1 Samuel 9:4
New International Version
So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.

New Living Translation
So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the Shaalim area, and the entire land of Benjamin, but they couldn’t find the donkeys anywhere.

English Standard Version
And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.

Berean Standard Bible
So Saul passed through the hill country of Ephraim and then through the land of Shalishah, but did not find the donkeys. He and the servant went through the region of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they went through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.

King James Bible
And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.

New King James Version
So he passed through the mountains of Ephraim and through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.

New American Standard Bible
So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjaminites, but they did not find them.

NASB 1995
He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.

NASB 1977
And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.

Amplified Bible
And they passed through the hill country of Ephraim and the land of Shalishah, but did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there and the land of the Benjamites, but they [still] did not find them.

Christian Standard Bible
Saul and his servant went through the hill country of Ephraim and then through the region of Shalishah, but they didn’t find them. They went through the region of Shaalim —nothing. Then they went through the Benjaminite region but still didn’t find them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Saul and his attendant went through the hill country of Ephraim and then through the region of Shalishah, but they didn’t find them. They went through the region of Shaalim—nothing. Then they went through the Benjaminite region but still didn’t find them.

American Standard Version
And he passed through the hill-country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he passed by in the mountain of Aphreim, and he passed by in the Land of Burning Coals and he did not find them, and he passed by in the Land of Foxes and there was nothing, and he passed by in the land of Benyamin and he did not find them

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they went through mount Ephraim, and they went through the land of Selcha, and found them not: and they passed through the land of Segalim, and they were not there: and they passed through the land of Jamin, and found them not.

Contemporary English Version
Saul and the servant went through the hill country of Ephraim and the territory of Shalishah, but they could not find the donkeys. Then they went through the territories of Shaalim and Benjamin, but still there was no sign of the donkeys.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And through the land of Salisa, and had not found them, they passed also through the land of Salim, and they were not there: and through the land of Jemini, and found them not.

English Revised Version
And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They went through the mountains of Ephraim and the region of Shalisha without finding the donkeys. Then Saul and his servant went through the region of Shaalim, but the donkeys weren't there. The men went through the territory of Benjamin but [still] didn't find them.

Good News Translation
They went through the hill country of Ephraim and the region of Shalishah, but did not find them; so they went on through the region of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then they went through the territory of Benjamin, but still did not find them.

International Standard Version
He went through the hill country of Ephraim and through the region of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they went through the region of Shaalim, but they were not there. They also went through the territory of the descendants of Benjamin, but they did not find them.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And he passed through the hill-country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they found them not; then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they were not; and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.

Literal Standard Version
And he passes over through the hill-country of Ephraim, and passes over through the land of Shalisha, and they have not found [them]; and they pass over through the land of Shaalim, and they are not; and he passes over through the land of Benjamin, and they have not found [them].

Majority Standard Bible
So Saul passed through the hill country of Ephraim and then through the land of Shalishah, but did not find the donkeys. He and the servant went through the region of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they went through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.

New American Bible
So they went through the hill country of Ephraim, and through the land of Shalishah. Not finding them there, they continued through the land of Shaalim without success. They also went through the land of Benjamin, but they failed to find the animals.

NET Bible
So Saul crossed through the hill country of Ephraim, passing through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. So they crossed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he crossed through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.

New Revised Standard Version
He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of Benjamin, but they did not find them.

New Heart English Bible
He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they weren't there. Then he passed through the land of the Jaminites, but they did not find them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjaminites, but they found them not.

World English Bible
He passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they didn’t find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they weren’t there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they didn’t find them.

Young's Literal Translation
And he passeth over through the hill-country of Ephraim, and passeth over through the land of Shalisha, and they have not found; and they pass over through the land of Shaalim, and they are not; and he passeth over through the land of Benjamin, and they have not found.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul Chosen as King
3One day the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys.” 4So Saul passed through the hill country of Ephraim and then through the land of Shalishah, but did not find the donkeys. He and the servant went through the region of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they went through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them. 5When they reached the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, “Come, let us go back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”…

Cross References
Joshua 19:42
Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,

Joshua 24:33
Eleazar son of Aaron also died, and they buried him at Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.

