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Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

1 Samuel 14:39

I swear by the living Lord that whoever sinned must die, even if it turns out to be my own son Jonathan." No one said a word.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Zeal, Religious;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Armies of Israel, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Philistines;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Jonathan;   Philistia, philistines;   Saul, king of israel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Philistines;   Saul;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Court Systems;   Inquire of God;   Jonathan;   Life;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Gibeah;   Israel;   Jonathan;   Michmash;   Philistines;   Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   Urim and Thummim;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Salvation;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jonathan ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jonathan;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Jon'athan,;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Jephthah;   Justice;   Urim and Thummim;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Oracle;   Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ban;   Jonathan, Jehonathan;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
As surely as the Lord lives who saves Israel, even if it is because of my son Jonathan, he must die!” Not one of the troops answered him.
Hebrew Names Version
For, as the LORD lives, who saves Yisra'el, though it be in Yonatan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.
King James Version
For, as the Lord liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
Lexham English Bible
For as Yahweh lives, who delivers Israel, I swear that even if it is in Jonathan my son, he will certainly die!" But nobody from all the army answered him.
English Standard Version
For as the Lord lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.
New Century Version
As surely as the Lord lives who has saved Israel, even if my son Jonathan did the sin, he must die." But no one in the army spoke.
New English Translation
For as surely as the Lord , the deliverer of Israel, lives, even if it turns out to be my own son Jonathan, he will certainly die!" But no one from the army said anything.
Amplified Bible
"For as the LORD lives, who saves Israel, for even if the guilt is in my son Jonathan, he shall most certainly die." But not one of all the people answered him.
New American Standard Bible
"For as the LORD lives, who saves Israel, even if it is in my son Jonathan, he shall assuredly die!" But not one of all the people answered him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For as the Lord liueth, which saueth Israel, though it be done by Ionathan my sonne, he shall dye the death. But none of all the people answered him.
Legacy Standard Bible
For as Yahweh lives, who saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But not one of all the people answered him.
Complete Jewish Bible
For, as Adonai Isra'el's deliverer lives, even if it proves to be Y'honatan my son, he must be put to death." But no one among all the people answered him.
Darby Translation
For, [as] Jehovah liveth, who has saved Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall certainly die. And no one answered him among all the people.
Easy-to-Read Version
I swear by the Lord who saves Israel, that even if my own son Jonathan sinned, he must die." None of the people said a word.
George Lamsa Translation
For, as the LORD lives, who saved Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was no one of all the people that answered him.
Good News Translation
I promise by the living Lord , who gives Israel victory, that the guilty one will be put to death, even if he is my son Jonathan." But no one said anything.
Literal Translation
For as Jehovah lives, who delivers Israel, surely if it is my son Jonathan, dying he shall die. And no one answered him from all the people.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For as truly as God the Sauioure of Israel lyueth, & though it be in my sonne Ionathas, he shal dye. And no man answered him of all the people.
American Standard Version
For, as Jehovah liveth, who saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
Bible in Basic English
For, by the living Lord, the saviour of Israel, even if the sinner is Jonathan, my son, death will certainly be his fate. But not a man among all the people gave him any answer.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For as the Lorde liueth, whiche saued Israel, though it be in Ionathan my sonne, he shal dye the death. But there was no man among all the people that aunswered him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For, as the LORD liveth, who saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.' But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
King James Version (1611)
For as the Lord liueth, which saueth Israel, though it bee in Ionathan my sonne, he shall surely die: But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For as the Lord lives who has saved Israel, if answer should be against my son Jonathan, he shall surely die. And there was no one that answered out of all the people.
English Revised Version
For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
Berean Standard Bible
As surely as the LORD lives who delivers Israel, even if it is my son Jonathan, he must die!" But not one of the troops said a word.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The Lord sauyour of Israel lyueth; for if `it is don bi Jonathas my sone, he schal die with out ayen drawyng. At which ooth no man of al the puple ayenseide hym.
Young's Literal Translation
for, Jehovah liveth, who is saving Israel: surely if it be in Jonathan my son, surely he doth certainly die;' and none is answering him out of all the people.
Update Bible Version
For, as Yahweh lives, who saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there wasn't a man among all the people that answered him.
Webster's Bible Translation
For [as] the LORD liveth, who saveth Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But [there was] not a man among all the people [that] answered him.
World English Bible
For, as Yahweh lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.
New King James Version
For as the LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But not a man among all the people answered him.
New Living Translation
I 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.
New Life Bible
For as the Lord lives Who saves Israel, even if it is in Jonathan my son, he will die for sure." But not one of all the people answered him.
New Revised Standard
For as the Lord lives who saves Israel, even if it is in my son Jonathan, he shall surely die!" But there was no one among all the people who answered him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, by the life of Yahweh, who saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, yet shall he, die. But there was none ready to answer him, of all the people.
Douay-Rheims Bible
As the Lord liveth, who is the Saviour of Israel, if it was done by Jonathan, my son, he shall surely die. In this none of the people gainsayed him.
Revised Standard Version
For as the LORD lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For as the LORD lives, who delivers Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But not one of all the people answered him.

