1 Samuel

1 Samuel 14:28–31

28Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the troops with a solemn oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food today.’ That is why the people are faint.”

29“My father has brought trouble to the land,” Jonathan replied. “Just look at how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. 30How much better it would have been if the troops had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from their enemies! Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been much greater?”

31That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, the people were very faint.

Read all of 1 Samuel 14

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Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Samuel 14:28

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Thenוַיַּעַן֩way·ya·‘anConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH6030 answer, respond
oneאִ֨ישׁ’îšNoun - masculine singularH376 man
of the soldiersמֵֽהָעָ֜םmê·hā·‘āmPreposition-m, Article; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
told himוַיֹּ֗אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Your fatherאָבִ֤יךָ’ā·ḇî·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH1 father
the troopsהָעָם֙hā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
with a solemn oathהַשְׁבֵּעַ֩haš·bê·a‘Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absoluteH7650 swear
sayingהִשְׁבִּ֨יעַhiš·bî·a‘Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singularH7650 swear
Cursed isאָר֥וּר’ā·rūrVerb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularH779 curse
the manהָאִ֛ישׁhā·’îšArticle; Noun - masculine singularH376 man
whoאֲשֶׁר־’ă·šer-Pronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
eatsיֹ֥אכַלyō·ḵalVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH398 eat
foodלֶ֖חֶםle·ḥemNoun - masculine singularH3899 bread, food
todayהַיּ֑וֹםhay·yō·wmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3117 day
That is why the peopleהָעָֽם׃hā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
are faintוַיָּ֖עַףway·yā·‘ap̄Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH5888 be faint

1 Samuel 14:29

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
My fatherאָבִ֖י’ā·ḇîNoun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH1 father
has brought troubleעָכַ֥ר‘ā·ḵarVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH5916 stir up, disturb, trouble
to the landהָאָ֑רֶץhā·’ā·reṣArticle; Noun - feminine singularH776 earth, land
Jonathanיֽוֹנָתָ֔ןyō·w·nā·ṯānNoun - proper - masculine singularH3129 Jonathan
repliedוַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙way·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Just lookרְאוּ־rə·’ū-Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralH7200 see
at howכִּֽי־kî-ConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
my eyesעֵינַ֔י‘ê·nayNoun - cdc; first person common singularH5869 eye
have brightenedאֹ֣רוּ’ō·rūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH215 be or become light
becauseכִּ֣יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
I tastedטָעַ֔מְתִּיṭā·‘am·tîVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularH2938 taste, perceive
a littleמְעַ֖טmə·‘aṭAdjective - masculine singular constructH4592 a little, fewness, a few
of thisהַזֶּֽה׃haz·zehArticle; Pronoun - masculine singularH2088 this, that
honeyדְּבַ֥שׁdə·ḇašNoun - masculine singularH1706 honey

1 Samuel 14:30

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
How much better it would have beenאַ֗ף’ap̄ConjunctionH637 also, yea
ifלוּא֩lūPrepositionH3863 if
the troopsהָעָ֔םhā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
had eaten freelyאָכֹ֨ל’ā·ḵōlVerb - Qal - Infinitive absoluteH398 eat
todayהַיּוֹם֙hay·yō·wmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3117 day
from the plunderמִשְּׁלַ֥לmiš·šə·lalPreposition-m; Noun - masculine singular constructH7998 prey, spoil, plunder, booty
they tookמָצָ֑אmā·ṣāVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH4672 attain to, find
from their enemiesאֹיְבָ֖יו’ō·yə·ḇāwVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH341 be hostile to
Would notעַתָּ֛ה‘at·tāhAdverbH6258 now
the slaughterמַכָּ֖הmak·kāhNoun - feminine singularH4347 blow, wound, slaughter
of the Philistinesבַּפְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃bap·pə·liš·tîmPreposition-b, Article; Noun - proper - masculine pluralH6430 Philistine
have been much greaterרָבְתָ֥הrā·ḇə·ṯāhVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularH7235 be, or become, much, many, great

1 Samuel 14:31

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Thatהַהוּא֙ha·hūArticle; Pronoun - third person masculine singularH1931 he, she
dayבַּיּ֤וֹםbay·yō·wmPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH3117 day
after the Israelites had struck downוַיַּכּ֞וּway·yak·kūConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH5221 smite
the Philistinesבַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔יםbap·pə·liš·tîmPreposition-b, Article; Noun - proper - masculine pluralH6430 Philistine
from Michmashמִמִּכְמָ֖שׂmim·miḵ·māśPreposition-m; Noun - proper - feminine singularH4363 Mikmas, Mikmash
to Aijalonאַיָּלֹ֑נָה’ay·yā·lō·nāhNoun - proper - feminine singular; third person feminine singularH357 Aijalon
the peopleהָעָ֖םhā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
were veryמְאֹֽד׃mə·’ōḏAdverbH3966 muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly
faintוַיָּ֥עַףway·yā·‘ap̄Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH5888 be faint

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

1 Samuel 14:29 1 Kings 18:18

1 Samuel 14:31 Joshua 10:12

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.