1 Samuel 14:41

1 Samuel 14:41 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Therefore Saul said unto the Lord God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Why have you not answered your servant today? If the fault is in me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim, but if the men of Israel are at fault, respond with Thummim.” Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore Saul said, "O Lord God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant this day? If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O Lord, God of Israel, give Urim. But if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim." And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore Saul said to the Lord God of Israel, “Give a perfect lot.” So Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped.

Context of 1 Samuel 14:41

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. 40Then Saul said, “Jonathan and I will stand over here, and all of you stand over there.” And the people responded to Saul, “Whatever you think is best.” Then Saul prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, please show us who is guilty and who is innocent.” Then they cast sacred lots, and Jonathan and Saul were chosen as the guilty ones, and the people were declared innocent. 42Then Saul said, “Now cast lots again and choose between me and Jonathan.” And Jonathan was shown to be the guilty one. 43“Tell me what you have done,” Saul demanded of Jonathan. “I tasted a little honey,” Jonathan admitted. “It was only a little bit on the end of my stick. Does that deserve death?”

1 Samuel 14:41 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁא֗וּל אֶל־יְהוָ֛ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לָמָּה לֹא עָנִיתָ אֶת־עַבְדְּךָ הַיּוֹם אִם יֶשׁ־בִּי אוֹ בְּיוֹנָתָן בְנִי הֶעָוֹן הַזֶּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָבָה אוּרִים וְאִם יֶשְׁנוֹ הֶעָוֹן הַזֶּה בְּעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל הָ֣בָה תָמִ֑ים וַיִּלָּכֵ֧ד יוֹנָתָ֛ן וְשָׁא֖וּל וְהָעָ֥ם יָצָֽאוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Therefore Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• Giveיָהַבyâhab · to giveH3051
• a perfectתָּמִיםtâmîym · unblemished: ThummimH8549
• and Jonathanיוֹנָתָןyônâthân · JonathanH3129
• were takenלָכַדlâkad · to captureH3920
• but the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• escapedיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 14:41

• Proverbs 16:33We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.
• Acts 1:24Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen
• 1 Samuel 10:20So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot.
• Joshua 7:16Early the next morning Joshua brought the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Judah was singled out.
• Jonah 1:7Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 14:41

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 41Lord God of Israel, Give a perfect lot - Both the Vulgate and Septuagint add much to this verse: And Saul said to the Lord God of Israel, Lord God of Israel, give judgment. Why is it that thou hast not answered thy servant to-day? If the iniquity be in me, or Jonathan my son, make it manifest. Or if this iniquity be in thy people, give sanctification.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 41Give a perfect lot - The phrase is obscure, but the meaning is probably as in the margin.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. 41Priests cast sacred lots by using the Urim and Thummim to learn what God wanted them to do (Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8). David also used them to seek God's guidance (1 Samuel 23:2; 30:8; 2 Samuel 2:1). The Urim and Thummim were two small objects, possibly flat stones, sticks, or arrows, used like dice. They would give a positive, neutral, or negative answer.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 14:41

• Armies
• Lot, the
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• God
• Israel
• Jonathan
• Lot
• Saul
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Paul, Saul
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• 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