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Brenton's Septuagint

1 Samuel 14:14

And the first slaughter which Jonathan and his armour-bearer effected was twenty men, with darts and slings, and pebbles of the field.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Acre;   Bullock;   Jonathan;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Philistines, the;   Ploughing;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Philistines;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Courage;   Jonathan;   Measurement;   Philistia, philistines;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - War, Holy War;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Angel;   Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Acre;   Philistines;   Yoke;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acre;   Agriculture;   Furrow;   Jonathan;   Samuel, Books of;   Weights and Measures;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Gibeah;   Israel;   Jonathan;   Michmash;   Ner;   Philistines;   Samuel, Books of;   Urim and Thummim;   Weights and Measures;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Acre;   Garrison;   Geba ;   Jonathan ;   Weights and Measures;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jonathan;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Garrison;   Jon'athan,;   Ox;   Yoke;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Acre (2);   Furrow;   Samuel, Books of;   Text of the Old Testament;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Athletes, Athletics, and Field-Sports;   Jonathan, Jehonathan;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
In that first assault Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about twenty men in a half-acre field.
Hebrew Names Version
That first slaughter, which Yonatan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land.
King James Version
And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.
Lexham English Bible
So was the first attack in which Jonathan and his armor bearer killed about twenty men within about half of a furrow in an acre of an open field.
English Standard Version
And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land.
New Century Version
In that first fight Jonathan and his officer killed about twenty Philistines over a half acre of ground.
New English Translation
In this initial skirmish Jonathan and his armor bearer struck down about twenty men in an area that measured half an acre.
Amplified Bible
That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about twenty men within about half a [plow] furrow in a plot of land [the area of which a yoke of oxen could plow in a day].
New American Standard Bible
Now that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer inflicted was about twenty men within about half a furrow in an acre of land.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So the first slaughter which Ionathan and his armour bearer made, was about twentie men, as it were within halfe an acre of land which two oxen plowe.
Legacy Standard Bible
And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about twenty men within about half a furrow in an acre of land.
Contemporary English Version
Before they had gone a hundred feet, they had killed about twenty Philistines.
Complete Jewish Bible
That first slaughter, of about twenty men, was accomplished by Y'honatan and his armor bearer in a space only half as long as one side of the area a pair of oxen could plow in a day [about 200 yards].
Darby Translation
And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armour-bearer wrought was about twenty men, as it were on the half-furrow of an acre of land.
George Lamsa Translation
And the first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men; they cut them to pieces like stone-cutters and like men who plough a field.
Good News Translation
In that first slaughter Jonathan and the young man killed about twenty men in an area of about half an acre.
Literal Translation
And this was the first blow, when Jonathan and his armorbearer struck about twenty men in about half of a furrow of an acre of a field.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
so that the first slaughter that Ionathas and his wapen bearer dyd, was vpo a twentye men, with in the length of halue an aker of londe, which a pare of oxen maye tyll in one daye.
American Standard Version
And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armorbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land.
Bible in Basic English
And at their first attack, Jonathan and his servant put to the sword about twenty men, all inside the space of half an acre of land.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And that first slaughter whiche Ionathan & his harnesse bearer made, was vpon a twentie men, within the compasse as it were about an halfe aker of land which two [oxen plowe.]
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armour-bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land.
King James Version (1611)
And that first slaughter which Ionathan and his armour-bearer made, was about twentie men, within as it were an halfe acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.
English Revised Version
And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land.
Berean Standard Bible
In that first assault, Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about twenty men over half an acre of land.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the firste wounde was maad, which Jonathas and his squyer smoot, as of twenti men, in `the myddil part of lond which a peire of oxun was wont to ere in the dai.
Young's Literal Translation
And the first smiting which Jonathan and the bearer of his weapons have smitten is of about twenty men, in about half a furrow of a yoke of a field,
Update Bible Version
And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armorbearer made, was about twenty men, within, as it were, half a furrow's length in an acre of land.
Webster's Bible Translation
And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were a half-acre of land, [which] a yoke [of oxen might plow].
World English Bible
That first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land.
New King James Version
That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within about half an acre of land. [fn]
New Living Translation
They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre.
New Life Bible
In that first killing done by Jonathan and the man who carried his battle-clothes, about twenty men fell dead within a small piece of land.
New Revised Standard
In that first slaughter Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed about twenty men within an area about half a furrow long in an acre of land.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the first smiting wherewith Jonathan and his armour-bearer smote, was about twenty men, - within, as it were, half a furrow's length of a yoke of land.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the first slaughter which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was of about twenty men, within half an acre of land, which a yoke of oxen is wont to plough in a day.
Revised Standard Version
and that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, was of about twenty men within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land.
THE MESSAGE
In this first bloody encounter, Jonathan and his armor bearer killed about twenty men. That set off a terrific upheaval in both camp and field, the soldiers in the garrison and the raiding squad badly shaken up, the ground itself shuddering—panic like you've never seen before!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about twenty men within about half a furrow in an acre of land.

