1 Samuel 14:39

1 Samuel 14:39 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For, as the Lord liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
• New International Version (NIV)As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if the guilt lies with my son Jonathan, he must die.” But not one of them said a word.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For as the Lord lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For as the Lord lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But not a man among all the people answered him.

Context of 1 Samuel 14:39

37Saul asked God, ‘Should we attack the Philistines? Will you give us power over them?’ But God did not answer Saul that day. 38So Saul said to all the leaders of the army, ‘Come here. Someone has done a bad thing today. We must find out who has done it. The Lord is the one who rescues Israel. As surely as the Lord lives, I promise that I will punish the man who has done this bad thing. Whoever it is must die, even if it is my own son Jonathan.’ But nobody in the army said anything. 40Saul said to all the Israelites, ‘You stand on this side. My son Jonathan and I will stand on the other side.’ The people answered, ‘Do what you think is right.’ 41Then Saul prayed to the Lord, Israel's God. He said, ‘Please show us who has done this sin. Let the special stones, Urim and Thummim, show who has done it.’ The stones chose Jonathan and Saul. They did not choose the soldiers of the army.

1 Samuel 14:39 word by word

כִּ֣י חַי־יְהוָ֗ה הַמּוֹשִׁ֙יעַ֙ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּ֧י אִם־יֶשְׁנ֛וֹ בְּיוֹנָתָ֥ן בְּנִ֖י כִּ֣י מ֣וֹת יָמ֑וּת וְאֵ֥ין עֹנֵ֖הוּ מִכָּל־הָעָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• livethחַיchay · aliveH2416
• which savethיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• though it beיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
• in Jonathanיוֹנָתָןyônâthân · JonathanH3129
• my sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• he shall surelyמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• not a man among all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 14:39

• 1 Samuel 14:24The Israelite soldiers became very weak and hungry that day. Saul had told his army to agree to this promise: ‘Nobody may eat any food before this evening. By then I will have won against my enemies. If anyone eats anything before then, may God curse him!’ So no soldier in Saul's army ate any food.
• 1 Samuel 19:6Saul agreed with Jonathan. He made a promise in the Lord's name that he would not kill David.
• 1 Samuel 20:31You will never rule as king while that son of Jesse is still alive. Send men to go and bring him to me now. He must die!’
• 1 Samuel 22:16But King Saul said, ‘Ahimelech, you must die, together with all your family.’
• 1 Samuel 28:10Then Saul promised the woman very strongly. He said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, nobody will punish you if you do this.’
• 2 Samuel 12:5When David heard what the rich man had done, he became very angry. He said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, that man deserves to die.
• Ecclesiastes 9:2But there is something which happens to everyone. It happens to righteous people and it happens to wicked people. It happens to good people and it happens to bad people. It happens to people who are clean in front of God and it happens to people who are unclean. It happens to people who offer sacrifices to God and it happens to people who do not do that. It happens to good people and to people who turn away from God. It happens to people who make promises to God. It also happens to people who are afraid to do that.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 14:39

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 39Saul‘s rashness becomes more and more apparent. He now adds an additional oath, to bring down yet further guilt in “taking God‘s name in vain” The expressions in 1 Samuel 14:36, 1 Samuel 14:40, indicate the fear in which the people stood of Saul. None dared to resist his will.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 36-46Verses 36-46 If God turns away our prayer, we have reason to suspect it is for some sin harboured in our hearts, which we should find out, that we may put it away, and put it to death. We should always first suspect and examine ourselves; but an unhumbled heart suspects every other person, and looks every where but at home for the sinful cause of calamity. Jonathan was discovered to be the offender. Those most indulgent to their own sins are most severe…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

Topics related to 1 Samuel 14:39

• Armies
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Jonathan
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Discomfiture
• Discover
• Enlighten
• Faulty
• Fight
• Flew

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