I Samuel 14:34 · Bible study
1 Samuel 14:34 Commentary: Blood Prohibition and Saul's Correction
Hebrew · 4 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Exegetical study of 1 Samuel 14:34.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Saul corrects the people's sin of eating blood by ordering proper slaughter under his supervision, reinforcing the covenant prohibition.
- Key words: sin (H2398, chata, miss the mark, incur guilt); blood (H1818, dam, life, sacrificial blood); bring near (H5066, nagash, approach, present).
- Main debate: Whether the animals were sacrifices or common food. Gill sides with common food; some Jewish rabbis thought sacrifices, disputing whether night slaughter was lawful on a private altar.
- Theological theme: The sanctity of blood as life, which belongs to God and prefigures the atoning blood of Christ.
- Best use: Teaching on the seriousness of God's commands, the need for proper worship, and the connection between Old Testament law and New Testament redemption.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then he said, “Go among the troops and tell them, ‘Each man must bring me his ox or his sheep, slaughter them in this place, and then eat. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.’” So that night everyone brought his ox and slaughtered it there.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them, ‘Every man bring me here his ox, and every man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat; and don’t sin against Yahweh in eating meat with the blood.’” All the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and killed them there.
KJV King James Version 1769
And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against Jehovah in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Saul saith, `Be ye scattered among the people, and ye have said to them, Bring ye nigh unto me each his ox, and each his sheep; and ye have slain them in this place, and eaten, and ye do not sin against Jehovah to eat with the blood.' And all the people bring nigh each his ox, in his hand, that night, and slaughter them there.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, Bring near to me every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slaughter them here, and eat; and sin not against Jehovah in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slaughtered [them] there.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And Saul said: Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them to bring me every man his ox and his ram and slay them upon this stone, and eat, and you shall not sin against the Lord, in eating with the blood. So all the people brought every man his ox with him till the night: and slew them there.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y Saúl tornó á decir: Esparcíos por el pueblo, y decidles que me traigan cada uno su vaca, y cada cual su oveja, y degolladlos aquí, y comed; y no pecaréis contra Jehová comiendo con sangre. Y trajo todo el pueblo cada cual por su mano su vaca aquella noche, y degollaron allí.
E Saul voltou a dizer: Espalhai-vos pelo povo, e dizei-lhes que me tragam cada um sua vaca, e cada qual sua ovelha, e degolai-os aqui, e comei; e não pecareis contra o SENHOR comendo com sangue. E trouxe todo o povo cada qual por sua mão sua vaca aquela noite, e ali degolaram.
Puis il ajouta: Répandez-vous parmi le peuple, et dites à chacun de m’ amener son bœuf ou sa brebis, et de l’ égorger ici. Vous mangerez ensuite, et vous ne pécherez point contre l’ Éternel, en mangeant avec le sang. Et pendant la nuit, chacun parmi le peuple amena son bœuf à la main, afin de l’ égorger sur la pierre.
Und Saul sprach weiter: Zerstreut euch unter das Volk und sagt ihnen, daß ein jeglicher seinen Ochsen und sein Schaf zu mir bringe, und schlachtet allhier, daß ihr esset und euch nicht versündigt an dem HERRN mit dem Blutessen. Da brachte alles Volk ein jeglicher seinen Ochsen mit seiner Hand herzu des Nachts und schlachtete daselbst.
Verder sprak Saul: Verstrooit u onder het volk, en zegt tot hen: Brengt tot mij een iegelijk zijn os, en een iegelijk zijn schaap, en slacht het hier, en eet, en bezondigt u niet aan den HEERE, die etende met het bloed. Toen bracht al het volk een iegelijk zijn os met zijn hand, des nachts, en slachtte ze aldaar.
E Saul soggiunse: “Andate attorno fra il popolo, e dite a ognuno di menarmi qua il suo bue e la sua pecora, e di scannarli qui; poi mangiate, e non peccate contro l’Eterno, mangiando carne con sangue!” E, quella notte, ognuno del popolo menò di propria mano il suo bue, e lo scannò quivi.
