1 Samuel 14:52
New International Version
All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service.

New Living Translation
The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.

English Standard Version
There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he attached him to himself.

Berean Standard Bible
And the war with the Philistines was fierce for all the days of Saul. So whenever he noticed any strong or brave man, Saul would enlist him.

King James Bible
And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

New King James Version
Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him for himself.

New American Standard Bible
Now the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any warrior or any valiant man, he attached him to his staff.

NASB 1995
Now the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he attached him to his staff.

NASB 1977
Now the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he attached him to his staff.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul; and Saul would see any mighty man or any man of valor and would gather him to his staff.

Amplified Bible
Now the war against the Philistines was severe (brutal, relentless) all the days of Saul; and whenever Saul saw any mighty or courageous man, he recruited him for his staff.

Christian Standard Bible
The conflict with the Philistines was fierce all of Saul’s days, so whenever Saul noticed any strong or valiant man, he enlisted him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The conflict with the Philistines was fierce all of Saul’s days, so whenever Saul noticed any strong or brave man, he enlisted him.

American Standard Version
And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And there was a severe war with the Philistines all the days of Shaul. And Shaul would see every man who was mighty and every man who had power, and he gathered him to himself

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the war was vehement against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man, and any valiant man, then he took them to himself.

Contemporary English Version
Saul was at war with the Philistines for as long as he lived. Whenever he found a good warrior or a brave man, Saul made him join his army.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And there was a great war against the Philistines all the days of Saul. For whomsoever Saul saw to be a valiant man, and fit for war, he took him to himself.

English Revised Version
And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
There was intense warfare with the Philistines as long as Saul lived. Whenever any warrior or any skilled fighting man came to Saul's attention, Saul would enlist him in the army.

Good News Translation
As long as he lived, Saul had to fight fiercely against the Philistines. So whenever he found a man who was strong or brave, he would enlist him in his army.

International Standard Version
There was intense fighting against the Philistines during Saul's entire reign, and whenever Saul discovered a strong or valiant warrior, he would enlist him for service.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

Literal Standard Version
And the war is severe against the Philistines all the days of Saul; when Saul has seen any mighty man, and any son of valor, then he gathers him to himself.

Majority Standard Bible
And the war with the Philistines was fierce for all the days of Saul. So whenever he noticed any strong or brave man, Saul would enlist him.

New American Bible
There was heavy fighting with the Philistines during Saul’s lifetime. Whenever Saul saw any strong or brave man, he took him into his service.

NET Bible
There was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. So whenever Saul saw anyone who was a warrior or a brave individual, he would conscript him.

New Revised Standard Version
There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any strong or valiant warrior, he took him into his service.

New Heart English Bible
There was severe war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him to him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And there was violent war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him to himself.

World English Bible
There was severe war against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he took him into his service.

Young's Literal Translation
And the war is severe against the Philistines all the days of Saul; when Saul hath seen any mighty man, and any son of valour, then he doth gather him unto himself.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul's Victories
51Saul’s father Kish and Abner’s father Ner were sons of Abiel. 52And the war with the Philistines was fierce for all the days of Saul. So whenever he noticed any strong or brave man, Saul would enlist him.

Cross References
1 Samuel 8:11
He said, "This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his own chariots and horses, to run in front of his chariots.

1 Samuel 14:47
After Saul had assumed the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side--the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Edomites, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he routed them.


Treasury of Scripture

And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him to him.

when Saul

1 Samuel 8:1,11
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel…

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Attached Brave Hard Kept Mighty Philistines Saul Service Severe Sore Staff Strong Valiant Valour Violent War Whenever
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Attached Brave Hard Kept Mighty Philistines Saul Service Severe Sore Staff Strong Valiant Valour Violent War Whenever
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














(52) All the days of Saul.--Although after the rout of Michmash the Philistines were driven out of their fastnesses in the land of Israel back into their own coast districts, yet all through the reign of Saul they continued to be powerful, and were a constant source of danger and trouble to the people. We know that in the end Saul lost his life in an engagement with this warlike and restless race, who were not finally crushed before the days of his successor, David. To keep them in check necessitated the maintenance of a standing army, which, in the days of David, became one of the great armed forces of the East. The reader of this verse is reminded at once of a similar military fancy of King Frederick William of Prussia, the founder of Prussian military greatness, and the father of the Great Frederick.

Verse 52. - The summary ends with two important particulars respecting Saul's kingdom - the first, that the Philistines were powerful and dangerous enemies to Israel all his days; the second, that in order to carry on the war with them he ever kept around him the nucleus of a standing army. In thus forming a "school of heroes" he raised the whole spirit of the people, and took an essential and necessary step for maintaining Israel's freedom. With much of the despot in him, Saul had grand qualities as a soldier, and for many years admirably fulfilled the primary object for which he was chosen. And while he was thus giving the nation internal security, Samuel was teaching it how to use its growing prosperity, and was raising it in the scale of intellectual worth. If in the time of the judges we have Israel in its boyhood, as in the Sinaitic desert we have it in its infancy, under Saul and Samuel it reached its manhood, and became a powerful, vigorous, and well ordered community, able to maintain its freedom, and with means for its internal development in the schools of the prophets, which ended in making it not merely enlightened itself, but the giver of light to the rest of mankind.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And the war
הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ (ham·mil·ḥā·māh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4421: A battle, war

with
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the Philistines
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים (pə·liš·tîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

was
וַתְּהִ֤י (wat·tə·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

fierce
חֲזָקָ֣ה (ḥă·zā·qāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 2389: Strong, stout, mighty

for all
כֹּ֖ל (kōl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the days
יְמֵ֣י (yə·mê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3117: A day

of Saul.
שָׁא֑וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

So whenever [he]
שָׁא֜וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

noticed
וְרָאָ֨ה (wə·rā·’āh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

any
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

strong
גִּבּוֹר֙ (gib·bō·wr)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1368: Powerful, warrior, tyrant

or brave
חַ֔יִל (ḥa·yil)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2428: A force, an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength

man,
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

he would enlist him.
וַיַּאַסְפֵ֖הוּ (way·ya·’as·p̄ê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 622: To gather for, any purpose, to receive, take away, remove


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OT History: 1 Samuel 14:52 There was sore war against the Philistines (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 14:51
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