The Meaning of 1 Samuel 31:1 Explained

1 Samuel 31:1

KJV: Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

YLT: And the Philistines are fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel flee from the face of the Philistines, and fall wounded in mount Gilboa,

Darby: And the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on mount Gilboa.

ASV: Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now the Philistines  fought  against Israel:  and the men  of Israel  fled  from before  the Philistines,  and fell down  slain  in mount  Gilboa. 

What does 1 Samuel 31:1 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 31:1-13 - One Brave Deed On A Dark Day
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Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 31

1  Saul, having lost his army, and his sons slain,
4  he and his armor bearer kill themselves
7  The Philistines possess the forsaken towns of the Israelites
8  They triumph over the dead bodies
11  They of Jabesh Gilead recovering the dead bodies by night,
12  burn them at Jabesh,
13  and mournfully bury their bodies

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 31:1 mean?

Now the Philistines fought against Israel and fled the men of Israel from before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa
וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים נִלְחָמִ֣ים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיָּנֻ֜סוּ אַנְשֵׁ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיִּפְּל֥וּ חֲלָלִ֖ים בְּהַ֥ר הַגִּלְבֹּֽעַ

וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים  Now  the  Philistines 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
נִלְחָמִ֣ים  fought 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  against  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וַיָּנֻ֜סוּ  and  fled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
אַנְשֵׁ֤י  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
מִפְּנֵ֣י  from  before 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
וַיִּפְּל֥וּ  and  fell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
חֲלָלִ֖ים  slain 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חָלָל 
Sense: slain, fatally wounded, pierced.
בְּהַ֥ר  on  Mount 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
הַגִּלְבֹּֽעַ  Gilboa 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּלְבֹּעַ  
Sense: a mountain-ridge at the southeastern end of the plain of Jezreel, site of the death of Saul and Jonathan.