1 Samuel 14:30
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.”
29 “My father has brought trouble to the land,” Jonathan replied. “Just look at how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey.
How much better it would have been if the troops had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from their enemies! Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been much greater?”
31 That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, the people were very faint.
32 So they rushed greedily to the plunder, taking sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them on the ground and ate meat with the blood still in it.
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
- How much better it would have been if the troops had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from their enemies! Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been much greater?”
- KJV
- How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?
- WEB
- How much more, if perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the plunder of their enemies which they found? For now there has been no great slaughter among the Philistines.”
- ASV
- How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for now hath there been no great slaughter among the Philistines.
- DARBY
- How much more, if the people had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for would there not now have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?
- BLB
- How much better that if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found? For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?”
- ÅB
- hvor meget større ville ikke mannefallet blant filistrene være blitt dersom folket idag hadde fått spise av det hærfang de har tatt fra sine fiender!
- OTB
- Hvor mye bedre ville det ikke ha vært om folket hadde spist fritt i dag av byttet fra sine fiender som de fant! For nå har ikke nedslaktingen blant filisterne vært betydelig.»
- B1930
- hvor meget større vilde ikke mannefallet blandt filistrene være blitt dersom folket idag hadde fått ete av det hærfang de har tatt fra sine fiender!
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Ecclesiastes 9:18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
Read in context