Contextual Overview

1 And when a certain day arrived, Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, and let us go over to Messab of the Philistines that is on the other side yonder; but he told not his father. 2 And Saul sat on the top of the hill under the pomegranate tree that is in Magdon, and there were with him about six hundred men. 3 And Achia son of Achitob, the brother of Jochabed the son of Phinees, the son of Heli, was the priest of God in Selom wearing an ephod: and the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. 4 And in the midst of the passage whereby Jonathan sought to pass over to the encampment of the Philistines, there was both a sharp rock on this side, and a sharp rock on the other side: the name of the one was Bases, and the name of the other Senna. 5 The one way was northward to one coming to Machmas, and the other way was southward to one coming to Gabae. 6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, let us go over to Messab of these uncircumcised, if peradventure the Lord may do something for us; for the Lord is not straitened to save by many or by few. 7 And his armour-bearer said to him, Do all that thine heart inclines toward: behold, I am with thee, my heart is as thy heart. 8 And Jonathan said, Behold, we will go over to the men, and will come down suddenly upon them. 9 If they should say thus to us, Stand aloof there until we shall send you word; then we will stand still by ourselves, and will not go up against them. 10 But if they should say thus to us, Come up to us; then will we go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hands; this shall be a sign to us.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

an half acre of land: or, half a furrow of an acre of land, The original is obscure and variously understood; but it is probably a proverbial expression for a small space. 1 Samuel 14:14

Reciprocal: Judges 15:15 - slew 2 Samuel 17:9 - some

Cross-References

Genesis 12:5
And Abram took Sara his wife, and Lot the son of his brother, and all their possessions, as many as they had got, and every soul which they had got in Charrhan, and they went forth to go into the land of Chanaan.
Genesis 12:16
And they treated Abram well on her account, and he had sheep, and calves, and asses, and men-servants, and women-servants, and mules, and camels.
Genesis 13:8
And Abram said to Lot, Let there not be a strife between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen, for we are brethren.
Genesis 14:1
And it came to pass in the reign of Amarphal king of Sennaar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, that Chodollogomor king of Elam, and Thargal king of nations,
Genesis 14:2
made war with Balla king of Sodom, and with Barsa king of Gomorrha, and with Sennaar, king of Adama, and with Symobor king of Seboim and the king of Balac, this is Segor.
Genesis 14:3
All these met with one consent at the salt valley; this is now the sea of salt.
Genesis 14:5
And in the fourteenth year came Chodollogomor, and the kings with him, and cut to pieces the giants in Astaroth, and Carnain, and strong nations with them, and the Ommaeans in the city Save.
Genesis 14:11
And they took all the cavalry of Sodom and Gomorrha, and all their provisions, and departed.
Genesis 14:12
And they took also Lot the son of Abram’s brother, and his baggage, and departed, for he dwelt in Sodom.
Genesis 15:3
And Abram said, I am grieved since thou hast given me no seed, but my home-born servant shall succeed me.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the first slaughter which Jonathan and his armourbearer made was about twenty men,.... Or the first blow they struck, as the Targum, they killed about twenty men; that is, they did not stop smiting, but followed their blows so quickly, that in a very little time, as well as in a very small space of ground, so many were killed:

even within as it were an half acre of land, which a "yoke" of oxen might plough; that is, in one day; the word is used for a furrow, Psalms 129:3 and is supposed by some p to be the length of one furrow; but if so, it must be a circular furrow; so much ground was given to Horatius Cocles as could be ploughed round about in one day, for his brave opposition to Porsena, king of the Etruscans, when he endeavoured to restore the family of the Tarquins q. This was a space of ground which the Romans call "actus", a measure of land one hundred and twenty feet square, which being doubled made an acre, called by them "jugerum", being as much as a yoke of oxen could plough in one day, as Pliny says r; so that an acre was two hundred and forty feet long, and one hundred and twenty broad, and contained an area of 28,800 four square Roman feet; and this space here mentioned, which was half an acre, contained 14,400 Roman feet s; and within this space of ground, without going any further, twenty men were killed, which struck a panic into the whole garrison and host, supposing there was a large army of men behind them coming on, as follows. The Septuagint version renders these words as representing the slaughter made "with darts, and the casts of stones, and flints of the field" t.

p Vid. David. de Pomis Lexic. fol. 129. 1. q Aurel. Victor. de vir. illustr. c. 14. Liv. Hist. l. 2. c. 10. r Nat. Hist. l. 18. c. 3. Vid. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 2. c. 20. s Vid. Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. p. 487. t See Dr. Kennicett's Dissertat. 1. p. 453.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Within as it were an half acre ... - The Hebrew text is extremely obscure. Hence, there is some probability that the true reading is preserved by the Septuagint which translates the clause “with darts and stones and flints of the field.” Others take the words to mean: “in about half the time that a yoke of oxen draw a furrow in the field.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 14:14. A half acre of land — The ancients measured land by the quantum which a yoke of oxen could plough in a day. The original is obscure, and is variously understood. It is probably a proverbial expression for a very small space.


 
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