The Meaning of 1 Samuel 7:10 Explained

1 Samuel 7:10

KJV: And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.

YLT: and Samuel is causing the burnt-offering to go up -- and the Philistines have drawn nigh to battle against Israel -- and Jehovah doth thunder with a great noise, on that day, upon the Philistines, and troubleth them, and they are smitten before Israel.

Darby: And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines advanced to battle against Israel. And Jehovah thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were routed before Israel.

ASV: And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; but Jehovah thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten down before Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And as Samuel  was offering up  the burnt offering,  the Philistines  drew near  to battle  against Israel:  but the LORD  thundered  with a great  thunder  on that day  upon the Philistines,  and discomfited  them; and they were smitten  before  Israel. 

What does 1 Samuel 7:10 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 7:5-17 - Leading The Nation In God's Ways
We are here taught the successive steps that must be taken if revival is to be granted to either Church or individual.
1.Unity. All Israel was gathered. The divisions and jealousies of preceding years were renounced.
2.Confession. The people poured out their hearts before the Lord.
3.The abandonment of false gods. "They put away the Baalim and Ashtaroth and served the Lord only."
4.Intercessory prayer. The one condition of revival is to get back to prayer. "Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us."
5.Full surrender, as set forth in Samuel's burned-offering. Yield thyself to God, and thy Philistine sins, stealing up the valleys, will fall back discomfited, and thou shalt raise thine Ebenezer.
So Israel proved. There was immediate evidence that God had accepted them. Natural phenomena fought on their side. The very spot which had been the scene of defeat became the scene of glorious victory. Compare 1 Samuel 4:1; 1 Samuel 7:12. Here is great encouragement for us, for at certain spots in our life-experience we have been defeated; but just in these same spots, when the barriers which have intercepted God's help are leveled, we shall become more than conquerors. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 7

1  They of Kiriath Jearim bring the ark to Abinadab, and sanctify Eleazar as guard
2  After twenty years,
3  the Israelites, by Samuel's means, solemnly repent at Mizpeh
7  While Samuel prays and sacrifices,
10  the Lord thwarts the Philistines by thunder at Ebenezer
13  The Philistines are subdued
15  Samuel judges Israel

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 7:10 mean?

And as was Samuel offering up the burnt offering and the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel But thundered Yahweh with a thunder loud day that upon the Philistines so confused them that they were overcome before Israel
וַיְהִ֤י שְׁמוּאֵל֙ מַעֲלֶ֣ה הָעוֹלָ֔ה וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֣ים נִגְּשׁ֔וּ לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיַּרְעֵ֣ם יְהוָ֣ה ׀ בְּקוֹל־ גָּ֠דוֹל בַּיּ֨וֹם הַה֤וּא עַל־ פְּלִשְׁתִּים֙ וַיְהֻמֵּ֔ם וַיִּנָּגְפ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַיְהִ֤י  And  as  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
שְׁמוּאֵל֙  Samuel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמוּאֵל  
Sense: son of Elkanah by his wife Hannah and judge or prophet of Israel during the days of Saul and David.
מַעֲלֶ֣ה  offering  up 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
הָעוֹלָ֔ה  the  burnt  offering 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֹלָה  
Sense: whole burnt offering.
וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֣ים  and  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.
נִגְּשׁ֔וּ  drew  near 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָגַשׁ  
Sense: to draw near, approach.
לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה  to  battle 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, 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.
וַיַּרְעֵ֣ם  But  thundered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָעַם 
Sense: to thunder.
יְהוָ֣ה ׀  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בְּקוֹל־  with  a  thunder 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
גָּ֠דוֹל  loud 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
בַּיּ֨וֹם  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֤וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
פְּלִשְׁתִּים֙  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.
וַיְהֻמֵּ֔ם  so  confused  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: הָמַם 
Sense: to move noisily, confuse, make a noise, discomfit, break, consume, crush, destroy, trouble, vex.
וַיִּנָּגְפ֖וּ  that  they  were  overcome 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָגַף  
Sense: to strike, smite.
לִפְנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  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.