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1 Samuel 14:36

in 1 Samuel 14

And Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until dawn, leaving no man alive!” “Do what seems good to you,” the troops replied. But the priest said, “We must consult God here.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God.

KJV

And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God.

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This verse in 1 Samuel 14

Commentary

3 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Then said the priest - It is evident that Ahiah doubted the propriety of pursuing the Philistines that night; and as a reverse of fortune might be ruinous after such a victory, he wished to have specific directions from the Lord.

This site's exposition

let us go down after the Philistines by night

on 1 Samuel 14:36-37

Saul proposes to press the victory through the night, and the priest for once counsels enquiry first, let us draw near hither unto God. The answer is silence: But he answered him not that day. This is the earliest recorded case in Scripture of the LORD declining to answer Saul, the same pattern that will end at Endor in chapter 28, where Saul enquires and again gets nothing until he turns to the witch.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Here he showed much zeal, but little discretion; for his army, thus fatigued, could as ill spare a night's sleep as a meal's meat. But it is common for rash and foolish men to consider nobody but themselves, and, so that they might but have their humour, not to care what hardships they put upon those that are under them.

The words behind it

26 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • שָׁא֡וּלSaul

    shaulH7586 →402 times

  • נֵרְדָ֣הlet us go down

    neredahH3381 →381 times

  • אַחֲרֵי֩after

    ʾachareiH310 →715 times

  • פְלִשְׁתִּ֨ים׀[the] Philistines

    felishtimH6430 →287 times

  • לַ֜יְלָהnight

    laylahH3915 →233 times

  • וְֽנָבֹ֥זָהand let us plunder

    venavozahH962 →

  • בָהֶ֣ם׀<in> <the> them

    vahem

  • עַד־until

    ʾad-H5704 →1261 times

  • א֣וֹר[the] light of

    ʾorH216 →121 times

  • הַבֹּ֗קֶרthe morning

    habokerH1242 →214 times

  • וְלֹֽא־and not

    velo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • נַשְׁאֵ֤רwe will leave

    nasherH7604 →133 times

  • בָּהֶם֙among <the> them

    bahem

  • אִ֔ישׁanyone

    ʾishH376 →1663 times

  • וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּand people said

    vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • הַטּ֥וֹבthe good

    hatovH2896 →538 times

  • בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָin view your

    beeineikhaH5869 →887 times

  • עֲשֵׂ֑ה סdo

    ʾasehH6213 →2628 times

  • וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • הַכֹּהֵ֔ןthe priest

    hakohenH3548 →750 times

  • נִקְרְבָ֥הlet us draw near

    nikrevahH7126 →280 times

  • הֲלֹ֖םhere

    halomH1988 →12 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃<the> God

    haelohimH430 →2601 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

15 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Psalms 73:28But as for me, it is good to draw near to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may proclaim all Your works.4 works1 Chronicles 13:3Then let us bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of Him in the days of Saul.”4 worksIsaiah 48:1–2“Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, who have descended from the line of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD, who invoke the God of Israel—but not in truth or righteousness—3 worksIsaiah 58:2For day after day they seek Me and delight to know My ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not forsake the justice of their God. They ask Me for righteous judgments; they delight in the nearness of God.”2 worksJeremiah 6:5Rise up, let us attack by night and destroy her fortresses!’”2 works1 Samuel 14:18–19Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (For at that time it was with the Israelites.)2 works
The other 9 cross-references, with their words ▾
1 Samuel 11:11The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions, and during the morning watch they invaded the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them, until the hottest part of the day. And the survivors were so scattered that no two of them were left together.2 worksJames 4:8Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.2 worksNumbers 27:21He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.”2 worksJoshua 11:14The Israelites took for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but they put all the people to the sword until they had completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed.2 works1 Samuel 14:3including Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli the priest of the LORD in Shiloh. But the troops did not know that Jonathan had left.2 worksMalachi 2:7For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts.2 worksJoshua 10:19But you, do not stop there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Do not let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.”2 worksJoshua 10:9–14After marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua caught them by surprise.2 works1 Samuel 14:40Then Saul said to all Israel, “You stand on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will stand on the other side.” “Do what seems good to you,” the troops replied.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Psalms 73:28

    But as for me, it is good to draw near to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may proclaim all Your works.

    it leads to

    • James 4:8

      Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

    • Psalms 40:5

      Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done, and the plans You have for us— none can compare to You— if I proclaim and declare them, they are more than I…

    • Hebrews 10:19–22

      Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,

    • Lamentations 3:25–26

      The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.

    • Psalms 65:4

      Blessed is the one You choose and bring near to dwell in Your courts! We are filled with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple.

  • Through

    Isaiah 58:2

    For day after day they seek Me and delight to know My ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not forsake the justice of their God. They ask Me for…

    it leads to

    • Titus 1:16

      They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

    • Isaiah 29:13

      Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught…

    • Matthew 15:7–9

      You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you:

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies1

About 1 Samuel

David Slays Goliath — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
David Slays Goliath — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
1 Samuel: the study guide →Read 1 Samuel 14 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 1 Samuel 14 →