Contextual Overview

36 Saul said, "Let's attack the Philistines again while it's still dark. We can fight them all night. Let's kill them and take everything they own!" The people answered, "We will do whatever you want." "Wait!" Ahijah the priest said. "Let's ask God what we should do." 37 Saul asked God, "Should I attack the Philistines? Will you help us win?" This time God did not answer. 38 Saul called his army officers together and said, "We have to find out what sin has kept God from answering. 39 I swear by the living Lord that whoever sinned must die, even if it turns out to be my own son Jonathan." No one said a word. 40 Saul told his army, "You stand on that side of the priest, and Jonathan and I will stand on the other side." Everyone agreed. 41 Then Saul prayed, "Our Lord , God of Israel, why haven't you answered me today? Please show us who sinned. Was it my son Jonathan and I, or was it your people Israel?" The answer came back that Jonathan or Saul had sinned, not the army. 42 Saul told Ahijah, "Now ask the Lord to decide between Jonathan and me." The answer came back that Jonathan had sinned. 43 "Jonathan," Saul exclaimed, "tell me what you did!" "I dipped the end of my walking stick in some honey and ate a little. Now you say I have to die!" 44 "Yes, Jonathan. I swear to God that you must die." 45 "No!" the soldiers shouted. "God helped Jonathan win the battle for us. We won't let you kill him. We swear to the Lord that we won't let you kill him or even lay a hand on him!" So the army kept Saul from killing Jonathan.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Samuel 14:24, 1 Samuel 14:44, 1 Samuel 19:6, 1 Samuel 20:31, 1 Samuel 22:16, 1 Samuel 28:10, 2 Samuel 12:5, Ecclesiastes 9:2

Reciprocal: Genesis 2:17 - surely Joshua 7:15 - he that is 1 Samuel 14:1 - Jonathan 2 Samuel 14:21 - I have done 1 Kings 1:29 - As the 1 Kings 17:12 - As the Lord 2 Kings 5:20 - as the Lord liveth 1 Chronicles 10:2 - Jonathan Job 27:2 - God liveth Jonah 1:7 - for Matthew 14:9 - the oath's

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For as the Lord liveth, which saveth Israel,.... And had saved them that day with a great salvation and had wrought a great deliverance for them in freeing them from the Philistines, who had threatened the ruin of the whole nation. This is the form of an oath:

though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die; that is, though the sin should be found in him, or he should be found guilty of the breach of what he had charged them with an oath to observe, namely, to eat no food that day till evening:

but there was not a man among all the people that answered him; who knew that Jonathan had tasted of honey, but they would not acquaint him with it; partly because they knew he did it ignorantly, having no knowledge of his father's charge and oath, and partly because of their great affection to him, who had been the instrument of their deliverance and salvation that day.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Saul’s rashness becomes more and more apparent. He now adds an additional oath, to bring down yet further guilt in “taking God’s name in vain” The expressions in 1 Samuel 14:36, 1 Samuel 14:40, indicate the fear in which the people stood of Saul. None dared to resist his will.


 
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