1 Samuel 17:3

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

1 Samuel 17:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:3

And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and
Israel stood on a mountain on the other side,
&e.] Before the Israelites are said to encamp in or by the valley; but here they are said to take the higher ground, and face the Philistines, who were on a mountain or hill on the other side over against them, which Kimchi reconciles thus; the whole or the grand army lay encamped in the valley, and, they that were set in array, or the first ranks, the first battalion, ascended the mountain to meet the Philistines. Vatablus takes it to be the same mountain, that on one part of it the Philistines formed their first battalion, and the rest of the army was in the valley; and on the other part of the mountain the Israelites pitched their camp:

and there was a valley between them;
the same as in the preceding verse.

1 Samuel 17:3 In-Context

1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongs to Judah, and pitched camp between Shochoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim.

2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and pitched camp by the valley of Elah and ordered the battle against the Philistines.

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

4 And a man named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span, came out of the camp of the Philistines and stood between the two camps.

5 And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clothed with a coat of mail of scales; and the weight of the coat of mail was five thousand shekels of brass.