1 Samuel 14:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food this day.’" And the people were faint.

NIV: Then one of the soldiers told him, "Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food today!’ That is why the men are faint."

NASB: Then one of the people responded and said, 'Your father strictly put the people under oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food today.’?' And the people were weary.

CSB: Then one of the troops said, "Your father made the troops solemnly swear, ‘The man who eats food today is cursed,’ and the troops are exhausted."

NLT: But one of the men saw him and said, 'Your father made the army take a strict oath that anyone who eats food today will be cursed. That is why everyone is weary and faint.'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food this day.’ ” And the people were faint.

First Samuel 14:24–46 opens with Saul's declaration, in the form of an oath with a curse, that his troops must not eat until evening. Jonathan doesn't hear about the oath and eats honey during the day. The Lord remains silent when Saul asks if they should attack the Philistines by night. Lots cast to find a sinful person among them fall on Jonathan. Saul prepares to execute his son for breaking the oath, but the people refuse to allow this. The Israelites and the surviving Philistines go home.

God sparks panic among the Philistines after Jonathan boldly attacks and kills twenty of the enemy. When Saul sees the Philistines are scattering and killing each other, the Israelites pursue them out of the region. The Lord remains silent when Saul asks if they should attack the Philistines by night. Lots cast to reveal sin among them fall on Jonathan, who broke an oath of the king which he did not know about. The people refuse to allow Saul to execute Jonathan for this crime. Saul does not pursue the Philistines that night, but throughout his days as king he experiences success over them and other enemies such as the Moabites, Ammonites, Amalekites, and Edomites.

Saul has been anointed and reaffirmed as king (1 Samuel 9—12). Recently, his army amassed to fight the Philistines (1 Samuel 13). After a secret sneak attack, the Lord sparks panic among the entire Philistine army. The resulting chaos makes the Philistines fight and kill each other. The Israelites pursue, driving the Philistines out of the region. The people refuse to allow Saul to execute Jonathan, the man God used to save them from the Philistines. Throughout his kingship, Saul experiences success over enemies on every side (1 Samuel 15). However, he will also fall short of his obligations to God and eventually be replaced (1 Samuel 16).

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.