I Samuel 14:36-45 · Bible study
1 Samuel 14:36-45 Commentary: Seeking God Before Action
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does the priest stop Saul's pursuit? This study explores the necessity of divine guidance over human initiative when God falls silent.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A king’s failure to consult God leads to a crisis; the community steps in to protect the innocent.
- Key words: “Let us draw near” (נִקְרְבָה, cohortative), “perfect lot” (תָּמִים, unique phrase), “salvation/deliverance” (יְשׁוּעָה, root of Joshua and Jesus), “ransom” (פָּדָה).
- Main debate: Whether Jonathan sinned by breaking Saul’s oath, or was innocent because the oath itself was rash and his act was unwitting.
- Theological theme: Human initiative must be surrendered to divine guidance, even after successes; God uses silence to redirect us.
- Best use: Teaching on prayerful decision-making, the role of community in discernment, and the danger of rash vows.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
36And Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until dawn, leaving no man alive!” “Do what seems good to you,” the troops replied. But the priest said, “We must consult God here.”
37So Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?” But God did not answer him that day.
38Therefore Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the troops, and let us investigate how this sin has occurred today.
39As 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.
40Then Saul said to all Israel, “You stand on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will stand on the other side.” “Do what seems good to you,” the troops replied.
41So Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, “Why have You not answered Your servant this day? If the fault is with me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim; but if the fault is with the men of Israel, respond with Thummim.” And Jonathan and Saul were selected, but the people were cleared of the charge.
42Then 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?”
44And Saul declared, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!”
45But 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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
36Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines by night, and take plunder among them until the morning light. Let’s not leave a man of them.” They said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” Then the priest said, “Let’s draw near here to God.”
37Saul asked counsel of God: “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he didn’t answer him that day.
38Saul said, “Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see in whom this sin has been today.
39For as Yahweh lives, who saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.
40Then he said to all Israel, “You be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” The people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.”
41Therefore Saul said to Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Show the right.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen, but the people escaped.
42Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.” Jonathan was selected.
43Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done!” Jonathan told him, and said, “I certainly did taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and behold, I must die.”
44Saul said, “God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”
45The people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As Yahweh lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God today!” So the people rescued Jonathan, so he didn’t die.
KJV King James Version 1769
36And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God.
37And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.
38And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.
39For, as the Lord liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
40Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee.
41Therefore Saul said unto the Lord God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.
42And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
43Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.
44And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
45And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
36And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God.
37And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.
38And Saul said, Draw nigh hither, all ye chiefs of the people; and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.
39For, as Jehovah liveth, who saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
40Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee.
41Therefore Saul said unto Jehovah, the God of Israel, Show the right. And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot; but the people escaped.
42And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
43Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and, lo, I must die.
44And Saul said, God do so and more also; for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
45And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far from it: as Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
36And Saul saith, `Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and we prey upon them till the light of the morning, and leave not a man of them.' And they say, `All that is good in thine eyes do.' And the priest saith, `Let us draw near hither unto God.'
37And Saul asketh of God, `Do I go down after the Philistines? dost Thou give them into the hand of Israel?' and He hath not answered him on that day.
38And Saul saith, `Draw ye nigh hither all, the chiefs of the people, and know and see in what this sin hath been to-day;
39for, Jehovah liveth, who is saving Israel: surely if it be in Jonathan my son, surely he doth certainly die;' and none is answering him out of all the people.
40And he saith unto all Israel, `Ye--ye are on one side, and I and Jonathan my son are on another side;' and the people say unto Saul, `That which is good in thine eyes do.'
41And Saul saith unto Jehovah, God of Israel, `Give perfection;' and Jonathan and Saul are captured, and the people went out.
42And Saul saith, `Cast between me and Jonathan my son;' and Jonathan is captured.
43And Saul saith unto Jonathan, `Declare to me, what hast thou done?' and Jonathan declareth to him, and saith, `I certainly tasted with the end of the rod that is in my hand a little honey; lo, I die!'
44And Saul saith, `Thus doth God do, and thus doth He add, for thou dost certainly die, Jonathan.'
45And the people say unto Saul, `Doth Jonathan die who wrought this great salvation in Israel? --a profanation! Jehovah liveth, if there falleth from the hair of his head to the earth, for with God he hath wrought this day;' and the people rescue Jonathan, and he hath not died.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
36And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever is good in thy sight. Then said the priest, Let us come near hither to God.
