1 Samuel 14:18
in 1 Samuel 14Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (For at that time it was with the Israelites.)
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Saul said unto Ahijah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was there at that time with the children of Israel.
KJV
And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 14
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God--There is no evidence that the ark had been brought from Kirjath-jearim. The Septuagint version is preferable; which, by a slight variation of the text, reads, "the ephod"; that is, the priestly cape, which the high priest put on when consulting the oracle.
This site's exposition
Call the roll and see who has left us
on 1 Samuel 14:17-19
Saul calls the roll, finds Jonathan and his armor-bearer missing, and calls for the ark so the priest can ask the LORD what to do. As the commotion grows, Saul cuts the process short and tells the priest to withdraw his hand. It is the first sign of a king who calls for inquiry and does not wait to finish it, and his inquiry at verse 37 gets no answer.
This site's exposition
Bring the ark of God
The ark stood at Kiriath-jearim from 7:1 until David moved it, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown prefer the Septuagint, which reads the ephod here. The ephod was the priestly garment worn to consult the LORD. Matthew Henry called the scene a deserted prince courting a deserted priest.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
And Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." Ahijah, also called his brother or his relative, is thus named. Therefore, the good leaders of the Church say, all the faithful daily waging war against the powers of the air, say to their …
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
Why does Saul command Ahijah the priest to bring the ark near, unless because they hear the manner of the battle from the scouts? And indeed this is rightly done in a spiritual sense by the chief priests, when they do not judge the things they hear from reporters until they seek their reasoning in the counsel of inward meditation. And, because they often follow the counsels even of another's mind, Ahijah is commanded to bring the ark near. For the priest has the ark who does not have a mind empty of spiritual knowledge.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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.
But it is common for those that have lost the substance of religion to be most fond of the shadows of it, as here is a deserted prince courting a deserted priest. Of the bravery and piety of Jonathan, the son of Saul, who was much fitter than the father to wear the crown. "A sweet imp (says bishop Hall) out of a crab-stock." 1.
And Saul said unto Ahiah, bring hither the ark of the Lord,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us--The idea occurred to him that it might be some daring adventurer belonging to his own little troop, and it would be easy to discover him.
Bring hither the ark of God - He wished to inquire what use he should make of the present favorable circumstances, and to proceed in the business as God should direct.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For “the ark,” some read “the ephod,” owing to the improbability of the ark being with Saul at this time, and from the verb “Bring hither” being never applied to the ark, but regularly to the ephod 1Sa 23:9; 1Sa 30:7. Moreover, not the ark, but the ephod with Urim and Thummim, was the proper instrument for inquiring of the Lord. If, however, the Hebrew text is correct, they must have brought the ark into Saul’s camp from Kirjath-jearim 1 Sam. 7, possibly to be safe from the Philistines.
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
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שָׁאוּל֙ | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| לַֽאֲחִיָּ֔ה | laachiyah | to Ahijah | H281 → | |
| הַגִּ֖ישָׁה | hagishah | bring near ! | H5066 → | 125 times |
| אֲר֣וֹן | ʾaron | [the] ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הָיָ֞ה | hayah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אֲר֧וֹן | ʾaron | [the] ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| בַּיּ֥וֹם | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַה֖וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וּבְנֵ֥י | uvenei | and [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
שָׁאוּל֙Saul
shaulH7586 →402 times
לַֽאֲחִיָּ֔הto Ahijah
laachiyahH281 →
הַגִּ֖ישָׁהbring near !
hagishahH5066 →125 times
אֲר֣וֹן[the] ark of
ʾaronH727 →202 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הָיָ֞הit was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
אֲר֧וֹן[the] ark of
ʾaronH727 →202 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
בַּיּ֥וֹםon the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַה֖וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
וּבְנֵ֥יand [the] people of
uveneiH1121 →4930 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 11:11Uriah answered, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camped in the open field. How can I go to my house to eat…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 7:2
he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”
- 2 Samuel 7:6
For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt until this day, but I have moved about with a tent as My dwelling.
- 2 Samuel 7:2
Through
1 Samuel 5:2carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue.
it leads to
- Judges 16:23
Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.”
- Judges 16:23
Through
Judges 20:18The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” “Judah will be first,” the LORD replied.
it leads to
- Numbers 27:21
He 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…
- Judges 20:23
They went up and wept before the LORD until evening, inquiring of Him, “Should we again draw near for battle against our brothers the Benjamites?” And the LORD answered, “Go up against them.”
- Judges 20:26–27
Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, where they sat weeping before the LORD. That day they fasted until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.
- Numbers 27:5
So Moses brought their case before the LORD,
- Genesis 49:8–10
Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
- Numbers 27:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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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; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.