1 Samuel 14:37

1 Samuel 14:37 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?" But he did not answer him that day.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Saul asked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But He did not answer him that day.
• New Living Translation (NLT)So Saul asked God, “Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?” But God made no reply that day.

Context of 1 Samuel 14:37

35Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first time he had done this. 36Saul said, “Let us go down and pursue the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive.” “Do whatever seems best to you,” they replied. But the priest said, “Let us inquire of God here.” So Saul asked God, “Shall I go down and pursue the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel’s hand?” But God did not answer him that day. 38Saul therefore said, “Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. 39As 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.

1 Samuel 14:37 word by word

וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל שָׁאוּל֙ בֵּֽאלֹהִ֔ים הַֽאֵרֵד֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים הֲתִתְּנֵ֖ם בְּיַ֣ד יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֥א עָנָ֖הוּ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַהֽוּא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• askedשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
• counsel of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• Shall I go downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
• wilt thou deliverנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• them into the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• But he answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• him not that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 14:37

• 1 Samuel 23:4Once again David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.”
• 1 Samuel 30:7Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him,
• Judges 1:1After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?”
• Judges 20:18The Israelites went up to Bethel and inquired of God. They said, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” The Lord replied, “Judah shall go first.”
• 2 Samuel 5:19so David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.”
• 1 Kings 22:5But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”
• 1 Samuel 28:6He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.
• Ezekiel 14:3“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?
• Ezekiel 20:3“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.’

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 14:37

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 37He answered him not that day - Why was this answer delayed? Surely Jonathan's eating the honey was no sin. This could not have excited God's displeasure. And yet the lot found out Jonathan! But did this argue that he had incurred guilt in the sight of God? I answer: It did not; for Jonathan was delivered, by the authority of the people, from his father's rash curse; no propitiation is offered for his supposed transgression to induce God to pardon it; nor…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 37Asked counsel - The technical phrase for inquiring of God by Urim and Thummim, and applied also to inquiry of other oracles.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. 37-38God did not answer: Neither the "no" nor the "yes" answer from the Urim and Thummim appeared.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 14:37

• Armies

In the dictionaries

• God
• Israel
• Philistines
• Saul
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Paul, Saul
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• That Day
• Discomfiture

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