1 Samuel 14:30
28 Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint.
29 Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
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?
31 And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint.
32 And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.
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 destroyeth much good.
Read in context