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 said to Ahijah the priest, ‘Bring the ephod here.’ At that time, Ahijah was wearing the ephod. 19While Saul was saying this, the Philistine soldiers were making more and more noise. They were all very confused. So Saul said to the priest, ‘Take your hand out of the ephod. It is time to go!’ Then Saul and all the soldiers who were with him marched out to battle. They found that the Philistines were completely confused. They were fighting each other with their swords. 21Before this time, some of the Hebrew men had gone to join with the Philistine army. Now they went back to join the Israelite army with Saul and Jonathan. 22The Israelite soldiers who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim also heard the news. When they knew that the Philistine soldiers were running away, they chased after them as well.

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 14:16Some of Saul's soldiers who were with him in Gibeah were watching the Philistines. They saw that their soldiers were running away in different directions.
• Judges 7:22When Gideon's 300 men made a noise with their trumpets, it confused the Midianites everywhere in their camp. The Lord caused them to attack one another with their swords. Their army ran away to Beth Shittah, on the road towards Zererah. They ran as far as the border of Abel Meholah, near Tabbath.
• 2 Chronicles 20:23The soldiers from Ammon and Moab started to attack the soldiers from Edom. They destroyed Edom's army. When they had done that, they started to fight against each other. So they all destroyed one another.
• Isaiah 9:19The Lord Almighty is very angry. He punishes the land of Israel, like a fire that burns everything. The people are like wood that makes the fire burn well. None of them try to help each other.
• Isaiah 19:2‘I will cause Egypt's people to fight against each other. People will fight against their own family. They will fight against their neighbours. Cities and kingdoms will fight against each other.

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