What Does 1 Samuel 28:4 Mean in the King James?
And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The same Hebrew verb gathers both the Philistines and all Israel, making their opposing camps grammatical mirrors.
THE MEANING
The verse presents two forces gathering into position: the Philistines at Shunem and Saul with all Israel at Gilboa. The same Hebrew root names both acts of gathering, while the different places keep the camps distinct.
THE ROOT
וַיִּקָּבְצוּ
wayyiqqavtsu
GROWS FROM
ק־ב־ץ
q-b-ts
To gather or collect.
“gathered” in this verse is wayyiqqavtsu. The same root names both sides’ gathering, though the verb forms differ: the Philistines gather themselves; Saul gathers Israel. The shared root makes their assembly parallel without making the armies or their purposes the same.
ALSO GROWS
wayyiqqavtsu: They gathered themselves.
וַיִּקָּבְצוּ
This form describes the Philistines assembling at Shunem.
wayyiqbotz: He gathered.
וַיִּקְבֹּץ
This form describes Saul assembling all Israel at Gilboa.
THE PATTERN
Gathering brings opposing powers into visible confrontation before the outcome is shown.
And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.THE THREAD
And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.The same root קבץ (q-b-ts), meaning “to gather,” describes Israel’s dispersed being gathered. The root names the act of assembly; the surrounding words show whether the gathering is an army or a people brought together.
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