1 Samuel 13:5

“And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, etc.] To prevent their further encroachments on them, and designs against them; for they perceived they intended to cast off their yoke, and free themselves entirely from them: thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen; it may seem incredible that so small a people as the Philistines were, who only were possessed of five cities, or lordships, with the villages belonging to them, except what they had taken from Israel; and even if assisted by the Tyrians, the author of Sirach in the Apocrypha says: “And he destroyed the rulers of the Tyrians, and all the princes of the Philistines.” (Sirach 46:18) though he seems…”

“THE PHILISTINES' GREAT HOST. (Sa1 13:5) The Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen--Either this number must include chariots of every kind--or the word "chariots" must mean the men fighting in them (Sa2 10:18; Kg1 20:21; Ch1 19:18); or, as some eminent critics maintain, Sheloshim ("thirty"), has crept into the text, instead of Shelosh ("three"). The gathering of the chariots and horsemen must be understood to be on the Philistine plain, before they ascended the western passes and pitched in the heart of the Benjamite hills, in "Michmash," (now Mukmas), a "steep precipitous valley" [ROBINSON], eastward from Beth-aven…”

“Thirty thousand chariots - Probably a copyist’s mistake for 300. (Compare, for a similar numerical variation, 1 Chronicles 18:4 with 2 Samuel 8:4.) Eastward from Bethaven - Or more simply “to the east of Bethaven,” which Joshua 7:2 lay “on the east side of Bethel.” Bethaven (thought to be the same as Deir Diwan) lay between Bethel and Michmash, which had been evacuated by Saul. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Thirty thousand chariots, &c. - Most of them, we may suppose, carriages for their baggage, not chariots of war, tho' all their allies were joined with them. 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 13:6”

“13:5 The Israelites were massively outnumbered, hence their fearful responses. • The Philistine army’s 3,000 chariots and 6,000 charioteers indicate Israel’s underdog status. Nowhere in 1 Samuel is Israel said to have had any chariots (see study note on 13:19-22).”

“thirty thousand chariots: The Philistines had no doubt collected troops in this emergency, from all the surrounding nation; but the number of chariots is immensely large beyond any example, and wholly disproportioned to the number of their cavalry. It is probable, therefore, that for sheloshim aileph, "thirty thousand," we should read shelosh aileph, "three thousand," with the Syriac and Arabic. as the sand: Gen 22:17; Jos 11:4; Jdg 7:12; Ch2 1:9; Isa 48:19; Jer 15:8; Rom 9:27 Bethaven: Sa1 14:23; Jos 7:2, Jos 18:12; Hos 4:15, Hos 5:8, Hos 10:5 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 13:6”