Bible Strands
1 Samuel 14:41
So 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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Saul addresses the LORD, the God of Israel, after ordering the troops to split into two groups for a divine judgment. He asks this question during a military engagement while seeking to identify who among the army broke a solemn oath.
The words — The text features תָמִ֑ים (ta.Mim), meaning Thummim, and הָ֣בָ/ה (Ha.va/h), meaning give or respond. Saul uses these terms to request that the sacred lots reveal whether the fault rests with him, Jonathan, or the Israelite forces.
The thread — The use of lots or prayer to identify divine choice appears in Joshua 7:16, where Joshua assembles Israel to find the guilty tribe, and 1 Samuel 10:20, where Samuel gathers the tribes to select Benjamin. Acts 1:24 records leaders praying for the Lord to reveal which candidate He has chosen.
Why it lands — The verse requires a reader to recognize that human leaders may seek external signs to resolve uncertainty, yet the text itself stops at the selection of Saul and Jonathan while clearing the people. A reader must note that the narrative presents the mechanism without endorsing it, leaving the outcome to divine action alone.
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 Saul said unto the Lord God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.
Cross-references
- Acts 1:24 And they prayed, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen
- Joshua 7:16 So Joshua arose early the next morning and had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected.
- 1 Samuel 10:20 Thus Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected.
- Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
- Jonah 1:7 “Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.