1 Samuel 14:45
in 1 Samuel 14But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die—he who accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for with God’s help he has accomplished this today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far from it: as Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
KJV
And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 14
Commentary
7 notes on this verseJonathan tasted of a honeycomb on a rod, and his eyes were enlightened, and his life was in danger because he acted through ignorance. For Scripture testifies to the fact that he did not know that his father had given strict orders that no one was to taste any food until the victory of the Lord was accomplished. However, the Lord was so angered that the lot disclosed him hiding, and he confessed openly, saying, "I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod, which was in my hand, and behold I must die."
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
What then is the meaning of what is said, "Shall Jonathan then die," unless that another would have died for the same fault? By these words of the people there is surely shown to us the power of great discernment, because in the judgment of the elect, not only must the causes of faults be weighed, but also the merits of persons. This is openly shown by these words, because Jonathan is declared not to die not because he was the son of the king, but because he had wrought great salvation in Israel.
In this passage it should be noted that the king twice uttered an oath above concerning the killing of Jonathan, whom nevertheless, overcome by the insistence of the people, he did not kill. What does it mean that he swore, and by no means kept the assertion of his oath? But from this matter two lessons come to us, namely that we ought to be both cautious and discerning. Cautious indeed, lest we swear; discerning, if we swear to do perverse things. For he who takes care not to swear cannot possibly commit perjury.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
With God - In concurrence with God, he hath wrought this salvation. God is so far from being offended with Jonathan, that he hath graciously owned him in the great service of this day.
And the people said unto Saul,.... Hearing such words, and filled with grief, pity, and sympathy for Jonathan, as Josephus (k) observes: shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? no, he shall not; what, such a man as he die, who, under God, has been the instrument of so great deliverance, who first began it himself with one man only with him, and has proceeded in it to the finishing of it?
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And the people said - “Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid! As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground.” Here was a righteous and impartial jury, who brought in a verdict according to the evidence: No man should die but for a breach of the law of God; but Jonathan hath not broken any law of God; therefore Jonathan should not die. And because he should not, therefore he shall not.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
But the more enlightened conscience of the army prevented the tarnishing the glory of the day by the blood of the young hero, to whose faith and valor it was chiefly due.
The words behind it
32 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and it said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הָעָ֜ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שָׁא֗וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| הֲֽיוֹנָתָ֤ן׀ | hayonatan | ¿ Jonathan | H3129 → | 43 times |
| יָמוּת֙ | yamut | will he die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָ֠שָׂה | ʾasah | he has done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הַיְשׁוּעָ֨ה | hayshuah | the deliverance | H3444 → | |
| הַגְּדוֹלָ֣ה | hagedolah | <the> great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| הַזֹּאת֮ | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל֒ | beyisrael | in Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| חָלִ֗ילָה | chalilah | far be it | H2486 → | 21 times |
| חַי־ | chai- | [by] [the] life | H2416 → | 498 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | of Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יִפֹּ֞ל | yipol | it will fall | H5307 → | 435 times |
| מִשַּׂעֲרַ֤ת | misaarat | one of [the] hair[s] of | H8185 → | |
| רֹאשׁוֹ֙ | rosho | head his | H7218 → | 599 times |
| אַ֔רְצָה | ʾartzah | [the] ground towards | H776 → | 2504 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֥ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| עָשָׂ֖ה | ʾasah | he has acted | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הַיּ֣וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּ֑ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וַיִּפְדּ֥וּ | vaiyifdu | and they redeemed | H6299 → | |
| הָעָ֛ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יוֹנָתָ֖ן | yonatan | Jonathan | H3129 → | 43 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| מֵֽת׃ ס | met | he died | H4191 → | 839 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand it said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הָעָ֜םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שָׁא֗וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
הֲֽיוֹנָתָ֤ן׀¿ Jonathan
hayonatanH3129 →43 times
יָמוּת֙will he die
yamutH4191 →839 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָ֠שָׂהhe has done
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
הַיְשׁוּעָ֨הthe deliverance
hayshuahH3444 →
הַגְּדוֹלָ֣ה<the> great
hagedolahH1419 →526 times
הַזֹּאת֮<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל֒in Israel
beyisraelH3478 →2507 times
חָלִ֗ילָהfar be it
chalilahH2486 →21 times
חַי־[by] [the] life
chai-H2416 →498 times
יְהוָה֙of Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
יִפֹּ֞לit will fall
yipolH5307 →435 times
מִשַּׂעֲרַ֤תone of [the] hair[s] of
misaaratH8185 →
רֹאשׁוֹ֙head his
roshoH7218 →599 times
אַ֔רְצָה[the] ground towards
ʾartzahH776 →2504 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
אֱלֹהִ֥יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
עָשָׂ֖הhe has acted
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
הַיּ֣וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּ֑ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
וַיִּפְדּ֥וּand they redeemed
vaiyifduH6299 →
הָעָ֛םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יוֹנָתָ֖ןJonathan
yonatanH3129 →43 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
מֵֽת׃ סhe died
metH4191 →839 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
Acts 27:34So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.”
it leads to
- Matthew 10:30
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 1:52
And Solomon replied, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he will die.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 10:30
Through
2 Corinthians 6:1As God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.
it leads to
- Hebrews 12:15
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.
- 1 Corinthians 3:9
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
- 1 Peter 4:10
As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.
- Galatians 2:21
I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, Christ died for nothing.
- 2 Corinthians 5:18–20
All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
- Hebrews 12:15
Through
1 Kings 1:52And Solomon replied, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he will die.”
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 14:11
“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 14:11
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
- PersonEarly monarchyJonathanSon of King Saul who climbed a cliff to rout a garrison on the conviction that nothing restrains Jehovah; cut a covenant of steadf…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Against the Pelagians 1.33; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.