1 Samuel 9:3
One day the donkeys of Saul's father Kish wandered off, and Kish said to his son Saul, "Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys."

2 Kings 4:42
Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain. "Give it to the people to eat," said Elisha.


Treasury of Scripture

And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.

mount

Judges 17:1
And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

Judges 19:1
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.

Shalisha

2 Kings 4:42
And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

Shalim

Genesis 33:18
And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.

John 3:23
And John also was baptizing in AEnon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

Jump to Previous
Area Benjamin Benjaminites Benjamites Country District Donkeys Ephraim E'phraim Hill Hill-Country Mount Passed Passeth Shalishah Sign Territory Weren't
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Area Benjamin Benjaminites Benjamites Country District Donkeys Ephraim E'phraim Hill Hill-Country Mount Passed Passeth Shalishah Sign Territory Weren't
1 Samuel 9
1. Saul despairing to find his father's donkeys
6. by the counsel of his servant
11. and direction of young maidens
15. according to God's revelation
18. comes to Samuel
19. Samuel entertains Saul at the feast
25. Samuel, after secret communication, brings Saul on his way














(4) And he passed through mount Ephraim. The chain of the mountains of Ephraim ran southward into the territory of Benjamin, where were situated the patrimonial possessions of Saul's house.

And passed through the land of Shalisha.--Or land "of the Three;" so called because three valleys there united in one, or one divided into three. It is believed to be the region in which Baal-shalisha lay (2Kings 4:42), fifteen miles north of Diospolis, or Lydda.

The land of Shalim.--Probably a very deep valley, derived from a Hebrew word, signifying "the hollow of the hand."

Verse 4. - Mount Ephraim. Though Gibeah, Saul's home, was in Benjamin, it was situated on this long mountain range (1 Samuel 1:1). The land of Shalisha. I.e. Three-land, and probably, therefore, the region round Baal-shalisha. It takes its name from the three valleys which there converge in the great Wady Kurawa, The land of Shalim. I.e. of jackals; probably the same as the land of Shual, also = jackal-land (1 Samuel 13:17). The very name shows that it was a wild, uninhabited region. The derivation hollow-land is untenable.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So [Saul] passed
וַיַּעֲבֹ֧ר (way·ya·‘ă·ḇōr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

through the hill country
בְּהַר־ (bə·har-)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

of Ephraim
אֶפְרַ֛יִם (’ep̄·ra·yim)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 669: Ephraim -- a son of Joseph, also his descendants and their territory

and then through the land
בְּאֶֽרֶץ־ (bə·’e·reṣ-)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of Shalishah,
שָׁלִ֖שָׁה (šā·li·šāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8031: Shalishah -- an area of Israel searched by Saul

but did not
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

find [the donkeys].
מָצָ֑אוּ (mā·ṣā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

[He and the servant] went
וַיַּעֲבֹ֥ר (way·ya·‘ă·ḇōr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

through the region
בְאֶֽרֶץ־ (ḇə·’e·reṣ-)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of Shaalim,
שַׁעֲלִים֙ (ša·‘ă·lîm)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8171: Shaalim -- an area searched by Saul

but [they were] not [there].
וָאַ֔יִן (wā·’a·yin)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

Then they went
וַיַּעַבְר֤וּ (way·ya·‘aḇ·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

through the land
בְּאֶֽרֶץ־ (bə·’e·reṣ-)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of Benjamin,
יְמִינִ֖י (yə·mî·nî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3227: On the right hand

and still they did not
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

find them.
מָצָֽאוּ׃ (mā·ṣā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present


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OT History: 1 Samuel 9:4 He passed through the hill country (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 9:3
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