1 Samuel 14:12
in 1 Samuel 14So the men of the outpost called out to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come on up, and we will teach you a lesson!” “Follow me,” Jonathan told his armor-bearer, “for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armorbearer, Come up after me; for Jehovah hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
KJV
And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 14
Commentary
13 notes on this verseCome up to us, and we will show you a thing - This was the favorable sign which Jonathan had requested. The Philistines seem to have meant, Come, and we will show you how well fortified we are, and how able to quell all the attacks of your countrymen.
This site's exposition
the Hebrews are coming out of the holes in which they were hiding
on 1 Samuel 14:11-14
The outpost’s taunt, "the Hebrews are coming out of the holes in which they were hiding," becomes the invitation that undoes it, and Jonathan climbs on hands and feet with his armor-bearer behind. The first slaughter is counted exactly, "about twenty men over half an acre of land." Two men do this with no army and no order from the king, so numbers cannot explain the victory.
This site's exposition
we will teach you a lesson
Adam Clarke took the Philistine taunt as a boast of their strong position, a promise to show the Hebrews how well defended the outpost was. Jonathan heard the sign he had asked for. He says the LORD has given them to Israel, claiming the victory for the nation before he climbs.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
In these circumstances [with few weapons and Saul's fearful army], Jonathan, with an audacious design and with his armor bearer as his only companion, entered the camp of the enemy, and having slain about twenty of them, [he] spread a terror throughout the whole army. …
The Medieval Church3 voices
And the men of the garrison spoke to Jonathan, etc. The proud mockery and contempt of the enemies grant the faithful confidence to gain virtue. For the spirit is lifted up before ruin, and before honor is humility (Prov. XVI).
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
Whoever strives to accomplish great things knows how to weigh these matters well, if he has always been zealous to attribute them to divine praises. Rightly therefore Jonathan, trusting in the attainment of victory, declared that the enemies would be delivered not into his own hands, but into the hands of Israel, so that he might show the triumph and at the same time designate what kind of person the triumphant one ought to be. For Israel is interpreted as "seeing God."
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
What is the meaning of Jonathan being said to appear to the Philistines with his armor-bearer, if not that the teacher himself must first display the good that he strives to teach others? For he cannot be received with reverence in preaching if he does not first exhibit the honor of his ministry through the light of a good life. Hence the outstanding preacher confidently declares, saying: "As long as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I will honor my ministry" (Rom. 11:13).
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Saul had once offended by offering sacrifice himself, ch. xiii. Now he resolves never to fall into that error again, and therefore sends for a priest, and hopes to compromise the matter with God Almighty by a particular reformation, as many do whose hearts are unhumbled and unchanged.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), and, upon their acceptance of the challenge, charged them with such fury, or rather such faith, that he put them to flight, and set them one against another (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
): The Lord has delivered them, not into our hands (he sought not his own glory), but into the hand of Israel, for he aimed at nothing but the advantage of the public. His faith being thus strengthened, no difficulty can stand before him; he climbs up the rock upon all four (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
We will show you a thing - Said mockingly.
Modern Voices1 voice
A commentator
GK ChestertonTime's Abstract and Brief Chronicle (1904-1905) · Written before 1936.
proposed
The one perfectly divine thing, the one glimpse of God's paradise given on earth, is to fight a losing battle - and not lose it.
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעֲנוּ֩ | vaiyaanu | and they answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| אַנְשֵׁ֨י | ʾanshei | [the] men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| הַמַּצָּבָ֜ה | hamatzavah | the garrison | H4675 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יוֹנָתָ֣ן׀ | yonatan | Jonathan | H3129 → | 43 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נֹשֵׂ֣א | nose' | [the] bearer of | H5375 → | 656 times |
| כֵלָ֗יו | khelav | armor<s> his | H3627 → | 325 times |
| וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| עֲל֣וּ | ʾalu | come up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| אֵלֵ֔ינוּ | ʾeleinu | to us | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וְנוֹדִ֥יעָה | venodiah | so let us make known to | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֖ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דָּבָ֑ר פ | davar | something | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יוֹנָתָ֜ן | yonatan | Jonathan | H3129 → | 43 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| נֹשֵׂ֤א | nose' | [the] bearer of | H5375 → | 656 times |
| כֵלָיו֙ | khelav | armor<s> his | H3627 → | 325 times |
| עֲלֵ֣ה | ʾaleh | come up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| אַחֲרַ֔י | ʾacharai | after me | H310 → | 715 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נְתָנָ֥ם | netanam | he has given them | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בְּיַ֥ד | beyad | in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וַיַּעֲנוּ֩and they answered
vaiyaanuH6030 →331 times
אַנְשֵׁ֨י[the] men of
ʾansheiH582 →566 times
הַמַּצָּבָ֜הthe garrison
hamatzavahH4675 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יוֹנָתָ֣ן׀Jonathan
yonatanH3129 →43 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
נֹשֵׂ֣א[the] bearer of
nose'H5375 →656 times
כֵלָ֗יוarmor<s> his
khelavH3627 →325 times
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙and they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
עֲל֣וּcome up
ʾaluH5927 →890 times
אֵלֵ֔ינוּto us
ʾeleinuH413 →5510 times
וְנוֹדִ֥יעָהso let us make known to
venodiahH3045 →945 times
אֶתְכֶ֖ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
דָּבָ֑ר פsomething
davarH1697 →1440 times
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יוֹנָתָ֜ןJonathan
yonatanH3129 →43 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
נֹשֵׂ֤א[the] bearer of
nose'H5375 →656 times
כֵלָיו֙armor<s> his
khelavH3627 →325 times
עֲלֵ֣הcome up
ʾalehH5927 →890 times
אַחֲרַ֔יafter me
ʾacharaiH310 →715 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
נְתָנָ֥םhe has given them
netanamH5414 →2011 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בְּיַ֥דin [the] hand of
beyadH3027 →1618 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 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
2 Samuel 5:24As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because this will mean that the LORD has marched out before you to strike the camp…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 7:6
For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the…
- Judges 4:14
Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor…
- Judges 7:15
When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your…
- 2 Kings 7:6
Through
Judges 7:15When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your…
it leads to
- Genesis 24:26–27
Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 10:4–6
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
- Genesis 40:8
“We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
- Genesis 24:48
Then I bowed down and worshiped the LORD; and I blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the right road to take the granddaughter of my master’s brother…
- Genesis 41:11
One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning.
- Genesis 24:26–27
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; GK Chesterton, Time's Abstract and Brief Chronicle (1904-1905); Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Sulpicius Severus, SACRED HISTORY 1.33 and W. G. Blaikie, The First Book of Samuel (Expositor's Bible).