John Gill Commentary 1 Samuel 17:1

"Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongeth to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim." — 1 Samuel 17:1 (ASV)

Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle ,
&c.] Josephus ^F19 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 (See Gill on Joshua 10:10), (See Gill on Joshua 15:35).

in Ephesdammim ;
which, by an apocope of the first letter, is called Pasdammim, (1 Chronicles 11:13) which the Jews ^F20 say had this name because there blood ceased.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F19: Antiqu. l. 6. c. 9. sect. 1.
• F20: Midrash Ruth, fol. 48. 2. Kimchi in loc.