1 Samuel 7:14 kjv
And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
1 Samuel 7:14 nkjv
Then the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
1 Samuel 7:14 niv
The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
1 Samuel 7:14 esv
The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.
1 Samuel 7:14 nlt
The Israelite villages near Ekron and Gath that the Philistines had captured were restored to Israel, along with the rest of the territory that the Philistines had taken. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites in those days.
1 Samuel 7 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Josh 11:23 | So Joshua took the whole land... and the land had rest from war. | God grants rest after victory. |
| Judg 3:30 | So Moab was subdued... And the land had rest for eighty years. | Deliverance leads to periods of rest/peace. |
| Judg 10:8 | From that year they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel for eighteen years, all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan... | Philistine/Ammonite oppression before deliverance. |
| Ps 44:3 | For not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand... | Emphasizes divine deliverance, not human strength. |
| Ps 106:10 | He saved them from the hand of him who hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the foe. | God delivers from enemy's control. |
| Isa 49:8 | Thus says the LORD: "In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you... to make you inherit the desolate heritages." | God promises restoration of lost inheritance. |
| Jer 30:3 | "For behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel and Judah," says the LORD, "and I will bring them back..." | Prophecy of future restoration of fortune/land. |
| Ezek 36:24 | I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. | Prophecy of spiritual and physical return. |
| Amos 9:14-15 | I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them... I will plant them on their own land... | Restoration includes rebuilding and re-inhabitation. |
| Deut 28:7 | "The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you..." | Consequence of obedience: victory over enemies. |
| Lev 26:6 | I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. | Blessings of obedience include peace. |
| Zech 9:10 | ...he shall speak peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea... | Messiah brings ultimate peace. |
| Rom 5:1 | Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. | Ultimate peace through Christ. |
| Eph 2:14 | For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. | Christ's work in establishing peace. |
| Num 21:21-35 | Israel defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan. | Previous divine defeat of Amorites by Israel. |
| Judg 1:34-36 | The Amorites pressed the people of Dan into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down to the plain. | Amorites as a lingering threat, not fully subdued. |
| 1 Sam 7:13 | So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not again enter the territory of Israel; and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. | Immediate context: God's subjugation of Philistines. |
| Josh 19:43 | And Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, Ekron, Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, and Ekron, with its towns and villages... | Ekron as a Philistine city listed in Joshua. |
| 1 Sam 4:1-11 | Philistines defeated Israel, captured the Ark, great slaughter. | Contrasting context: Israel's prior defeat by Philistines. |
| Joel 3:19 | "Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the people of Judah... But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations." | God's judgment on enemies, blessing on His people. |
| Acts 3:24 | And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, proclaimed these days. | Samuel as a pivotal figure in Israel's history. |
| Heb 4:8-9 | For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later of another day. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. | Earthly rest as a shadow of greater spiritual rest. |
1 Samuel 7 verses
1 Samuel 7 14 Meaning
1 Samuel 7:14 describes the divinely enabled restoration of Israelite territory that had been lost to the Philistines. Following the Lord's decisive victory over the Philistines, cities from Ekron to Gath were returned, and Israel re-established its border. Furthermore, the verse notes a state of peace between Israel and the Amorites, indicating a period of comprehensive rest and security during Samuel's judgeship. This peace signifies the Lord's blessing and protection over His repentant people, bringing a season of security from both external and internal threats within the Promised Land.
1 Samuel 7 14 Context
1 Samuel chapter 7 follows a period of great national crisis for Israel. Chapter 4 recounts the disastrous defeat by the Philistines at Ebenezer, where the Ark of the Covenant was captured. Chapters 5 and 6 describe the Lord's judgments upon the Philistines for possessing the Ark, leading them to return it to Israel. Chapter 7 opens with Israel in repentance and seeking the Lord under Samuel's prophetic leadership. After Israel gathers at Mizpah and offers burnt offerings, the Philistines attack again. However, the Lord intervenes directly with thunder and confusion, causing the Philistines to flee. Samuel leads Israel to victory, marking a turning point from Philistine oppression. Verse 14 serves as the triumphant summary of the long-term positive consequences of this divine intervention and Israel's renewed obedience under Samuel, describing not just a military victory but a significant territorial restoration and broader regional peace. Historically, the Philistines were a significant and persistent threat on Israel's western border, while the Amorites were early inhabitants of Canaan and frequently hostile, especially in the central and southern hill country.
