King James Version
1 Samuel 11:2
2And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.
1 Samuel 11:2 in other versions
- New International Version (NIV)But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus bring disgrace on all Israel."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)“All right,” Nahash said, “but only on one condition. I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you as a disgrace to all Israel!”
Context of 1 Samuel 11:2
1Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh–gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel. 3And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee. 4Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.
Read all of 1 Samuel 111 Samuel 11:2 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם נָחָשׁ֙ הָעַמּוֹנִ֔י בְּזֹאת֙ אֶכְרֹ֣ת לָכֶ֔ם בִּנְק֥וֹר לָכֶ֖ם כָּל־עֵ֣ין יָמִ֑ין וְשַׂמְתִּ֥יהָ חֶרְפָּ֖ה עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Read the interlinear
- And Nahashנָחָשׁnâchâsh · NahashH5176
- the Ammoniteעַמּוֹנִי‛ammônîy · AmmonH5984
- answeredאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- them, On thisזֹאתzô'th · thisH2063
- will I makeכָּרַתkârath · to cut: make(covenant)H3772
- with you, that I may thrust outנָקַרnâqar · to digH5365
- all your rightיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225
- eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- and layשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- a reproachחֶרְפָּהcherpâh · reproachH2781
- upon all Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 11:2
- 2 Kings 18:31Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:
- Judges 16:21But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
- Exodus 3:6Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
- Proverbs 12:10A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
- Jeremiah 39:7Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.
- 1 Samuel 17:26And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
- Genesis 34:14And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 11:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2I may thrust out all your right eves - This cruel condition would serve at once as a badge of their slavery, and a means of incapacitating them from being effective warriors. Theodoret observes, "He who opposes his shield to the enemy with his left hand, thereby hides his left eye, and looks at his enemy with his right eye; he therefore who plucks out that right eye makes men useless in war." Josephus gives the same reason.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2put out everyone’s right eye: In the ancient Near East, it was common to mutilate captured soldiers. These soldiers, with one eye, lost depth perception, making it hard for them to fight in a revolt.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. thrust out all your right eyes--literally, "scoop" or "hollow out" the ball. This barbarous mutilation is the usual punishment of usurpers in the East, inflicted on chiefs; sometimes, also, even in modern history, on the whole male population of a town. Nahash meant to keep the Jabeshites useful as tributaries, whence he did not wish to render them wholly blind, but only to deprive them of their right eye, which would disqualify them for war. Besides…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 11:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 11
- 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
King James Version — Public Domain except in the United Kingdom (Crown rights)
Commentaries