Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 17:52

"And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou comest to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron." — 1 Samuel 17:52 (ASV)

To the valley. —More accurately, to a valley; there is no article in the Hebrew. This lack of the article at once suggests that the “valley” spoken of so indefinitely here was not that well-known valley or ravine which divided the two armies; furthermore, it is nowhere suggested that the Philistines had ever crossed the valley or ravine.

Keil remarks that it is strange that no further mention is made of this “valley of the pursuit.” The Septuagint renders, instead of “to a valley,” “to Gath.” These Greek translators probably had before them the true text: Gath, instead of gai, a valley. Gath is mentioned in the next sentence.

The way to Shaaraim. —This was a town in the lowlands of Judah ; the name has probably been preserved in the modern Kefr Zakariya. The Septuagint, however, does not understand Shaaraim as a city at all, but renders, instead of “by the way to Shaaraim,” “in the way of the gates.” The “gates” of Ekron are mentioned as one of the notable places of the flight in the preceding sentence.

If the Septuagint interpretation is adopted, we must understand by this expression the space between the outer and the inner gates of Ekron.