37And Saul inquired of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou give them into the hand of Israel? But he did not answer him that day.
38And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the heads of the people; and know and see wherein this sin has been this day.
39For, [as] Jehovah liveth, who has saved Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall certainly die. And no one answered him among all the people.
40Then said he to all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said to Saul, Do what is good in thy sight.
41And Saul said to Jehovah the God of Israel, Give a perfect [testimony]! And Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the people escaped.
42And Saul said, Cast [lots] between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
43And Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him and said, With the end of the staff which is in my hand I tasted a little honey, [and] behold, I must die!
44And Saul said, God do so [to me] and more also; thou shalt certainly die, Jonathan.
45And the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far be it! [as] Jehovah liveth, there shall not a hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has wrought with God this day. So the people delivered Jonathan, that he died not.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
36And Saul said: Let us fall upon the Philistines by night, and destroy them till the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And the people said: Do all that seemeth good in thy eyes. And the priest said: Let us draw near hither unto God.
37And Saul consulted the Lord: Shall I pursue after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hands of Israel? And he answered him not that day.
38And Saul said: Bring hither all the corners of the people: and know, and see by whom this sin hath happened to day.
39As the Lord liveth, who is the Saviour of Israel, if it was done by Jonathan, my son, he shall surely die. In this none of the people gainsayed him.
40And he said to all Israel: Be you on one side and I, with Jonathan, my son, will be on the other side. And the people answered Saul: Do what seemeth good in thy eyes.
41And Saul said to the Lord: O Lord God of Israel, give a sign, by which we may know, what the meaning is, that thou answerest not thy servant to day: If this iniquity be in me, or in my son Jonathan, give a proof: or if this iniquity be in thy people, give holiness. And Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the people escaped.
42And Saul said: (Cast lots between me, and Jonathan, my son. And Jonathan was taken.
43And Saul said to Jonathan: Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said: I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod, which was in my hand, and behold I must die.
44And Saul said: May God do so and so to me, and add still more: for dying thou shalt die, O Jonathan.
45And the people said to Saul: Shall Jonathan then die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? this must not be: As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people delivered Jonathan, that he should not die.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 14:36
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the priest Ahijah’s interruption of Saul’s battle plan is a crucial turning point. Barnes and the Cambridge Bible note his courage in standing alone against the king’s impulse. God’s refusal to answer that day (v.37) signals divine displeasure, not with Jonathan’s innocent taste of honey, but with Saul’s rash oath that had put the whole army under a curse (Clarke, Wesley). Matthew Henry observes that the lot exposed Jonathan not because he was guilty, but to humble Saul and vindicate the people’s discerning love. Gill comments that Saul’s second oath (v.39) only compounded his earlier folly, and the people’s silence on the oath shows their quiet opposition. JFB emphasizes that Jonathan’s deliverance came through the people’s “more enlightened conscience”, a vital check on royal authority. Across traditions, the crowd’s rescue of Jonathan is seen as a righteous intervention when the leader oversteps. The episode teaches that even after a stunning victory, human initiative must yield to divine direction.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Jonathan’s Innocence View: The oath was rash and its curse invalid; Jonathan’s ignorance absolves him. Clarke and Wesley argue this strongly.
- Jonathan’s Legal Guilt View: Numbers 30:2 requires oaths to be kept; Jonathan technically broke the king’s adjuration and should have died, but the people intervened out of mercy.
- Test of Saul’s Leadership View: God used the whole episode to reveal Saul’s character—his impulsiveness, lack of prayer, and willingness to sacrifice his son for pride.
