Many years previously, the tribe of Judah had captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron from the Canaanites, though they failed to completely drive out the inhabitants of the coastal plane (Judges 1:18–19). Over time, with the arrival of the Philistines, these lands were taken from them, possibly around 50–75 years before the events described in 1 Samuel 7:1–17. Now they are once again restored.
14 The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.