Saul's Pursuit and Jonathan's Exploits
1 Samuel 14:24-48
1 S.14.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואיש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נגש: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ביום: PREP
- ההוא: DEM,ms,sg
- ויאל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- ארור: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- האיש: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יאכל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עד: PREP
- הערב: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ונקמתי: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- מאיבי: NOUN,m,pl,abs,1s
- ולא: CONJ
- טעם: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כל: DET
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 14:27-30 (verbal): Immediate narrative parallel: Jonathan eats honey in direct contrast to Saul’s oath; the passage shows the oath’s effect and the near-fatal consequence for Jonathan who ‘broke’ the ban.
- Judges 11:30-40 (thematic): Jephthah’s rash vow—like Saul’s impulsive oath—made by a leader with damaging consequences for others; both illustrate the dangers of precipitous vows by commanders.
- Numbers 30:2 (structural): Legal regulation about vowed commitments (‘if a man vows a vow to the LORD…’). Provides the covenantal/legal background that explains why oaths like Saul’s were binding and consequential.
- Proverbs 20:25 (thematic): Warning about rash vows: ‘It is a snare for a man to say rashly, “It is holy,” and after vows to make inquiry.’ Proverbs frames the moral judgment on impulsive proclamations like Saul’s.
- Matthew 5:33-37 (allusion): Jesus’ teaching against swearing oaths (let your ‘Yes’ be yes) echoes biblical concern over binding, dangerous oaths—an ethical critique relevant to Saul’s irresponsible oath.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- באו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- ביער: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- דבש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- השדה: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 14:27 (structural): Same episode — Jonathan and the troops encounter honey in the field; a man tastes it and is refreshed (direct continuation of the honey motif in the narrative).
- Judges 14:8–9 (thematic): Samson finds honey unexpected in the carcass of the lion; parallels the motif of honey discovered in the landscape as unexpected provision.
- Exodus 3:8 (thematic): God’s description of Canaan as a 'land flowing with milk and honey' uses honey as a symbol of the land’s bounty and provision, echoing the association of honey with supply and blessing.
- Ezekiel 3:3 (verbal): The prophet tastes the scroll and it is 'as honey in my mouth,' using the sensory image of honey to signify sweetness and reception — a similar use of honey as a sensory metaphor.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- היער: NOUN,m,sg,def
- והנה: ADV
- הלך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- דבש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- משיג: VERB,qal,part,m,sg
- ידו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- פיו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- כי: CONJ
- ירא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- את: PRT,acc
- השבעה: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 14:24 (structural): Immediate context: Saul's rash oath forbidding eating until evening explains why the people feared to put honey to their mouths.
- 1 Samuel 14:27 (verbal): Close narrative contrast: Jonathan, unaware of the oath, eats honey and is refreshed, highlighting the people's self-restraint because of the vow.
- Numbers 30:2 (thematic): Legal principle about vows: an obligation to keep a spoken vow to the LORD, which undergirds the Israelites' fear of breaking Saul's oath.
- Proverbs 20:25 (thematic): Warning against making rash vows ('It is a snare to say rashly
- Judges 11:30-40 (thematic): Example of a rash vow (Jephthah) with severe consequences; parallels the theme of ill-considered oaths and their effects on people.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.27 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויונתן: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- שמע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בהשביע: VERB,hiph,perf,3,m,sg
- אביו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- קצה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המטה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בידו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- ויטבל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אותה: PRON,dem,3,f,sg
- ביערת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- הדבש: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ידו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- פיו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ותארנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- עיניו: NOUN,f,pl,suff
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 14:24 (structural): Saul’s rash oath forbidding the troops to eat until evening creates the situation Jonathan ignores — immediate structural context for Jonathan’s action.
- 1 Samuel 14:29-30 (structural): The verses immediately following describe Saul’s reaction and how Jonathan’s eating revived him and affected the battle outcome — direct narrative follow-up.
- Judges 14:8-9 (verbal): Samson finds and eats honey in the carcass of a lion; the motif of finding/dipping into honey and eating is a verbal parallel to Jonathan dipping his staff into a honeycomb.
- 1 Kings 19:5-8 (thematic): Elijah is strengthened after eating food provided by an angel and is able to travel forty days — thematically parallels food restoring strength and enabling action in a crisis.