Zatem rzekł Saul: Rozejdźcie się między lud, a rzeczcie do nich: Przywiedźcie do mnie każdy wołu swego, i każdy owcę swą, bijcież je tu, a jedzcie, a nie zgrzeszycie przeciw Panu, jedząc ze krwią. I przywiedli wszystek lud, każdy wołu swego w ręce swej w nocy, i bito je tam.
Потом сказал Саул: пройдите между народом и скажите ему: пусть каждый приводит ко мне своего вола и каждый свою овцу, и заколайте здесь и ешьте, и не грешите пред Господом, не ешьте с кровью. И приводили все из народа, каждый своею рукою, вола своего [и свою овцу] ночью, и заколали там.
掃羅 又說：「你們散 在百姓中，對他們 說，你們各人 將牛 羊 牽 到我 這裡 來宰了 吃，不可 吃 帶 血 的肉得罪 耶和華。」這夜， 百姓 就把 牛羊 牽 到那裡 宰了。
And Saul said, Go about among the people and say to them, Let every man come here to me with his ox and his sheep, and put them to death here, and take his meal: do no sin against the Lord by taking the blood with the flesh. So all the people took their oxen with them that night and put them to death there.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 14:34
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse shows Saul stepping in after the people sinned by eating meat with the blood still in it (1 Samuel 14:32, 33). Matthew Henry sets the scene: Saul had placed the army under a fasting oath (v.24), which left them faint. When they rushed to eat plunder, they violated the clear law against consuming blood. Gill explains that Saul ordered the animals brought to a specific spot, the large stone he had rolled (v.33), so that the slaughter could be supervised and the blood properly drained. This was not just damage control; it was a concrete way to bring the people back to covenant obedience. The Geneva Bible Notes similarly read the command as a practical remedy: bring the animals here, slaughter them properly, and eat without sin.
The consensus is that Saul acted correctly to address the sin. But the context of his earlier rash oath complicates his leadership. The people's sin was partly a consequence of Saul's own poor judgment. Nevertheless, the verse stands as a clear witness to the seriousness of the blood prohibition in Israel's covenant with Yahweh.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The prohibition against eating blood is absolute under the covenant, and Saul acts to enforce it by providing a proper slaughter site.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Sacrificial vs. common food | All agree that Saul's command corrected the sin of eating blood. | Some Jewish rabbis held the animals were sacrifices; others said they were for ordinary meals. Gill argues for common food, noting that night slaughter was allowed for common food but disputed for sacrifices. |
| Saul's leadership in this episode | Saul correctly enforces the blood prohibition and provides a practical solution. | Some see genuine piety and a high point (the altar in v.35); others view it as damage control after his own rash oath caused the people's sin. |
| The role of the large stone | The stone served as a designated slaughter site to ensure proper blood drainage. | Whether it functioned as a makeshift altar for sacrifices (linked to v.35) or simply a butchering surface. Tradition is divided. |
| Application of the blood prohibition today | The Old Testament command is rooted in the sanctity of life and points to Christ's blood. | Christians differ on whether the dietary prohibition remains binding (some hold Acts 15:20,29; others see it as fulfilled in Christ). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The command not to eat blood goes back to God's covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:4) and is spelled out in the law: 'I will set my face against that person who eats blood' (Leviticus 17:10). The reason is theological: 'the life of the flesh is in the blood' (Leviticus 17:11). Blood belongs to God as the sign of life given back to him in atonement. Eating it treats his gift with contempt.
In the heat of battle, the exhausted Israelite soldiers took shortcuts. They killed livestock on the ground, leaving the blood un-drained, a direct violation. Saul's solution, rolling a large stone, created a designated slaughter site. The stone may have had a channel or a slope to let the blood run off. Gill notes that the phrase 'in this place' (v.34) points to the stone itself as the prescribed location. The animals were slaughtered that night, under Saul's eye.
The prohibition against eating blood also served a practical purpose: it separated Israel from the practices of surrounding nations, who often consumed blood in pagan rituals. In obeying this command, Israel affirmed that life comes from God alone and must be respected. This passage reminds readers that even in urgent situations, God's commands do not bend to convenience.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The primary interpretive challenge is lexical, not scribal.
