1 Samuel 11:2

1 Samuel 11:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• 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 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 to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.” 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.” 3Then the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Hold off for seven days, that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.” 4So the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the hearing of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept.

1 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• 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 18:31Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make peace with me by a present and come out to me; and every one of you eat from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one of you drink the waters of his own cistern;
• Judges 16:21Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison.
• Exodus 3:6Moreover He said, “I am the God of your 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 regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
• Jeremiah 39:7Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon.
• 1 Samuel 17:26Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes 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 to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to 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

• Jabesh-Gilead
• Nahash

In the dictionaries

• Ammonite
• Israel
• Blind
• Eye
• Nahash
• Renew
• Samuel, Books of
• Arimathaea
• Jonathan (2)
• Judah, Kingdom of

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