- Mark 2:25-26 (cf. Matthew 12:3-4) (thematic): Jesus cites David eating the consecrated bread when hungry to justify necessity over ritual law — parallels Jonathan’s eating despite a religious/communal prohibition because of immediate need.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.28 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויען: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מהעם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- השבע: NOUN,m,sg,def
- השביע: VERB,hiph,perf,3,m,sg
- אביך: NOUN,m,sg,suff+2ms
- את: PRT,acc
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- ארור: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- האיש: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יאכל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- היום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויעף: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 14:24 (structural): Directly related verse in the same episode: Saul issues the prohibition against eating until evening that creates the crisis referenced in v.28.
- Judges 11:30-39 (thematic): Jephthah’s rash vow shows the danger of hasty oaths whose fulfillment brings harm—parallels the motif of a leader’s vow producing severe consequences.
- Numbers 30:2 (thematic): Legal background on the binding nature of vows (‘If a man vows a vow unto the LORD…’), which frames why Saul’s oath and its effects are treated as serious.
- Deuteronomy 23:21-23 (thematic): Instruction about paying vows promptly and the seriousness of vows to God, providing covenantal context for the narrative’s concern with Saul’s oath.
- Proverbs 20:25 (thematic): Warning about making a rash vow (‘It is a snare to a man to devote rashly’), thematically echoing the narrative’s critique of impulsive, harmful oaths.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.29 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יונתן: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- עכר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אבי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- את: PRT,acc
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ראו: VERB,qal,impv,2,pl
- נא: PART
- כי: CONJ
- ארו: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,pl
- עיני: NOUN,f,pl,cons+1s
- כי: CONJ
- טעמתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,sg
- מעט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דבש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
Parallels
- 1 Sam 14:24 (structural): Saul's rash oath forbidding food explains why Jonathan's tasting of honey is noteworthy and potentially a breach of the king's command.
- 1 Sam 14:30 (structural): Immediate narrative parallel: Jonathan's tasting of honey refreshes him and the men, explaining his renewed vigor and the outcome of the skirmish.
- Exod 16:31 (thematic): Manna is described as tasting like wafers with honey—connects the motif of food (honey) as sustaining and reviving God's people in the wilderness narrative.
- Judges 14:8-9 (thematic): Samson finds and eats honey from an unexpected source (the carcass of the lion); similar motif of discovering and tasting honey in an unlikely circumstance.
- Prov 27:7 (thematic): 'To the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet'—thematises how hunger and weariness make even a little honey restorative, paralleling Jonathan's experience.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.30 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אף: ADV
- כי: CONJ
- לוא: NEG
- אכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- היום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- משלל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- איביו: NOUN,m,pl,abs,suff:3ms
- אשר: PRON,rel
- מצא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- עתה: ADV
- לא: PART_NEG
- רבתה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- מכה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בפלשתים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,def
Parallels
- 1 Sam.14.24 (structural): Saul’s rash oath earlier in the chapter is the immediate cause for the people’s abstention from eating the spoil on that day.
- Leviticus 17:10-14 (verbal): Explicit prohibitions against eating blood explain the concern about having eaten ‘with the blood’ and underlie the taboo reflected in 1 Samuel 14:30.
- Deuteronomy 12:23-25 (verbal): Commands to pour out blood and not eat it parallel the legal/ritual background for why the people avoided the spoils that day.
- Genesis 9:4 (thematic): The post‑flood prohibition against consuming blood establishes an early covenantal precedent for the taboo invoked in 1 Samuel 14:30.
- Acts 15:20 (thematic): The Jerusalem Council’s instruction to abstain from blood (among other things) echoes the longstanding concern about blood consumption found in the Hebrew Bible and exemplified in this episode.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.31 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויכו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ביום: PREP
- ההוא: DEM,ms,sg
- בפלשתים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,def
- ממכמש: PREP
- אילנה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויעף: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מאד: ADV
Parallels
- Judges 7:22 (thematic): Gideon's victory features a sudden rout in which the enemy turns in panic and is defeated—parallel to the unexpected collapse of the Philistines and Israel's pursuit.
- 1 Samuel 7:10 (thematic): Another deliverance from the Philistines where divine action routs the enemy at Mizpah; parallels the theme of YHWH‑wrought victory over the Philistines.
- Joshua 10:10–11 (structural): Joshua's pursuit and rout of enemy forces 'from Gibeon to...' (and the hail that aids Israel) echoes the motif of a routed foe pursued across a geographic span (as here, 'from Michmash to Aijalon').
