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Sunday, July 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

1 Samuel 14:13

Jonathan climbed up using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. Jonathan cut them down, and his armor-bearer followed and finished them off.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Jonathan;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Jews, the;   Philistines, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Philistines;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Courage;   Jonathan;   Philistia, philistines;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - War, Holy War;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Philistines;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jonathan;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Armour, Arms;   Gibeah;   Israel;   Jonathan;   Michmash;   Philistines;   Samuel, Books of;   Urim and Thummim;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Lots;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Garrison;   Geba ;   Jonathan ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jonathan;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Jon'athan,;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Divide;   Jonathan (2);   Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jonathan, Jehonathan;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Yonatan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and his armor bearer after him: and they fell before Yonatan; and his armor bearer killed them after him.
King James Version
And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.
Lexham English Bible
So Jonathan went up on his hands and his feet, with his armor bearer after him. They fell before Jonathan and then his armor bearer would kill them after him.
English Standard Version
Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him.
New Century Version
So Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, and his officer climbed just behind him. Jonathan struck down the Philistines as he went, and his officer killed them as he followed behind him.
New English Translation
Jonathan crawled up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer following behind him. Jonathan struck down the Philistines, while his armor bearer came along behind him and killed them.
Amplified Bible
Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, his armor bearer following after him. The enemy fell before Jonathan [in combat], and his armor bearer killed some of them after him.
New American Standard Bible
Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer behind him; and the men fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer put some to death after him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So Ionathan went vp vpon his hands and vpon his feete, and his armour bearer after him: and some fell before Ionathan, & his armour bearer slewe others after him.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer behind him; and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer put some to death after him.
Contemporary English Version
Jonathan crawled up the hillside with the soldier right behind him. When they got to the top, Jonathan killed the Philistines who attacked from the front, and the soldier killed those who attacked from behind.
Complete Jewish Bible
Y'honatan climbed up, using his hands as well as his feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. The P'lishtim fell before Y'honatan, and his armor-bearer following him finished them off.
Darby Translation
And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armour-bearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan; and his armour-bearer slew after him.
Easy-to-Read Version
So Jonathan climbed up the hill with his hands and feet, and his helper was right behind him. Jonathan and his helper attacked them. In the first attack, they killed 20 Philistines in an area about one-half acre in size. Jonathan fought the men who attacked from the front. His helper came behind him and killed the men who were only wounded.
George Lamsa Translation
And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and his armor-bearer followed after him; and the Philistine garrison retreated before Jonathan; and his armorbearer slew with him.
Good News Translation
Jonathan climbed up out of the pass on his hands and knees, and the young man followed him. Jonathan attacked the Philistines and knocked them down, and the young man killed them.
Literal Translation
And Jonathan went up on his hands and on his feet, and the armorbearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and the armorbearer made them die behind him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Ionathas clamme vp with handes and fete, and his wapen bearer after him. And Ionathas smote them downe before him, and his wape bearer slewe behynde him,
American Standard Version
And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armorbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armorbearer slew them after him.
Bible in Basic English
And Jonathan went up, gripping with his hands and his feet, his servant going up after him; and the Philistines gave way before Jonathan when he made an attack on them, and his servant put them to death after him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ionathan clymed vp vpon handes and feete, and his harnesse bearer after him: And they fell before Ionathan, & his harnesse bearer slue the after him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armour-bearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan; and his armour-bearer slew them after him.
King James Version (1611)
And Ionathan climed vp vpon his hands, and vpon his feete, and his armour bearer after him: and they fell before Ionathan; and his armour bearer slew after him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Jonathan went up on his hands and feet, and his armour-bearer with him; and they looked on the face of Jonathan, and he smote them, and his armour-bearer did smite them after him.
English Revised Version
And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew them after him.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. And the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and finished them off.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Jonathas stiede crepynge on hondis and feet, and his squyer after hym; and whanne thei hadden seyn the face of Jonathas, summe felden doun bifor Jonathas, his squier killed othere, and suede hym.
Young's Literal Translation
And Jonathan goeth up on his hands, and on his feet, and the bearer of his weapons after him; and they fall before Jonathan, and the bearer of his weapons is putting to death after him.
Update Bible Version
And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and his armorbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armorbearer slew them after him.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armor-bearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armor-bearer slew after him.
World English Bible
Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and his armor bearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armor bearer killed them after him.
New King James Version
And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armorbearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan. And as he came after him, his armorbearer killed them.
New Living Translation
So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them.
New Life Bible
Then Jonathan went up the hill on his hands and feet, with the one who was carrying his battle-clothes behind him. The soldiers fell in front of Jonathan. The young man, who was carrying his battle-clothes after him, killed them.
New Revised Standard
Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer following after him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer, coming after him, killed them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So Jonathan went up on his hands and on his feet, and, his armour-bearer, followed him, - and they fell before Jonathan, and, his armour-bearer, was slaying after him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Jonathan went up creeping on his hands and feet, and his armourbearer after him. And some fell before Jonathan, others his armourbearer slew as he followed him.
Revised Standard Version
Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him;
THE MESSAGE
Jonathan shouted to his armor bearer, "Up! Follow me! God has turned them over to Israel!" Jonathan scrambled up on all fours, his armor bearer right on his heels. When the Philistines came running up to them, he knocked them flat, his armor bearer right behind finishing them off, bashing their heads in with stones.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer behind him; and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer put some to death after him.

