִּרְא֤וּ (way·yir·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7200: To see

and saw
וְהִנֵּ֧ה (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

the troops
הֶהָמ֛וֹן (he·hā·mō·wn)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1995: A noise, tumult, crowd, disquietude, wealth

melting away
נָמ֖וֹג (nā·mō·wḡ)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4127: To melt

and scattering
וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ (way·yê·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

in every direction,
וַהֲלֹֽם׃ (wa·hă·lōm)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 1986: To strike down, to hammer, stamp, conquer, disband


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OT History: 1 Samuel 14:16 The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 14:15
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