- 2 Chronicles 20:22–23 (thematic): In Jehoshaphat's victory the enemy destroys itself and is routed without direct Israelite slaughter, similar to the decisive collapse of the Philistines and the wide sweep of victory described in 1 Sam 14:31.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.32 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויעט: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- השלל: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויקחו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- צאן: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ובקר: CONJ,NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ובני: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- בקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וישחטו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ארצה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ויאכל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- על: PREP
- הדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs,def
Parallels
- Gen.9.4 (verbal): God’s prohibition to Noah not to eat flesh with its life (blood) parallels the violation in 1 Sam 14:32 where the people ate meat with the blood still present.
- Lev.17.10-14 (thematic): Levitical law explicitly forbids consuming blood and requires it be poured out; provides the cultic/legal background for why eating meat with blood is prohibited.
- Deut.12.23-25 (verbal): Deuteronomy reiterates not to eat blood and instructs proper handling of slaughtered animals—closely related to the narrative’s note that the people ate ‘on the blood.’
- Acts.15.20,29 (allusion): The Jerusalem Council’s prohibition that Gentiles abstain from blood echoes the ongoing significance of the biblical ban on consuming blood reflected in 1 Samuel 14:32.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.33 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויגידו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- לשאול: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- הנה: PART
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- חטאים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ליהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- לאכל: INF,qal
- על: PREP
- הדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs,def
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בגדתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- גלו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- היום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אבן: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- גדולה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 14:24 (structural): Immediate narrative antecedent: Saul's oath forbidding eating before evening creates the situation that leads to the people's transgression.
- Leviticus 17:10-14 (verbal): Law prohibiting the consumption of blood and warning of divine anger—direct legal/theological basis for accusing the people of sinning by eating 'with the blood.'
- Deuteronomy 12:23 (verbal): Explicit injunction not to eat blood—reinforces the cultic/dietary prohibition invoked in the charge against the people.
- Genesis 9:4 (thematic): Early covenantal prohibition against eating flesh with its life (blood)—a foundational precedent for later bans on consuming blood.
- Acts 15:29 (allusion): New Testament echo: the Jerusalem council's instruction for Gentile believers to abstain from blood—reflects continued concern about consuming blood in communal fidelity to God.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.34 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פצו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בעם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואמרתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- הגישו: VERB,hiphil,perf,3,m,pl
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שורו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואיש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שיהו: REL+PRON,3,m,pl
- ושחטתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- בזה: PREP+DEM
- ואכלתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- ולא: CONJ
- תחטאו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- ליהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- לאכל: INF,qal
- אל: NEG
- הדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs,def
- ויגשו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- כל: DET
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שורו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בידו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- הלילה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וישחטו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- שם: ADV
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 14:33 (structural): Immediate context: verse 33 reports the people eating meat without draining the blood, to which Saul responds in v.34 by forbidding the eating of blood.
- Genesis 9:4 (verbal): Early prohibition: 'You shall not eat flesh with its lifeblood'—language and prohibition parallel Saul’s command not to eat blood.
- Leviticus 17:10-14 (quotation): Cultic law: explicitly forbids eating blood and links blood to life belonging to God, providing the legal/theological basis for the prohibition in 1 Sam 14:34.
- Deuteronomy 12:23-25 (thematic): Dietary instruction: commands Israelites to drain blood and not eat it because 'the blood is life,' echoing the practical concern behind Saul’s order.
- Acts 15:20,29 (allusion): Post‑Pentateuchal echo: the Jerusalem Council’s requirement that Gentile believers 'abstain from blood' reflects continuity of the prohibition into the early church.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.35 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויבן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מזבח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ליהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- החל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לבנות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- מזבח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ליהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Gen.12.7 (verbal): Abram 'built an altar to the LORD' after God appeared to him — same verb and ritual act of erecting an altar in response to a divine encounter.
- Gen.8.20 (verbal): Noah 'built an altar unto the LORD' and offered sacrifices after the flood — parallels the motif of building an altar as a worship/thanksgiving response to God's deliverance.
- Josh.8.30-31 (structural): Joshua builds an altar on Mount Ebal 'according to the commandment of Moses' as part of covenantal renewal — parallels a leader erecting an altar to mark covenant faithfulness and corporate piety.
