Bible Strands
1 Samuel 11:10
Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do with us whatever seems good to you.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The men of Jabesh-gilead address Nahash the Ammonite after a messenger delivers Saul’s promise of rescue. They speak at the appointed deadline, responding directly to his prior siege terms.
The words — מָחָר (ma.char) means "tomorrow," and וַ/עֲשִׂיתֶם (va./'a.si.tem) translates literally as "and you will do." These terms fix the negotiation to a precise timeframe and concede unconditional terms to the enemy.
The thread — This surrender echoes the condition in 1 Samuel 11:2 where Nahash demands the right eye of every Israelite. The same confrontation resolves in 1 Samuel 11:11 when Saul’s troops strike the Ammonite camp before the deadline expires.
Why it lands — The text records a tactical delay to secure rescue, noting that human capitulation occurs alongside divine preparation. It asks the reader to recognize that accepting threat terms does not preclude an intervening military deliverance.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 11:2 But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you on one condition, that I may put out everyone’s right eye and bring reproach upon all Israel.”