New Living Translation
1 Samuel 14:37
37So Saul asked God, “Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?” But God made no reply that day.
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.
- New International Version (NIV)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.
- 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.
Context of 1 Samuel 14:37
35Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first of the altars he built to the Lord. 36Then Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them.” His men replied, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.” But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.” So Saul asked God, “Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?” But God made no reply that day. 38Then Saul said to the leaders, “Something’s wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today. 39I vow by the name of the Lord who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!” But no one would tell him what the trouble was.
Read all of 1 Samuel 141 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 23:4So David asked the Lord again, and again the Lord replied, “Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines.”
- 1 Samuel 30:7Then he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring me the ephod!” So Abiathar brought it.
- Judges 1:1After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Which tribe should go first to attack the Canaanites?”
- Judges 20:18Before the battle the Israelites went to Bethel and asked God, “Which tribe should go first to attack the people of Benjamin?” The Lord answered, “Judah is to go first.”
- 2 Samuel 5:19So David asked the Lord, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord replied to David, “Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you.”
- 1 Kings 22:5Then Jehoshaphat added, “But first let’s find out what the Lord says.”
- 1 Samuel 28:6He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets.
- Ezekiel 14:3“Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests?
- Ezekiel 20:3“Son of man, tell the leaders of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: How dare you come to ask me for a message? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will tell you nothing!’
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
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
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