- 2Sam.24.25 (thematic): David builds an altar to the LORD to halt the plague and offers sacrifices — parallels a kingly construction of an altar as a means to address national crisis and seek atonement.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.36 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נרדה: VERB,qal,impf,1,pl
- אחרי: PREP
- פלשתים: NOUN,m,pl,cstr
- לילה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ונבזה: VERB,niphal,cohort,1,pl
- בהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- עד: PREP
- אור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הבקר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ולא: CONJ
- נשאר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויאמרו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,pl
- כל: DET
- הטוב: ADJ,m,sg,def
- בעיניך: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,const,2,ms
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הכהן: NOUN,m,sg,def
- נקרבה: VERB,niphal,cohort,1,pl
- הלם: DEM,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Judges 21:25 (verbal): Contains the same wording/theme 'everyone did what was right in his own eyes' (parallel to 'do what is good in your eyes').
- 1 Samuel 30:8 (thematic): David inquires of the LORD whether to pursue an enemy and recover spoil—parallels Saul's impulse to pursue the Philistines and the priest's call to consult God.'
- Deuteronomy 20:16-17 (verbal): Commands to 'leave none alive' of certain enemies echo Saul's intention to plunder until morning and leave none of them alive ('לא־ נשאר בהם איש').
- 1 Samuel 14:24-30 (structural): Immediate narrative context: Saul's earlier oath and the men's exhaustion, Jonathan's action, and the chapter's episode of pursuit and spoil—provides internal parallels in motive, action, and consequences.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.37 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישאל: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- באלהים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- הארד: VERB,qal,imperfect,1,m,sg
- אחרי: PREP
- פלשתים: NOUN,m,pl,cstr
- התתנם: VERB,qal,imperfect,2,m,sg,3,m,pl(obj)
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולא: CONJ
- ענהו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg+PRON,3,m,sg(obj)
- ביום: PREP
- ההוא: DEM,ms,sg
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 28:6 (verbal): Saul again 'inquired of the LORD' and 'the LORD did not answer'—direct parallel wording and outcome, leading Saul to seek a medium.
- 1 Samuel 23:2-4 (thematic): David's inquiry of the LORD about attacking Keilah, where God answers—contrasts Saul's unanswered inquiry in 14:37.
- 1 Samuel 30:8 (thematic): David asks the LORD whether to pursue the Amalekites and receives guidance, further contrasting divine responsiveness to David versus Saul.
- 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (structural): Summary evaluation of Saul's end—because he sought mediums and did not seek the LORD, God 'did not answer' him; thematically ties to Saul's unanswered inquiries.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.38 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- גשו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- הלם: DEM,m,sg
- כל: DET
- פנות: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ודעו: VERB,qal,impv,2,NA,pl
- וראו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- במה: PREP+PRON,interr
- היתה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- החטאת: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- היום: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Joshua 7:14–18, 20–26 (structural): Achan identified as the guilty party by a structured procedure of bringing the people forward by tribes/families/households/individuals and determining the offender—parallel use of lots to locate a sinning individual.
- Leviticus 16:8 (verbal): The Day of Atonement ritual where Aaron casts lots on two goats (one for the LORD, one for Azazel) is an explicit antecedent for using lots to allocate roles or determine divine decision.
- Proverbs 16:33 (thematic): States that 'the lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD,' thematically linking human use of lots to seeking or discerning God's will (relevant to Saul's attempt to discover the guilty party).
- 1 Samuel 14:41–42 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same episode: Saul orders casting lots among the people and the lot falls, identifying the individual(s) responsible—direct internal parallel to v.38.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.39 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- חי: ADJ,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- המושיע: VERB,hif,part,3,m,sg,def
- את: PRT,acc
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- אם: CONJ
- ישנו: VERB,qal,pres,3,m,pl
- ביונתן: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- כי: CONJ
- מות: VERB,qal,infabs
- ימות: VERB,qal,juss,3,m,sg
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- ענהו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg+PRON,3,m,sg(obj)
- מכל: PREP
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 14:24 (structural): Immediate context: Saul’s command that none should eat until evening is the oath that produced the death-penalty threat referenced in 14:39; the two verses form a single episode (Saul’s rash prohibition).
- 1 Samuel 14:45 (structural): Direct continuation/resolution of the episode: the people intercede to spare Jonathan, explicitly rejecting execution despite the king’s decree—this counters the death-threat in 14:39.