1 Samuel 7 14 Word analysis
- And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath;
- cities (`arim - עָרִים): Refers to the fortified population centers. This emphasizes the tangible recovery of dwelling places and strategic locations, not just open land.
- Philistines (פְלִשְׁתִּים - Pelishthim): One of Israel's most enduring and powerful enemies, possessing advanced iron technology and a strong military presence on the coastal plain. Their defeat here is significant.
- taken (laqachu - לָקָחוּ): Means "to take, to seize, to acquire." It implies aggressive capture and possession.
- were restored (hashivu - הָשִׁיבֻוּ): From the root shuv (שוב), meaning "to turn back, return, restore." In this context, it implies a forceful or rightful return, either by direct surrender, expulsion, or Israel reoccupying them. It speaks of reversing an injustice. The divine intervention was the catalyst for this "restoration."
- Ekron...Gath: Two of the five major Philistine cities (the "pentapolis"), indicating the extent of Israel's reasserted control. These were important strongholds. This restoration significantly pushed back the Philistine frontier.
- and Israel recovered the border thereof out of the hand of the Philistines.
- recovered (vayatzil - וַיַּצִּל): From the root natsal (נָצַל), meaning "to deliver, rescue, save." This is a strong word, highlighting the active, redemptive act of getting back what was lost, suggesting God's role in this deliverance.
- border thereof (gevulah - גְּבוּלָהּ): The geographical boundary or territory. This signifies the re-establishment of sovereign control over their inherited land.
- out of the hand of the Philistines (miyyad Pelishthim - מִיַּד פְּלִשְׁתִּים): The Hebrew word yad (יַד) refers to "hand" but also metaphorically to "power, control, authority." So, "out of the hand" means out of the Philistines' control and oppression.
- And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
- peace (shalom - שָׁלוֹם): More than just absence of war; it encompasses completeness, well-being, harmony, prosperity, and wholeness. It signifies a secure and undisturbed state. This "peace" would have allowed Israel to flourish.
- Amorites (ha'emori - הָאֱמֹרִי): A pre-Israelite inhabitants of Canaan, often presented as an ongoing presence and source of conflict or a threat. This statement is noteworthy because unlike the Philistines, they were not directly fought in chapter 7. This could mean either Samuel made treaties with them or, more likely, the Lord’s authority displayed over the Philistines caused other neighboring groups to hold their peace and not harass Israel. It completes the picture of security, implying God extended His favor beyond just Philistine relations.
1 Samuel 7 14 Bonus section
The state of peace with the Amorites mentioned in this verse stands in contrast to the historical interactions between Israel and the Amorites described in other parts of the Old Testament. Often, the Amorites were to be dispossessed (Deut 20:17), and in some periods, they posed significant resistance or continued to inhabit the land among Israel, leading to challenges (Judg 1:34-36). The unusual mention of "peace" here underscores the unique and far-reaching nature of God's blessing on Israel during Samuel's period of righteous leadership following their repentance. It could suggest either successful diplomatic relations initiated by Samuel due to Israel's elevated standing, or, more likely, a divine restraint upon these former enemies, a manifestation of the peace promised for obedience in passages like Leviticus 26. This comprehensive peace signals a divinely established dominion, a taste of the wholeness (shalom) God desires for His people when they live in covenant faithfulness. This temporary but significant period of rest laid a foundational stability for the emerging kingdom.
1 Samuel 7 14 Commentary
1 Samuel 7:14 serves as a crucial concluding statement to Israel's repentance and God's dramatic deliverance under Samuel's leadership. It highlights a restoration that goes beyond merely winning a battle. It encompasses a return of physical territory, reclaiming of sovereignty, and the establishment of comprehensive regional peace. The recovery of cities like Ekron and Gath, once Philistine strongholds, indicates the depth of the territorial gain. The specific mention of "recovering the border" reinforces the idea of establishing clear and secure boundaries. Most significantly, the declaration of "peace between Israel and the Amorites" paints a picture of broader stability. This peace, seemingly not achieved through conquest in this narrative, strongly implies the awe or deterrent effect of God's power as displayed against the Philistines, causing other adversaries to remain quiet. The verse demonstrates that when Israel turned wholeheartedly back to the Lord, He not only defeated their most formidable foe but also secured their peace with other potential adversaries, bringing holistic blessing and a true "rest from war." This entire episode underscores that God fights for His people when they humble themselves and seek Him.