God’s Word Translation
1 Samuel 14:34
34Then Saul said, “Spread out through the troops, and tell them, ‘Each of you, bring me your ox or your sheep, and butcher it here, and eat. But don’t sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood in it.’ ” So each of the soldiers brought his ox with him that night and butchered it there.
1 Samuel 14:34 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.
- New International Version (NIV)Then he said, “Go out among the men and tell them, ‘Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.’ ” So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, 'Let every man bring his ox or his sheep and slaughter them here and eat, and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.'" So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night and they slaughtered them there.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, ‘Bring me here every man’s ox and every man’s sheep, slaughter them here, and eat; and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.’ ” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night, and slaughtered it there.
Context of 1 Samuel 14:34
32So the troops seized the Philistines’ belongings. They took sheep, cows, and calves, and butchered them on the ground. The troops ate the meat with blood still in it. 33Some ⌞soldiers⌟ told Saul, “The troops are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with blood in it.” Saul replied, “You have been unfaithful. Roll a large rock over to me now.” Then Saul said, “Spread out through the troops, and tell them, ‘Each of you, bring me your ox or your sheep, and butcher it here, and eat. But don’t sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood in it.’ ” So each of the soldiers brought his ox with him that night and butchered it there. 35Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first time he had built an altar to the Lord. 36Saul said ⌞to his men⌟, “Let’s attack the Philistines tonight and take their possessions until the light of dawn. And let’s not leave any of them ⌞alive⌟.” “Do whatever you think is best,” they responded. But the priest said, “Let’s consult God first.”
Read all of 1 Samuel 141 Samuel 14:34 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁא֣וּל פֻּ֣צוּ בָעָ֡ם וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֣ם לָהֶ֡ם הַגִּ֣ישׁוּ אֵלַי֩ אִ֨ישׁ שׁוֹר֜וֹ וְאִ֣ישׁ שְׂיֵ֗הוּ וּשְׁחַטְתֶּ֤ם בָּזֶה֙ וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֔ם וְלֹֽא־תֶחֶטְא֥וּ לַֽיהוָ֖ה לֶאֱכֹ֣ל אֶל־הַדָּ֑ם וַיַּגִּ֨שׁוּ כָל־הָעָ֜ם אִ֣ישׁ שׁוֹר֧וֹ בְיָד֛וֹ הַלַּ֖יְלָה וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ־שָֽׁם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Disperseפּוּץpûts · to scatterH6327
- yourselves among the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- unto them, Bring me hitherנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: bringH5066
- every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- his oxשׁוֹרshôr · cattleH7794
- his sheepשֶׂהώeh ώêy · sheepH7716
- and slayשָׁחַטshâchaţ · to slaughterH7819
- here, and eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- and sinחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
- not against the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- with the bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- with himיָדyâd · hand: monumentH3027
- that nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 14:34
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 24-35Verses 24-35 Saul's severe order was very unwise; if it gained time, it lost strength for the pursuit. Such is the nature of our bodies, that daily work cannot be done without daily bread, which therefore our Father in heaven graciously gives. Saul was turning aside from God, and now he begins to build altars, being then most zealous, as many are, for the form of godliness when he was denying the power of it.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 32-34The men were very hungry, so they ate meat without draining the blood. This act broke God's law (see Leviticus 17:10–14) and was a sin against the Lord. To stop more sin, Saul used a large rock as a field altar to properly drain the animals' blood. This incident happened because of Saul's foolish oath.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 31-3431-34. the people were very faint. And the people flew upon the spoil--at evening, when the time fixed by Saul had expired. Faint and famishing, the pursuers fell voraciously upon the cattle they had taken, and threw them on the ground to cut off their flesh and eat them raw, so that the army, by Saul's rashness, were defiled by eating blood, or living animals; probably, as the Abyssinians do, who cut a part of the animal's rump, but close the hide upon…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries