Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle,.... Josephus s says this was not long after the things related in the preceding chapter were transacted; and very probably they had heard of the melancholy and distraction of Saul, and thought it a proper opportunity of avenging themselves on Israel for their last slaughter of them, and for that purpose gathered together their dispersed troops:
and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah; a city of the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:35, which shows that, notwithstanding their last defeat, they had great footing in the land of Israel, or however had penetrated far into it in this march of theirs:
and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah; which were both in the same tribe, and near one another, of which Joshua 10:10,
in Ephesdammim; which, by an apocope of the first letter, is called Pasdammim, 1 Chronicles 11:13 which the Jews t say had this name because there blood ceased.
s Antiqu. l. 6. c. 9. sect. 1. t Midrash Ruth, fol. 48. 2. Kimchi in loc.