Bible Strands
1 Samuel 14:39
As 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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Saul addresses his troops after summoning their leaders to investigate a hidden breach of his earlier oath, immediately before proposing a divination to identify the guilty party (1 Samuel 14:38–40).
The words — The declaration relies on the oath formula חַי יְהוָה (chai Yahweh, "as the LORD lives") paired with הַמּוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל (ha-moshi'a et-Yisrael, "who delivers Israel") and אִם (im, "if/except").
The thread — This binding oath structure appears in 1 Samuel 14:44 when Saul reiterates his threat against Jonathan and mirrors the royal curse formula in 2 Samuel 12:5.
Why it lands — The text records Saul's absolute commitment to enforce his oath regardless of personal cost, met with the troops' complete silence.
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
For, 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.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 14:44 And Saul declared, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!”
- 2 Samuel 12:5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
- 1 Samuel 14:24 Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food.
- 1 Samuel 19:6 Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.”
- 1 Samuel 20:31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Now send for him and bring him to me, for he must surely die!”
- 1 Samuel 22:16 But the king replied, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!”
- 1 Samuel 28:10 Then Saul swore to her by the LORD: “As surely as the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this.”
- Ecclesiastes 9:2 It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.