1 Samuel 14:20

1 Samuel 14:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, every Philistine's sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed every man’s sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion.

Context of 1 Samuel 14:20

18Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (For at that time it was with the Israelites.) 19While Saul was talking to the priest, the commotion in the Philistine camp continued to increase. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” Then Saul and all his troops assembled and marched to the battle, and they found the Philistines in total confusion, with each man wielding the sword against his neighbor. 21And the Hebrews who had previously gone up into the surrounding camps to join the Philistines now went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22When all the Israelites who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also joined the battle in close pursuit.

1 Samuel 14:20 word by word

וַיִּזָּעֵ֣ק שָׁא֗וּל וְכָל־הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ עַד־הַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה הָיְתָ֜ה חֶ֤רֶב אִישׁ֙ בְּרֵעֵ֔הוּ מְהוּמָ֖ה גְּדוֹלָ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃Read the interlinear

• Then Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• and allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• his troopsעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• ·אֵת'êth · withH854
• assembledזָעַקzâ‛aq · to cry outH2199
• and marchedבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• toעַד‛ad · tillH5704
• the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• and they foundהִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
• in totalמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• in totalגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• confusionמְהוּמָהmehûmâh · tumultH4103
• with each manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• wieldingהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• against his neighborרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 14:20

• 1 Samuel 14:16Now when Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in Benjamin looked and saw the troops melting away and scattering in every direction,
• Judges 7:22And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
• 2 Chronicles 20:23The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction. And when they had finished off the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
• Isaiah 9:19By the wrath of the LORD of Hosts the land is scorched, and the people are fuel for the fire. No man even spares his brother.
• Isaiah 19:2“So I will incite Egyptian against Egyptian; brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 14:20

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Assembled themselves - See marg. Many versions give the sense “shouted,” which is far preferable, and only requires a different punctuation.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-23Verses 16-23 The Philistines were, by the power of God, set against one another. The more evident it was that God did all, the more reason Saul had to inquire whether God would give him leave to do any thing. But he was in such haste to fight a fallen enemy, that he would not stay to end his devotions, nor hear what answer God would give him. He that believeth, will not make such haste, nor reckon any business so urgent, as not to allow time to take God…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-52Saul's actions in this chapter further support his removal as king (1 Samuel 13:8–14; see also 15). Saul was estranged from both Samuel and his brave son Jonathan. 1 Samuel 14 foreshadows Jonathan's important role in the shift from Saul's rule to David's.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2220-22. Saul and all the people--All the warriors in the garrison at Gibeah, the Israelite deserters in the camp of the Philistines, and the fugitives among the mountains of Ephraim, now all rushed to the pursuit, which was hot and sanguinary.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 14:20

• Armies
• Panic

In the dictionaries

• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Discomfiture
• Discover
• Enlighten
• Faulty
• Fight
• Flew
• Moabite
• Philistines

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings