Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.
Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.
Now the Philistines gathered together all their hosts to Aphek: and the Israelites encamped by the fountain which is in Jezreel.
Now the Philistines got all their army together at Aphek: and the Israelites put their forces in position by the fountain in Jezreel.
Now the Philistines collected all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites encamped by a fountain which is in Jezreel.
Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites encamped by the spring which is in Jezreel.
Now the Philistines gathered together all their hosts to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by the fountain which is in Jezreel.
To Aphek - This was a place in the valley of Jezreel, between Mounts Tabor and Gilboa.
Pitched by a fountain - To be near a fountain, or copious spring of water, was a point of great importance to an army in countries such as these, where water was so very scarce. It is supposed, as William of Tyre says, that it was at this same fountain that Saladin pitched his camp, while Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, pitched his by another fountain between Nazareth and Sephoris; each being anxious to secure that without which it was impossible for their armies to subsist.
A fountain - Probably, the fine spring Ain-Jalud. It is impossible to say what the special circumstances were which led to the struggle between Israel and the Philistines taking place so far north as the plain of Jezreel. Possibly it was connected with some movements of the Aramaic tribes to the north of Palestine. See 2 Samuel 8.