1 Samuel 14:44

THE MESSAGE

Saul said, "Yes. Jonathan most certainly will die. It's out of my hands—I can't go against God, can I?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Saul declared to him, “May God punish me and do so severely if you do not die, Jonathan!”

Hebrew Names Version
Sha'ul said, God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Yonatan.

King James Version
And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.

Lexham English Bible
Then Saul said, "So may God do to me and more, you will certainly die today, Jonathan!"

English Standard Version
And Saul said, "God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan."

New Century Version
Saul said, "Jonathan, if you don't die, may God punish me terribly."

New English Translation
Saul said, "God will punish me severely if Jonathan doesn't die!"

Amplified Bible
Saul answered, "May God do so [to me], and more also [if I do not keep my word], for you shall most certainly die, Jonathan."

New American Standard Bible
And Saul said, "May God do the same to me and more also, for you shall certainly die, Jonathan!"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Againe Saul answered, God doe so & more also, vnlesse thou die the death, Ionathan.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Saul said, "May God do this to me and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan."

Contemporary English Version
"Yes, Jonathan. I swear to God that you must die."

Complete Jewish Bible
Sha'ul said, "May God do the same to me and more also if you are not put to death, Y'honatan!"

Darby Translation
And Saul said, God do so [to me] and more also; thou shalt certainly die, Jonathan.

Easy-to-Read Version
Saul said, "I made an oath and asked God to punish me if I didn't keep it. Jonathan, you must die."

George Lamsa Translation
And Saul said, God do so to me and more also, unless you shall surely die, Jonathan.

Good News Translation
Saul said to him, "May God strike me dead if you are not put to death!"

Literal Translation
And Saul said, God do so and more also, for dying you shall die, Jonathan.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The sayde Saul: God do this and that vnto me, Ionathas thou must dye the death.

American Standard Version
And Saul said, God do so and more also; for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.

Bible in Basic English
And Saul said, May God's punishment be on me if death is not your fate, Jonathan.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Saul aunswered: God do so & more also to me, thou shalt dye the death Ionathan.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Saul said: 'God do so and more also; thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.'

King James Version (1611)
And Saul answered, God do so, and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Ionathan.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Saul said to him, God do so to me, and more also, thou shalt surely die to-day.

English Revised Version
And Saul said, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.

Berean Standard Bible
And Saul declared "May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y die. And Saul seide, God do to me these thingis, and adde `these thingis, for thou, Jonathas, schalt die bi deeth.

Young's Literal Translation
And Saul saith, `Thus doth God do, and thus doth He add, for thou dost certainly die, Jonathan.'

Update Bible Version
And Saul said, God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Saul answered, God do so, and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.

World English Bible
Saul said, God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.

New King James Version
Saul answered, "God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan."

New Living Translation
"Yes, Jonathan," Saul said, "you must die! May God strike me and even kill me if you do not die for this."

New Life Bible
Saul said, "May God do this to me and more also, for you will die for sure, Jonathan."

New Revised Standard
Saul said, "God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan!"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Saul: So, may God do, and, so, may he add, surely thou must, die, Jonathan!

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Saul said: May God do so and so to me, and add still more: for dying thou shalt die, O Jonathan.

Revised Standard Version
And Saul said, "God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Saul said, "May God do this to me and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan."

Contextual Overview

³⁶ Saul said, "Let's go after the Philistines tonight! We can spend the night looting and plundering. We won't leave a single live Philistine!" "Sounds good to us," said the troops. "Let's do it!" But the priest slowed them down: "Let's find out what God thinks about this." ³⁷ So Saul prayed to God, "Shall I go after the Philistines? Will you put them in Israel's hand?" God didn't answer him on that occasion. ³⁸Saul then said, "All army officers, step forward. Some sin has been committed this day. We're going to find out what it is and who did it! As God lives, Israel's Savior God, whoever sinned will die, even if it should turn out to be Jonathan, my son!" Nobody said a word. ⁴⁰ Saul said to the Israelites, "You line up over on that side, and I and Jonathan my son will stand on this side." The army agreed, "Fine. Whatever you say." ⁴¹ Then Saul prayed to God , "O God of Israel, why haven't you answered me today? Show me the truth. If the sin is in me or Jonathan, then, O God , give the sign Urim. But if the sin is in the army of Israel, give the sign Thummim." The Urim sign turned up and pointed to Saul and Jonathan. That cleared the army. ⁴² Next Saul said, "Cast the lots between me and Jonathan—and death to the one God points to!" The soldiers protested, "No—this is not right. Stop this!" But Saul pushed on anyway. They cast the lots, Urim and Thummim, and the lot fell to Jonathan. ⁴³ Saul confronted Jonathan. "What did you do? Tell me!" Jonathan said, "I licked a bit of honey off the tip of the staff I was carrying. That's it—and for that I'm to die?" ⁴⁴ Saul said, "Yes. Jonathan most certainly will die. It's out of my hands—I can't go against God, can I?" ⁴⁵ The soldiers rose up: "Jonathan—die? Never! He's just carried out this stunning salvation victory for Israel. As surely as God lives, not a hair on his head is going to be harmed. Why, he's been working hand-in-hand with God all day!" The soldiers rescued Jonathan and he didn't die. ⁴⁶ Saul pulled back from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines went home.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

God: 1 Samuel 25:22, Ruth 1:17, 2 Samuel 3:9, 2 Samuel 19:13

thou shalt: 1 Samuel 14:39, Genesis 38:24, 2 Samuel 12:5, 2 Samuel 12:31, Proverbs 25:16

Reciprocal: Genesis 2:17 - surely Judges 11:31 - shall surely Judges 11:35 - I cannot 1 Samuel 22:16 - Thou shalt 2 Samuel 21:2 - in his zeal 1 Kings 2:23 - God 2 Kings 6:31 - God do so Romans 9:3 - were

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Saul answered, God do so and more also,.... A form of an oath imprecating evils upon him more and greater than he chose to mention, see the like form in Ruth 1:17, though Abarbinel thinks this is not the form of an oath, but an asseveration of a curse that would befall him; as that God would not answer him when he inquired of him, and that he would add to do so again and again, if he died not:

for thou shall surely die, Jonathan; such words from a father must be very striking to a son, and argue a want of paternal affection in Saul, that could call his son by his name, and deliver such a speech unto him in so strong a manner.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 14:44. And Saul answered - thou shalt surely die, Jonathan. — To save thy rash oath! So must John Baptist's head be taken off at the desire of an impure woman, because a Herod had sworn to give her whatever she might request! Unfeeling brute! However, the king was JUDGE. But what said the people, who were the JURY?