- Judges 11:30-39 (thematic): Jephthah’s rash vow leads to tragic potential human sacrifice; parallels the theme of impetuous vows/oaths by leaders and their dangerous consequences for others (life-or-death outcome).
- Numbers 30:2 (verbal): Law on vows: ‘If a man vows a vow to the LORD… he shall not break his word’; relates to the binding nature of spoken oaths and the expectation that they be carried out—background for Saul’s insistence on enforcing his oath.
- Deuteronomy 23:21-23 (thematic): Instruction that vows made to the LORD must be fulfilled and not delayed; thematically connects to the problem of a leader imposing and enforcing a solemn vow with severe consequences for breach.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.40 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- כל: DET
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- תהיו: VERB,qal,imf,2,pl
- לעבר: INF,qal
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
- ואני: PRON,1,sg
- ויונתן: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- נהיה: VERB,niphal,impf,1,pl
- לעבר: INF,qal
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
- ויאמרו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,pl
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הטוב: ADJ,m,sg,def
- בעיניך: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,const,2,ms
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 11:15 (structural): After Saul's military success the people go to Gilgal and there 'make Saul king before the LORD'—a public acclamation that parallels the scene of the people uniting behind Saul as their leader.
- 1 Samuel 8:5 (thematic): The elders' request 'appoint a king to judge us' introduces the theme of Israel choosing a single human ruler and aligning themselves under one leader, echoing the unity expressed in 1 Sam 14:40.
- 1 Samuel 12:12 (thematic): When threatened by Nahash the Ammonite the people demand a king ('you shall appoint for us a king'), showing the pattern of turning to a human king for national unity and protection similar to the affirmation in 14:40.
- 2 Samuel 5:3 (structural): All the elders of Israel come to David at Hebron and make a covenant to make him king over Israel—another formal instance of the nation's collective acceptance and unity behind a chosen ruler.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.41 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הבה: PRT
- תמים: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- וילכד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יונתן: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- ושאול: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והעם: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,def
- יצאו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Psalm 26:2 (verbal): The psalmist asks God to 'prove' and 'try' him and examine his heart and mind—a direct verbal parallel to Saul's appeal for God to reveal and vindicate innocence.
- Psalm 139:23-24 (verbal): A prayer asking God to 'search' and 'know' the heart and reveal any offensive way, echoing Saul's request that God bring to light who is innocent or guilty.
- Jeremiah 17:10 (thematic): Declares that the LORD 'searches the heart' and 'tests the mind,' thematically paralleling Saul's appeal for divine inquiry into the people's integrity.
- Job 13:23 (thematic): Job petitions God to make his transgression known—similar thematically to Saul's request that God disclose whether Jonathan (and others) acted innocently or culpably.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.42 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הפילו: VERB,hiphil,perf,3,m,pl
- ביני: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- ובין: CONJ+PREP
- יונתן: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- וילכד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יונתן: NOUN,prop,m,sg
Parallels
- Joshua 7:14-15 (verbal): Casting lots to identify the single guilty person (Achan); structurally parallels Saul’s use of lot to find who broke the oath/fast.
- Jonah 1:7 (verbal): The sailors cast lots to discover who was responsible for the storm; a direct parallel in function and procedure to using lots to assign guilt.
- Acts 1:26 (structural): The apostles cast lots to discern God’s decision in choosing Matthias; parallels the use of lots as a means to determine responsibility or divine will in a community crisis.
- 1 Samuel 20:30-34 (thematic): Shows the escalating conflict between Saul and his son Jonathan (and Jonathan’s loyalties); thematically connected to Saul’s suspicion of and punitive stance toward Jonathan in 14:42.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.43 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- יונתן: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- הגידה: VERB,piel,imp,2,m,sg
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- מה: PRON,int
- עשיתה: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- ויגד: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- יונתן: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- טעם: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- טעמתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,m,sg
- בקצה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המטה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בידי: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,suff1s
- מעט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דבש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנני: PRT+PRON,1,sg
- אמות: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 14:24 (structural): The earlier decree by Saul forbidding any to eat until evening provides the immediate context for Jonathan’s need to explain why he ate honey.
- 1 Samuel 14:29 (structural): Saul’s rash oath (‘God do so and more to me…’) directly threatens Jonathan with death for breaking the fast—showing the dangerous consequence of the king’s vow.
