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Easy-to-Read Version

1 Samuel 14:13

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.

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

Christian Standard Bible®
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.
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.
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

1 That day, Saul's son Jonathan was talking with the young man who carried his weapons. Jonathan said, "Let's go to the Philistine camp on the other side of the valley." But Jonathan did not tell his father. 2 Saul was sitting under a pomegranate tree at the threshing floor at the edge of the hill. Saul had about 600 men with him. 3 One of the men was named Ahijah. Ahijah was a son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub. Ahitub was the son of Phinehas. Phinehas was the son of Eli. Eli had been the Lord 's priest at Shiloh. Now Ahijah was the priest who wore the ephod. These men did not know that Jonathan had left. 4 Jonathan was planning to go through a pass to get to the Philistine camp. There was a large rock on each side of the pass. The large rock on one side was named Bozez. The large rock on the other side was named Seneh. 5 One of the rocks faced north toward Micmash, and the other faced south toward Geba. 6 Jonathan said to his young helper who carried his weapons, "Come on, let's go to the camp of those foreigners. Maybe the Lord will use us to defeat them. Nothing can stop the Lord —it doesn't matter if we have many soldiers or just a few soldiers." 7 The young man who carried Jonathan's weapons said to him, "Do what you think is best. Whatever you decide, I am with you all the way." 8 Jonathan said, "Let's go! We'll cross the valley and go to the Philistine guards. We'll let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Stay there until we come to you,' we will stay where we are. We won't go up to them. 10 But if the Philistine men say, ‘Come up here,' then we will climb up to them. That will be a sign from God. That will mean that the Lord will allow us to defeat them."

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
Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites,
Genesis 14:24
The only thing I will accept is the food that my young men have eaten, but you should give the other men their share. Take what we won in battle and give some to Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. These men helped me in the battle."
Genesis 39:14
She called to the men outside and said, "Look! This Hebrew slave was brought here to make fun of us. He came in and tried to attack me, but I screamed.
Genesis 40:15
I was kidnapped and taken from the land of my people, the Hebrews. I have done nothing wrong! I should not be in prison."
Genesis 41:12
There was a young Hebrew man in prison with us. He was a servant of the commander of the guards. We told him our dreams, and he explained them to us. He told us the meaning of each dream,
Genesis 43:32
The servants seated Joseph at a table by himself. His brothers were at another table by themselves, and the Egyptians were at a table by themselves. The Egyptians believed that it was wrong for them to eat with Hebrews.
Exodus 2:6
The king's daughter opened the basket and saw a baby boy. The baby was crying and she felt sorry for him. Then she noticed that it was one of the Hebrew babies.
Exodus 2:11
Moses grew and became a man. He saw that his own people, the Hebrews, were forced to work very hard. One day he saw an Egyptian man beating a Hebrew man.
Numbers 21:21
The Israelites sent some men to King Sihon of the Amorites. The men said to the king,
1 Samuel 4:12
One of the men who ran from the battle was a man from the tribe of Benjamin. He tore his clothes and put dust on his head to show his great sadness.

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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