1 Samuel 17:1 (ASV)

Passage

Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongeth to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 17:1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongeth to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

1 Samuel 17:2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the vale of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.

1 Samuel 17:3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "philistines", "gathered", "together", "armies", "battle", and "socoh". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "philistines" and "gathered", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "And Saul and the men of Israel...", so "philistines" and "gathered" should be read forward into that movement. In 1 Samuel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "philistines" and "gathered" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.