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

18Saul told Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God,” for it was with the Israelites at that time. 19While Saul spoke to the priest, the panic in the Philistine camp increased in intensity. So Saul said to the priest, “Stop what you’re doing.” Saul and all the troops with him assembled and marched to the battle, and there the Philistines were, fighting against each other in great confusion! 21There were Hebrews from the area who had gone earlier into the camp to join the Philistines, but even they joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22When all the Israelite men who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also joined Saul and Jonathan in the battle.

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• and all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• with him assembledזָעַקzâ‛aq · to cry outH2199
• themselves, and they cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• and, behold, every man’sאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• was against his fellowרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
• a veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• discomfitureמְהוּמָהmehûmâh · tumultH4103

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 14:20

• 1 Samuel 14:16When Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, they saw the panicking troops scattering in every direction.
• Judges 7:22When Gideon’s men blew their three hundred rams’ horns, the Lord caused the men in the whole army to turn on each other with their swords. They fled to Acacia House in the direction of Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
• 2 Chronicles 20:23The Ammonites and Moabites turned against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and completely annihilated them. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped destroy each other.
• Isaiah 9:19The land is scorched by the wrath of the Lord of Armies, and the people are like fuel for the fire. No one has compassion on his brother.
• Isaiah 19:2I will provoke Egyptians against Egyptians; each will fight against his brother and each against his friend, city against city, 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