1 Samuel 14:16

1 Samuel 14:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
• New International Version (NIV)Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was dispersing here and there.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and there was the multitude, melting away; and they went here and there.

Context of 1 Samuel 14:16

14In their first slaughter Jonathan and his armorbearer killed about twenty men within about a hundred yards. 15There was panic among the army in the field and all the troops in the military post. The raiding party also trembled ⌞in fear⌟. The earth shook, and there was a panic sent from God. Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in Benjamin could see the crowd ⌞in the Philistine camp⌟ dispersing in all directions. 17“Look around,” Saul told the troops who were with him, “and see who has left ⌞our camp⌟.” They looked and found that Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there. 18Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the priestly ephod,” because Ahijah carried the ephod in front of Israel that day.

1 Samuel 14:16 word by word

וַיִּרְא֤וּ הַצֹּפִים֙ לְשָׁא֔וּל בְּגִבְעַ֖ת בִּנְיָמִ֑ן וְהִנֵּ֧ה הֶהָמ֛וֹן נָמ֖וֹג וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ וַהֲלֹֽם׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the watchmenצָפָהtsâphâh · to watchH6822
• of Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• in Gibeahגִּבְעָהgib‛âh · GibeahH1390
• of Benjaminבִּנְיָמִיןbinyâmîyn · BenjaminH1144
• lookedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• and, behold, the multitudeהָמוֹןhâmôn hâmôn · crowdH1995
• melted awayמוּגmûg · to meltH4127
• and they wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• on beating downהָלַםhâlam · to smiteH1986

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 14:16

• Psalms 58:7Let them disappear like water that drains away. When they aim their bows, let their arrows miss the target.
• Psalms 68:2Blow them away like smoke. Let wicked people melt in God’s presence like wax next to a fire.
• 1 Samuel 14:20Saul and all the troops with him assembled and went into battle. They found Philistine soldiers killing their fellow soldiers in wild confusion.
• Judges 7:22The 300 men kept on blowing their rams’ horns, and the Lord caused the whole camp of Midian to fight among themselves. They fled as far as Beth Shittah, toward Zererah, and as far as the bank of the stream at Abel Meholah near Tabbath.
• 2 Chronicles 20:22As they started to sing praises, the Lord set ambushes against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir who had come into Judah. They were defeated.
• Isaiah 19:2“I will turn one Egyptian against another. They will fight— brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 14:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16The watchmen of Saul - Those who were sent out as scouts to observe the motions of the army. Melted away - There was no order in the Philistine camp, and the people were dispersing in all directions. The Vulgate has, Et ecce multitudo prostrata, "And behold the multitude were prostrate;" many lay dead upon the field, partly by the sword of Jonathan and his armor-bearer, and partly by the swords of each other, 1 Samuel 14:20.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Multitude - The word is in 1 Samuel 14:19 (margin) rendered tumult. It must have the same meaning here. The sentence is obscure and probably corrupt; perhaps it means, “and behold the tumult! and it went on” (increased) “melting away and beating down.”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. 1616. the watchmen of Saul ... looked--The wild disorder in the enemies' camp was described and the noise of dismay heard on the heights of Gibeah.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 14:16

• Armies
• Jonathan
• Panic

In the dictionaries

• Benjamin
• Gibeah
• Saul
• Benjamin, Benjaminite
• Paul, Saul
• Discomfiture
• Discover
• Enlighten
• Faulty
• Fight

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