- Judges 14:8-9 (verbal): Samson finds and eats honey (from the lion’s carcass), a similar motif of discovering and tasting honey in an unexpected/combat-adjacent setting.
- Proverbs 25:16 (thematic): ’Have you found honey? Eat only enough…’ — a wisdom warning about eating honey in moderation echoes the theme of tasting honey and its consequences.
- Judges 11:30-31 (thematic): Jephthah’s rash vow (and its severe consequences) parallels Saul’s impulsive oath that endangers others—both illustrate the perils of hasty vows.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.44 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כה: ADV
- יעשה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וכה: CONJ+ADV
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- מות: VERB,qal,infabs
- תמות: VERB,qal,yiqtol,2,m,sg
- יונתן: NOUN,prop,m,sg
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 14:24 (verbal): Same episode: Saul’s oath forbidding food until evening creates the situation that makes Jonathan liable to death—this verse records the oath that precipitates v.44.
- 1 Samuel 14:45 (structural): Immediate narrative resolution: the people intercede and Jonathan is spared, directly reversing the death sentence named in v.44.
- Judges 11:30-39 (thematic): Jephthah’s rash vow leads to the possible death of his own daughter; parallels the danger created by an impulsive oath that threatens a loved one’s life.
- Numbers 30:2 (thematic): Legal principle about vows—'if a man vows a vow to the LORD, he shall not break his word'—background for understanding the seriousness and consequences of Saul’s oath.
- Proverbs 20:25 (thematic): Warning about making rash vows—'it is a snare for a man to devote rashly what he has vowed'—echoes the moral lesson of the perils of impulsive oaths in 1 Sam 14.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.45 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ה: PART
- יונתן: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- ימות: VERB,qal,juss,3,m,sg
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הישועה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הגדולה: ADJ,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- בישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חלילה: INTJ
- חי: ADJ,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אם: CONJ
- יפל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- משערת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ראשו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ארצה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- עם: PREP
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- היום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
- ויפדו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- את: PRT,acc
- יונתן: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- מת: ADJ,m,sg
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 14:24 (structural): Immediate context: Saul's rash oath (no one may eat) creates the crisis that puts Jonathan's life at risk — explains why the people must intervene to save him.
- Exodus 14:30 (verbal): Uses the same idea and language of God delivering Israel 'that day' — 'the LORD saved Israel that day' parallels the people's declaration that God has wrought a great salvation in Israel.
- Judges 3:15 (thematic): When Israel cries out, the LORD raises up a deliverer for the nation — parallels the theme of divine deliverance prompting Israel's recognition and protection of the deliverer.
- Psalm 118:14 (verbal): Proclaims 'The LORD is my salvation' (Yeshua/Yeshua) — echoes the vocabulary and theology of God as the author of salvation celebrated in 1 Sam 14:45.
- Exodus 32:26 (thematic): The people rally on behalf of the LORD's cause ('Whoever is for the LORD, come to me'), and the Levites act to save Israel — parallels the popular intercession and collective action that rescues a person credited with delivering Israel.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.46 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויעל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מאחרי: PREP
- פלשתים: NOUN,m,pl,cstr
- ופלשתים: CONJ+NOUN_PROP,m,pl,abs
- הלכו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- למקומם: PREP
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 14:20 (verbal): Same engagement: this verse reports the Philistines' rout and slaughter earlier in the chapter, directly related to the statement that Saul returned from pursuing them.
- 1 Samuel 14:23 (structural): Immediate aftermath in the same narrative—this verse explains consequences of the battle (Saul's oath and the people's need for rescue), linking to Saul's cessation of pursuit and the Philistines' retreat.
- 1 Samuel 7:11 (thematic): Reports a previous Israelite victory over the Philistines where the enemy was routed and driven back, paralleling the motif of Philistine forces fleeing to their own territory after defeat.
- 2 Samuel 5:20–21 (thematic): David's victories over the Philistines result in their being delivered into Israel's hand and driven off—a parallel instance of Israelite pursuit/defeat of Philistines and their return to their place.
- Judges 4:15 (thematic): Description of an enemy commander fleeing and the Canaanite force being routed (Sisera's flight), illustrating the broader narrative pattern of enemies fleeing and returning to their places after defeat, similar to the Philistine retreat.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.47 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ושאול: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לכד: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- המלוכה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- על: PREP
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וילחם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- סביב: ADV
- בכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- איביו: NOUN,m,pl,abs,suff:3ms
- במואב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובבני: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- עמון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובאדום: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובמלכי: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- צובה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ובפלשתים: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ובכל: CONJ+PREP
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יפנה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ירשיע: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 2 Sam.8:1-8 (verbal): Lists David’s military victories over Moab, Edom, Zobah and the Philistines — a close verbal and topical parallel in cataloguing a king’s conquests over the same neighbors.