What is clear: God used Jonathan to deliver Israel, the priest rightly insisted on seeking God, and the community acted to prevent an unjust execution.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Saul’s rash oath | Commentators agree the oath (v.24) was impulsive and placed an unnecessary burden on the troops. | Some (Clarke, Wesley) see it as sinfully rash; others (Gill) note Saul was trying to honor God, but acted unwisely. |
| Jonathan’s guilt | All agree Jonathan acted in ignorance and had no malicious intent. | A few (Henry) hold he was technically guilty of breaking the oath; most (Clarke, Wesley, JFB) argue the oath itself was invalid, so he was fully innocent. |
| The people’s intervention | Christians across traditions affirm the people rightly saved Jonathan from an unjust execution. | Some Reformed traditions emphasize the people acted as a check on Saul’s ungodly authority; others focus on the inviolability of oaths, suggesting the people overstepped. |
| God’s silence | God’s refusal to answer was a deliberate signal that something was wrong. | Whether the silence punished Saul’s earlier rashness, or simply directed attention to the need for confession, is debated (Cambridge). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The passage follows Jonathan’s single-handed victory against a Philistine garrison (14:1-15). After the initial rout, the Philistine army panicked and fled, and Saul saw an opportunity for total annihilation. In ancient Israel, consulting God before battle was standard: the high priest carried the Urim and Thummim in his breastpiece for divine guidance (Numbers 27:21). The priest Ahijah, grandson of Eli, wearing the ephod (14:3), knew that protocol. Saul had recently built an altar (v.35), yet his first instinct was to act on impulse. The phrase “Let us draw near here to God” (נִקְרְבָה, a cohortative) uses the same verb often applied to approaching the sanctuary or the ark (Exodus 19:22). The people’s repeated reply, “Do what seems good to you”, reveals their fear of Saul’s temper (Barnes).
When God stays silent, Saul reacts like Joshua after the defeat at Ai (Joshua 7): he assumes hidden sin. The lot-casting process was used for judicial decisions (Proverbs 16:33). Saul’s prayer “Give a perfect lot” (תָּמִים, only here) echoes the word for unblemished offerings; the Septuagint adds a longer request mentioning Urim and Thummim. The lot “captured” Jonathan (verb לָכַד), but it did not pronounce guilt, only identity. Saul’s insistence on executing Jonathan for unwittingly breaking a public vow followed the letter of the law (Numbers 30:2), but the vow itself, placed on exhausted soldiers at the start of battle, was rash. The people’s refusal (v.45) represents a more mature understanding of justice: they see that Jonathan “worked with God” (יְשׁוּעָה, deliverance, the root of Joshua and Jesus), and they redeem him (פָּדָה, v.45, a verb used for ransom).
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note significant variants in the Septuagint for verses 41-42. In the Greek tradition, v.41 includes a longer prayer: “And Saul said, O Lord God of Israel, why hast thou not answered thy servant today? If the iniquity be in me or in Jonathan my son, make it manifest; or if this iniquity be in thy people, give holiness.” This addition clarifies the use of Urim and Thummim. For v.42 the Septuagint adds that the people initially objected to the lot, saying “This thing shall not be,” and Saul had to overrule them before the lot fell on Jonathan. The Masoretic Text has the shorter form found in most English versions. These variants do not change the story’s main meaning but highlight the early tradition’s interest in the people’s resistance.
Reception History
Early interpreters wrestled with the tension between Saul’s oath and Jonathan’s innocence. The Jewish tradition treated Jonathan’s rescue as a precedent for overruling a rash vow when it would cause injustice. Origen read the passage allegorically, seeing Jonathan as a type of Christ wrongly condemned and then vindicated. During the Reformation, Calvin used the episode to critique human zeal without God’s Word. Many modern preachers have drawn on it to discuss the role of congregational discernment in checking pastoral authority. The phrase “not a hair of his head fall to the ground” (v.45) entered the liturgy of the church as a vow of protection, and is quoted in the New Testament context of God’s care (Matthew 10:30, Luke 21:18).
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The priest’s courage to insist on God’s direction. Ahijah stands against the king’s momentum (v.36). His voice breaks the cycle of human initiative unchecked by prayer.
- God’s silence demands examination, not blame. When God does not answer, Saul jumps to a verdict (v.38). The hiding of hidden sin is true, but the accusation can be misdirected.
- The people’s voice can correct a leader’s excess. The crowd’s rescue of Jonathan (v.45) shows that shared discernment protects the innocent when authority goes wrong.
Five-point outline
- Rash zeal without prayer leads to wrong decisions (Saul’s night pursuit).
- God’s silence is a message to slow down and seek.
- Not every unpleasant outcome is divine punishment, assumptions can be wrong.
- The innocent may be caught in the consequences of another’s folly.
- The community can act as a check on leadership, guided by God’s Spirit.
