1 Samuel 14:47

“So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, etc.] Which seemed to be almost taken from him when he was shut up in Gibeah, and the Philistines ravaged his country at pleasure; but now, having obtained a victory over them, he recovered his kingdom, and reassumed his power and authority; or he was now strengthened in it, as Kimchi interprets it; the people seeing that he succeeded in his wars with their enemies, they readily submitted to his government without any hesitation, and obeyed his commands; so the Targum, “Saul prospered in the kingdom over Israel;” and, according to Abarbinel, these words will admit of another sense, that whereas, after he was anointed and made king, he followed the herd,…”

“So Saul . . . fought against all his enemies on every side--This signal triumph over the Philistines was followed, not only by their expulsion from the land of Israel, but by successful incursions against various hostile neighbors, whom he harassed though he did not subdue them. Next: 1 Samuel Chapter 15”

“Compare 2 Samuel 8:15. The preceding narrative shows that before this time Saul had been king in name only, since his country was occupied by the Philistines, and he could only muster 600 men, and those but half armed and pent up in a narrow stronghold. Now, however, on the expulsion of the Philistines from his country, and the return of the Israelites from their vassalage and from their hiding places 1 Samuel 14:21-22, Saul became king in deed as well as in name, and acted the part of a king through the rest of his reign in defending his people against their enemies round about. A comprehensive list of these enemies, including the Ammonite war which had already been described 1 Samuel…”

“Took the kingdom - That is, resumed the administration of it, after he had in a manner lost it by the Philistines, who had almost turned him out of it. 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 14:49”

“14:47-52 In contrast to the folly described in 14:1-46, these verses summarize Saul’s military successes. A similar summary of achievements ends the description of each king’s reign in 1 Samuel—2 Kings. 14:47 secured his grasp: Samuel had used this verb repeatedly when speaking about what a king would do: “He will take . . . take . . . take” (8:10-18). • Moab, Ammon, Edom, . . . Zobah: David confronted these same foes during his reign and expanded Israel’s territory in the process (see 2 Sam 8:1-14).”

“Saul: Sa1 13:1 fought: Kg2 14:27 Ammon: Sa1 11:11, Sa1 12:2 Zobah: Sa2 10:6; Kg1 11:23 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 14:48”

“General Summary of Saul's other Wars, and Account of his Family. - Sa1 14:47. "But Saul had taken the sovereignty." As Saul had first of all secured a recognition of himself as king on the part of all the tribes of Israel, through his victory over the Ammonites at Jabesh ( Sa1 11:12.), so it was through the victory which he had gained over the Philistines, and by which these obstinate foes of Israel were driven back into their own land, that he first acquired the kingship over Israel, i.e., first really secured the regal authority over the Israelites. This is the meaning of המּלוּכה לכד; and this statement is not at variance either with the election of Saul by lot ( Sa1 10:17.), or with his…”