Reception History
Jewish commentators, such as those cited by Gill, discussed whether the night slaughter was permissible for sacrifices or only for common food, reflecting ongoing rabbinic debates about proper ritual procedure. In Christian tradition, this passage has been read both as an example of proper obedience to God's law and as a caution against the kind of authority that can lead people into sin (through Saul's earlier oath). Reformed interpreters often note the irony: Saul enforces one command correctly while his own earlier failure contributed to the problem. The blood prohibition has been used in catechetical teaching to emphasize the seriousness of sin and the need for atonement, leading naturally to the New Testament's teaching on the blood of Christ.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The sin of shortcuts. Exhaustion and hunger led the people to cut corners on God's clear command. Desperate circumstances can tempt anyone to excuse disobedience.
- Saul's corrective response. He does not merely scold; he gives a practical way to obey: bring the animals here, slaughter them under supervision, eat properly. True leadership provides a path back to obedience.
- The weight of the blood prohibition. Blood represents life, and life belongs to God. This law points forward to the blood of Christ, which cleanses from sin and is not to be treated as common.
Five-point outline
- Context matters. The people's sin was triggered by Saul's rash oath (v.24), showing how one leader's error can cause others to stumble.
- Confronting sin directly. When told about the sin, Saul calls it 'treachery' (v.33), he does not minimize it.
- Providing a remedy. The stone and the instructions give the people a way to do it right.
- Community accountability. Every man brings his ox 'that night' and slaughters there, the correction happens together.
- Aftermath. Saul builds an altar (v.35). The incident reminds Israel that worship must follow God's pattern, not human convenience.
Illustration hooks
- An employee, pressured to hit a deadline, skips a safety step. The supervisor stops the line, walks everyone through the proper procedure, and resets the workflow.
- A child, told not to eat before dinner, sneaks a snack. The parent does not just punish; she sits the child down and explains why the rule exists, then offers a small, permitted snack.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why is eating blood such a big deal in the Old Testament?
- Did Saul do the right thing here, or was he just trying to control the situation after his own bad oath?
- How does this apply today when we break God's commands because we are tired, stressed, or pressured?
Leading a Discussion
This passage sits in a tense chapter. Saul's poor leadership (his oath) created a situation where the people sinned. But when confronted, Saul acts decisively to correct the sin. This small group guide helps your group see how even good corrective actions can come from flawed leaders, and how God's commands about blood point to deeper truths about life and atonement.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 31, 34. What exactly did the people do wrong? Why would they choose to eat meat with the blood still in it?
- How does Saul describe the people's action in verse 33? What does that language reveal about the seriousness of the sin?
- Saul commands the people to bring their animals to him for slaughter. Why do you think he insists on supervising this? What does his response teach about dealing with sin in a community?
- Look up Leviticus 17:10, 14 or Deuteronomy 12:23, 25. Why is the blood prohibition so central in Israel's law? How does it connect to the idea that life belongs to God?
- In what ways might we, like the soldiers, take shortcuts in our obedience when we are tired or under pressure?
- How does Saul's response here compare to his later failures (e.g., chapter 15)? Is this a high point or a mixed moment in his reign?
- How does the New Testament use the image of Christ's blood (e.g., Hebrews 9:11, 14)? How does that deepen your understanding of the prohibition here?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
4 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes observe that Saul's command directly addresses the prohibition against eating blood. The people did not simply slaughter for food; each man brought his own animal that night to ensure an orderly, lawful sacrifice, thereby avoiding the sin of consuming life with the flesh.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights a rabbinic debate on whether the animals were for sacrifice or ordinary food. He concludes they were for common food, noting all agreed such could be slain at night. Saul supervised the slaughter on the stone to ensure proper blood drainage and prevent the sin the people had just committed.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that Jonathan's word "perhaps" does not express doubt but the humility that accompanies genuine faith. He roots Jonathan's boldness not in youthful courage alone but in a theocratic confidence that God's covenant with Israel means His help is never limited by human resources.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry points out that Saul's rash oath was foolish and destructive on two levels: it weakened his army by denying them food, and it directly led to a greater sin when the famished people ate meat with blood. Jonathan's unintentional violation shows that a leader's ill-considered vow can entangle even the innocent into transgression.