Contextual Overview

1That same day Saul’s son Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” However, he did not tell his father. 2Saul was staying under the pomegranate tree in Migron on the outskirts of Gibeah. The troops with him numbered about six hundred. 3Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod, was also there. He was the son of Ahitub, the brother of Ichabod son of Phinehas, son of Eli the Lord’s priest at Shiloh. But the troops did not know that Jonathan had left. 4There were sharp columns of rock on both sides of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine garrison. One was named Bozez and the other Seneh; 5one stood to the north in front of Michmash and the other to the south in front of Geba. 6Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will help us. Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” 7His armor-bearer responded, “Do what is in your heart. You choose. I’m right here with you whatever you decide.” 8“All right,” Jonathan replied, “we’ll cross over to the men and then let them see us. 9If they say, ‘Wait until we reach you,’ then we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10But if they say, ‘Come on up,’ then we’ll go up, because the Lord has handed them over to us—that will be our sign.”

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

climbed up: Psalms 18:29, Hebrews 11:34

fell: Leviticus 26:7, Leviticus 26:8, Deuteronomy 28:7, Deuteronomy 32:30, Joshua 23:10, Romans 8:31

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 1:25 - How 1 Kings 20:11 - Let not him 1 Kings 20:20 - the Syrians

Cross-References

Genesis 10:16
as well as the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,
Genesis 14:24
I will take nothing except what the servants have eaten. But as for the share of the men who came with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre—they can take their share.”
Genesis 39:14
she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “my husband brought a Hebrew man to make fools of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, and I screamed as loud as I could.
Genesis 40:15
For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should put me in the dungeon.”
Genesis 41:12
Now a young Hebrew, a slave of the captain of the guards, was with us there. We told him our dreams, he interpreted our dreams for us, and each had its own interpretation.
Genesis 43:32
They served him by himself, his brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, since that is detestable to them.
Exodus 2:6
opened it, and saw him, the child—and there he was, a little boy, crying. She felt sorry for him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew boys.”
Exodus 2:11
Years later, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his people.
Numbers 21:21
Israel sent messengers to say to King Sihon of the Amorites:
1 Samuel 4:12
That same day, a Benjaminite man ran from the battle and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn, and there was dirt on his head.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet,.... He did not attempt to go up the way or pass the Philistines kept, but turned aside and climbed up a precipice thought inaccessible, and came upon them unseen, and at unawares; for had he attempted to come up in any part where he was seen, they could easily have beat him down, and prevented his ascent; but though the place he climbed was so very steep and cragged, yet going on all four, as we say, he surmounted the difficulty; for he took this method of going on his hands and feet, not so much that he might not be seen; but because otherwise he could not have got up, not being able to stand on his feet; some think it was the precipice called Bozez he climbed, which, according to the Targum, had its name from its being lubricous and slippery:

and his armourbearer after him; who clambered up in the same manner, in imitation of his master, and as taught and directed by him:

and they fell before Jonathan, and his armourbearer slew after him; Jonathan, coming upon them at an unawares, knocked them down; or falling upon them, and laying about him with great dispatch, wounded them, and laid them prostrate to the ground; and his armourbearer following them, put them to death, dispatched them at once; and so between them both made quick riddance of them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 14:13. Jonathan climbed up — It seems he had a part of the rock still to get over. When he got over he began to slay the guards, which were about twenty in number, these were of a sort of outpost or advanced guard to the garrison.

Slew after him — Jonathan knocked them down, and the armour-bearer despatched them. This seems to be the meaning.


 
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