1 Samuel 17:53 kjv
And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.
1 Samuel 17:53 nkjv
Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents.
1 Samuel 17:53 niv
When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.
1 Samuel 17:53 esv
And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp.
1 Samuel 17:53 nlt
Then the Israelite army returned and plundered the deserted Philistine camp.
1 Samuel 17 53 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 20:4 | "For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory." | God fights for Israel. |
| Josh 10:11-14 | "As they fled from before Israel, while they were going down the descent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them... For the Lord fought for Israel." | Divine intervention in battle. |
| Judg 7:22-23 | "When they blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow... the men of Israel gathered and pursued the Midianites." | Pursuing a fleeing enemy after God-given panic. |
| Exod 3:21-22 | "And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, but each woman shall ask of her neighbor... and so you shall plunder the Egyptians." | Israelites taking spoils with divine favor. |
| Exod 12:35-36 | "The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them... They plundered the Egyptians." | Plundering as God's provision for His people. |
| Num 31:9-12 | "And the people of Israel took captive the women of Midian... They took all the spoil and all the booty." | Spoils of war from defeated enemies. |
| Josh 8:27 | "Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as their plunder, according to the word of the Lord..." | Plunder explicitly commanded or permitted by God. |
| 1 Sam 14:23 | "So the Lord saved Israel that day. And the battle passed beyond Beth-aven." | Lord saving Israel and turning the tide of battle. |
| 1 Sam 30:19-20 | "Nothing was missing... David brought back all. David also took all the flocks and herds... This is David's spoil." | Recovering spoils after defeating enemies. |
| 2 Kgs 7:15-16 | "Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans." | Plundering a suddenly deserted enemy camp. |
| Ps 44:6-7 | "For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. But you have saved us from our foes..." | Victory attributed to God, not human might. |
| Prov 21:31 | "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord." | Reinforcing that victory ultimately comes from God. |
| Isa 33:23 | "...then rich spoil will be divided; even the lame will take plunder." | Prophetic promise of abundant spoil from oppressors. |
| Jer 39:9 | "The rest of the people who remained in the city and the deserters... were carried away to Babylon by Nebuzaradan..." | Defeated armies experiencing capture and loss of goods. |
| Zech 4:6 | "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." | God's spirit as the source of miraculous victory. |
| Rom 8:37 | "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." | Spiritual application of overcoming adversaries. |
| Heb 11:34 | "...who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight." | Faith leading to putting armies to flight (like 1 Sam 17). |
| Rev 19:21 | "And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse..." | Ultimate defeat of God's enemies. |
| Matt 12:29 | "Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house." | Jesus binding the strong man (Satan) to plunder his kingdom (salvation). |
| Lk 11:22 | "But when a stronger one attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his whole armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil." | Analogy for Satan's defeat and spiritual liberation. |
1 Samuel 17 verses
1 Samuel 17 53 Meaning
1 Samuel 17:53 describes the immediate aftermath of David's victory over Goliath. After witnessing their champion's death, the Philistines fled in panic. The Israelites, invigorated and empowered by this decisive turn of events, vigorously pursued the fleeing Philistines. Following their successful chase, they returned to the Philistine encampment and plundered it, seizing their goods and provisions. This act symbolized a complete rout of the enemy, reversing Israel's previous state of fear and reaffirming God's power and faithfulness to His people through an unexpected victor.
1 Samuel 17 53 Context
1 Samuel Chapter 17 details the epic confrontation between David and Goliath, representing a major turning point in Israel's conflict with the Philistines. Before this verse, the Philistine giant Goliath had daily defied the armies of Israel for forty days, paralyzing them with fear (1 Sam 17:1-11, 24). Saul and his men were terrified. David, a young shepherd, arrived at the scene, heard Goliath's taunts against the "armies of the living God" (1 Sam 17:26), and, trusting in the Lord, confronted the giant alone. Verse 52 describes the Israelites' renewed courage: "The men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines." Verse 53 follows this immediate pursuit, indicating that the rout of the Philistines was complete, culminating in the plundering of their abandoned camp. This verse highlights the profound reversal of fortunes: from fear and paralysis to courageous pursuit and victorious appropriation of the enemy's resources.
1 Samuel 17 53 Word analysis
- And (וְ, ve): A conjunctive particle, often rendered as "and" or "then," indicating a sequence of events. It connects the immediate aftermath of the Philistine flight to Israel's subsequent actions.
- the sons of Israel (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, benei Yisrael): This phrase emphasizes the collective national identity. It refers to the Israelite army as a whole, comprising the "children" or "people" of Israel. This suggests that the renewed vigor and pursuit were a national, rather than merely individual, response, empowered by divine intervention.
- returned (שָׁבוּ, shavu): From the root שׁוּב (shuv), meaning "to turn back, return." Here, it signifies the cessation of their vigorous chase after they had accomplished their objective of routing the Philistines far enough. Their "return" brought them back to the site of the initial encampment.
- from chasing (מִדֵּלֵק, middeleq): From the root דלק (daleq), "to pursue hotly, chase." This denotes an active, energetic, and swift pursuit. The preposition 'מִ' (mi) meaning 'from' or 'out of' suggests they concluded the intense chase and were now redirecting their efforts.
- the Philistines (פְּלִשְׁתִּים, Pelish'tim): Israel's consistent adversaries throughout much of the Judges and early Monarchy periods. Their defeat here signifies a major triumph over a formidable enemy.
- and they plundered (וַיָּבֹזּוּ, vayavozu): From the root בזז (bazaz), "to plunder, spoil, despoil." This action refers to taking possessions, supplies, and wealth from a defeated enemy. In ancient warfare, it was both a common reward for victory and a sign of absolute subjugation and humiliation of the vanquished. It also often provided necessary resources for the victorious army.
- their camp (מַחֲנֵיהֶם, machanehem): Refers to the Philistine military encampment, including their tents, provisions, and material possessions. Plundering the camp represented the complete disarming and dispossessing of the enemy, preventing their quick regrouping and further aggression. It signifies not just a battle won, but a total collapse of the enemy's immediate operational capacity.
1 Samuel 17 53 Bonus section
The act of plundering the enemy's camp held significant theological weight beyond mere material acquisition. It mirrored previous instances where God enabled His people to "spoil" their oppressors (e.g., Exod 3:21-22; 12:35-36, when Israel plundered Egypt before the Exodus). This illustrated Yahweh's sovereign power, demonstrating that the resources and strength of their enemies ultimately belonged to Him and could be appropriated by His people. The thoroughness implied by "chasing" and then "plundering the camp" ensured that the Philistines were not merely defeated but stripped of their means to wage immediate war, underscoring the completeness of the victory achieved through divine intervention. This moment solidified David's legitimacy and marked the beginning of his rise as a divinely appointed leader.
1 Samuel 17 53 Commentary
1 Samuel 17:53 serves as a pivotal conclusion to the miraculous turn of events orchestrated by God through David. This verse confirms the complete and devastating defeat of the Philistine army. Their headlong flight described in previous verses (1 Sam 17:51-52) signifies their utter panic and lack of resolve after Goliath's fall. The "sons of Israel" transformed from a terrified, demoralized force into a zealous, conquering army. Their action of "chasing the Philistines" demonstrates a commitment to thoroughly defeating the enemy, not merely securing a minor victory. The subsequent "plundering their camp" seals the triumph. This was not merely about material gain; it was a profound declaration of God's favor and strength, transforming fear into bold action and ensuring that Israel gained sustenance and resources from the very adversaries who had sought to enslave them. It affirmed that the battle truly belonged to the Lord (1 Sam 17:47), and He provides for His people.