- 1 Chron.18:1-8 (structural): Chronicles’ retelling of David’s campaigns mirrors the structure and nations named in the Samuel/Chronicle tradition, echoing the pattern of royal expansion found in 1 Sam 14:47.
- 1 Sam.11:7-11 (thematic): An earlier account of Saul’s military success (rescue of Jabesh‑Gilead) that establishes Saul’s kingship by victorious action — thematically parallel to the summary statement of Saul’s warfare in 14:47.
- 1 Sam.8:20 (thematic): The people’s demand for a king 'to go out before us and fight our battles' explains the biblical expectation that a king’s role includes military leadership, providing a thematic rationale for verses like 14:47.
Alternative generated candidates
1 S.14.48 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויעש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- חיל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- עמלק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויצל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מיד: PREP
- שסהו: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Exodus 17:13 (verbal): Joshua (under Moses) defeats Amalek—same enemy and similar wording of smiting Amalek and delivering Israel (a prior archetype of Israel’s victory over Amalek).
- 1 Samuel 15:7-9 (structural): Saul’s later campaign against the Amalekites: the narrative repeats the action of striking Amalek but develops it differently (Saul’s partial obedience and sparing of Agag).
- Judges 6:3-6 (thematic): Description of Midianite/Amalekite raids that ‘spoiled’ Israel—sets the recurring theme of marauding peoples and the need for a deliverer like Jonathan/Saul in 1 Sam 14.48.
- Judges 7:22 (thematic): Gideon’s rout of the Midianites in which the enemy is scattered and Israel is delivered—parallels the motif of Israel’s rescue from spoilers by a divinely aided military action.
Alternative generated candidates
And men of Israel pressed on that day; and Saul adjured the people, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats any food until evening, and I will avenge myself on my enemies." And not a man of the people tasted food. And all the land came into the forest; and there was honey on the surface of the field. And the people came to the forest, and behold, the honey was there, but no one reached his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. But Jonathan did not hear that his father had sworn the people. He put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into a honeycomb, and he put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened.
Then one of the people answered and said, "Your father has troubled the land; behold, the people are fainting because of the oath your father has enforced—'Cursed is the man who eats bread today'—and the people are weary." And Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land; see, my eyes are brightened because I tasted a little of this honey."
Moreover, though the people have not eaten today, they have taken spoil from their enemies that they found; for now the blow against the Philistines has been great. And they struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon; and the people were very faint. And the people hurried to the spoil, and they took sheep and oxen and calves, and they slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate the meat with the blood. And they told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people have sinned against the LORD by eating meat with the blood." And he said, "You have acted treacherously; bring to me a large stone today." And Saul said, "Scatter among the people, and say to them, 'Bring to me each man his ox and each man his sheep, and slaughter them here, and eat—and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.'" And all the people brought each his ox that night, and they slaughtered there. And Saul built an altar to the LORD—indeed he began to build an altar to the LORD. And Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until morning; perhaps there will be none left among them." And those with him said, "Do whatever seems good to you." But the priest said, "Let us draw near here to God." And Saul inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?" But the LORD did not answer him that day. And Saul said, "Turn aside, all the leaders of the people, and know and see by what sin this thing has been today." And Saul said, "As the LORD who saves Israel lives, if guilt is found in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die!" But no one among all the people answered him.
Then Saul said to all Israel, "You shall be divided into two companies; I and Jonathan my son will be one company." And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you." And Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, "Let the lot be perfect." And Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the people went out. And the lot fell between Saul and Jonathan, and Jonathan was taken.
Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Declare to me what you have done." And Jonathan told him and said, "I tasted a little at the end of the staff that was in my hand—behold, I must die." And Saul said, "As the LORD lives, he shall surely die." But the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far be it! As the LORD lives, not a hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has acted with God today." So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die. And Saul went up after the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their place. And Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and he fought continually against all his enemies—against Moab, against the children of Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; and wherever he turned he secured punishment.
He acted valiantly; he struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel from those who plundered them.