1 Samuel 14:44
42 Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was selected.
43 “Tell me what you have done,” Saul commanded him. So Jonathan told him, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. And now I must die?”
And Saul declared, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!”
45 But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die—he who accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for with God’s help he has accomplished this today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.
46 Then Saul gave up his pursuit of the Philistines, and the Philistines returned to their own land.
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 Saul declared, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!”
- KJV
- And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
- WEB
- Saul said, “God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”
- ASV
- And Saul said, God do so and more also; for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
- DARBY
- And Saul said, God do so [to me] and more also; thou shalt certainly die, Jonathan.
- BLB
- And Saul answered, “Thus God does, and thus does He add, for you shall surely be put to death, Jonathan.”
- ÅB
- Da sa Saul: Gud la det gå meg ille både nå og siden om du ikke nå skal dø, Jonatan!
- OTB
- Og Saul sa: «Gud gjør så mot meg og mer også, for du skal sannelig dø, Jonatan.»
- B1930
- Da sa Saul: Gud la det gå mig ille både nu og siden om du ikke nu skal dø, Jonatan!
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
1 Samuel 14:39
As surely as the LORD who saves Israel lives, even if it is my son Jonathan, he must die!” But not one of the troops said a word.
Read in contextRuth 1:17
Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
Read in context1 Samuel 25:22
May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of Nabal’s men survive until morning.”
Read in contextProverbs 25:16
If you find honey, eat just what you need, lest you have too much and vomit it up.
Read in context2 Samuel 12:5
David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
Read in contextGenesis 38:24
About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and now she is pregnant.” “Bring her out!” Judah replied. “Let her be burned to death!”
Read in context2 Samuel 3:9
May God punish Abner, and ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD has sworn to him:
Read in context2 Samuel 12:31
David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and he made them work at the brick kilns. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.
Read in context