And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
The Philistines fought hard, and Israel was completely defeated. Every Israeli soldier ran away to his own tent, and it was a terrible massacre. Thirty thousand Israeli foot soldiers were killed.
This verse describes a devastating military defeat where Israel lost thirty thousand soldiers and the survivors fled in panic.
📚 Historical Context
This battle took place during a time when Israel was fighting against the Philistines, their powerful neighbors who controlled advanced iron weaponry. The Israelites had brought the Ark of the Covenant into battle, believing it would guarantee victory, but they were still catastrophically defeated. This defeat led to the capture of the Ark and marked one of the darkest moments in Israel's early history.
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