1 Samuel 14:26
24 Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food.
25 Then all the troops entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground.
And when they entered the forest and saw the flowing honey, not one of them put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath.
27 Jonathan, however, had not heard that his father had charged the people with the oath. So he reached out the end of the staff in his hand, dipped it into the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened.
28 Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the troops with a solemn oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food today.’ That is why the people are faint.”
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
- And when they entered the forest and saw the flowing honey, not one of them put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath.
- KJV
- And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath.
- WEB
- When the people had come to the forest, behold, honey was dripping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.
- ASV
- And when the people were come unto the forest, behold, the honey dropped: but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath.
- DARBY
- And the people had come into the wood, and behold, the honey flowed; but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.
- BLB
- And the people had come into the forest, and there was the honey dripping, and no one put his hand to his mouth. For the people feared the oath.
- ÅB
- og med det samme folket kom inn i skogen, fikk de se en hel strøm av honning; men ingen av folket førte sin hånd til munnen av frykt for eden.
- OTB
- Og da folket kom inn i skogen, se, honningen dryppet, men ingen rakte hånden til munnen, for folket fryktet eden.
- B1930
- og med det samme folket kom inn i skogen, fikk de se en hel strøm av honning; men ingen av folket førte sin hånd til munnen av frykt for eden.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Ecclesiastes 9:2
It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.
Read in context