Illustration hooks
- A manager who pushes forward with a plan without consulting the team, only to discover a hidden problem that halts everything.
- A parent who makes a strict rule in anger, then feels forced to enforce it even when the child broke it unknowingly.
- A church board that accepts the pastor’s sudden idea without prayer, then finds the project stalls, forcing them to re-evaluate.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why didn’t God answer Saul? Does God always give guidance when we ask?
- Was Jonathan truly guilty? Did he deserve death for eating honey?
- How do we balance submission to authority with our own conscience when leaders make mistakes?
Leading a Discussion
This story shows how even a great victory can be tarnished when we act without first seeking God. The priest’s insistence on drawing near to God, and God’s puzzling silence, lead to a crisis that tests everyone, Saul, Jonathan, and the people. As you discuss, think about times when you have felt God was silent, and how you responded.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What did the priest do that the crowd and Saul did not? (v.36)
- Observation: How does Saul interpret God’s silence? What assumptions does he make? (v.38)
- Interpretation: Why might God have chosen not to answer Saul, was it punishment, a test, or something else?
- Interpretation: The lot identified Jonathan, but did it pronounce him guilty? What does the people’s reaction (v.45) tell you about their view of the situation?
- Interpretation: Compare Saul’s approach to Jonathan’s confession in v.43. What do their words reveal about each man’s character?
- Application: When have you moved ahead with a good plan without first seeking God? What were the consequences?
- Application: How can a church today create space for people to respectfully challenge a leader’s decision, as the people did with Saul?
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.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Numbers 27:21 | He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Yahweh. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.” |
| Joshua 10:9 | Joshua therefore came to them suddenly. He marched from Gilgal all night. |
| Joshua 10:14 | There was no day like that before it or after it, that Yahweh listened to the voice of a man; for Yahweh fought for Israel. |
| Joshua 10:19 | but don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies, and attack them from the rear. Don’t allow them to enter into their cities; for Yahweh your God has delivered them into your hand.” |
| Joshua 11:14 | The children of Israel took all the plunder of these cities, with the livestock, as plunder for themselves; but every man they struck with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them. They didn’t leave any who breathed. |
| I Samuel 11:11 | On the next day, Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the middle of the camp in the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who remained were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. |
| I Samuel 14:3 | including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli the priest of Yahweh in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. The people didn’t know that Jonathan was gone. |
| I Samuel 14:18 | Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring God’s ark here.” For God’s ark was with the children of Israel at that time. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke insists that Jonathan’s capture by lot was not a sign of divine guilt. God’s silence earlier had nothing to do with Jonathan’s honey; it was because Saul’s vengeful plan and the people’s ritual defilement made that night unsuitable for battle. Jonathan was innocent, and the people rightly rescued him.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes contrasts Ahijah’s priestly courage with the cowardice around him: while everyone else yielded to Saul’s mood, Ahijah insisted they seek God. Saul’s rashness worsens as he adds another rash oath, piling up guilt, and even the people’s silence reveals their fear of him.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator emphasizes that Jonathan's confession is not a lament but an heroic acceptance of involuntary guilt, ready to die for his country. The people's rescue of Jonathan marks a turning point: they recognize a higher duty than exact fulfillment of a royal vow, showing national spirit now in advance of their chief.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights Saul's rashness in making a foolish vow and then insisting on keeping it even when it condemns his son Jonathan. It shows the people acting with more wisdom than their king, stepping in to rescue Jonathan because he acted with God's help. The note thus contrasts a king's blind zeal for his own word with the people's proper regard for justice and divine deliverance.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes the irony of Saul's single-minded pursuit of the oath-breaker while ignoring that his own rash oath caused the trouble. The king refuses to see his own fault, and only the people's fierce loyalty to Jonathan saves him from a father's misplaced justice.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
jfb draws a telling contrast between Saul, who was ready to kill his own son over an unwitting violation of a rash vow, and the army, whose more enlightened conscience spared Jonathan. The soldiers recognised that the day's victory belonged to Jonathan's faith and courage, not to a rigid oath.
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.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley sees God's ordering of the lot not as approval of Saul's vow, but as a rebuke to Saul himself. The lot exposed Jonathan to show Saul the danger his rash oath brought on his own son, while simultaneously clearing Jonathan of any guilt.