1 Samuel 11:2

Nahash

¹ Soon Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”

But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you on one condition, that I may put out everyone’s right eye and bring reproach upon all Israel.”

³ “Hold off for seven days,” replied the elders of Jabesh, “and let us send messengers throughout Israel. If there is no one to save us, we will surrender to you.”

⁴ When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and relayed these words in the hearing of the people, they all wept aloud.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you on one condition, that I may put out everyone’s right eye and bring reproach upon all Israel.”
KJV: And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.
WEB: Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make it with you, that all your right eyes be gouged out. I will make this dishonor all Israel.”
ASV: And Nahash the Ammonite said unto them, On this condition will I make it with you, that all your right eyes be put out; and I will lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.
DARBY: And Nahash the Ammonite said to them, On this [condition] will I treat with you, that I thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.
BLB: And Nahash the Ammonite answered to them, “On this I will cut with you⁺, that I may put out of you⁺ every right eye and bring reproach on all Israel.”

ÅB: Men ammonitten Nahas svarte dem: På det vilkår vil jeg gjøre fred med dere at det høyre øye stikkes ut på dere alle; den skjensel vil jeg legge på hele Israel.
OTB: Men Nahas, ammonitten, sa til dem: «På denne betingelsen vil jeg gjøre en pakt med dere—at jeg stikker ut det høyre øyet på hver og en av dere, og dermed bringer vanære over hele Israel.»
B1930: Men ammonitten Nahas svarte dem: På det vilkår vil jeg gjøre fred med eder at det høire øie stikkes ut på eder alle; den skjensel vil jeg legge på hele Israel.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

1 Samuel 17:26
David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
Read in context
Genesis 34:14
“We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us.
Read in context
Numbers 16:14
Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!”
Read in context
Exodus 3:6
Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Read in context
2 Kings 18:31
Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and his own fig tree, and drink water from his own cistern,
Read in context
Judges 16:21
Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze shackles and forced to grind grain in the prison.
Read in context
Jeremiah 39:7
Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon.
Read in context
Proverbs 12:10
A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty.
Read in context