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.

1 SAMUEL 14:28KJV
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1 Samuel 14:28 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 14:28 mean?

1 Samuel 14:28 reports that one of the people told Jonathan that his father, King Saul, had made everyone swear an oath not to eat any food that day, declaring a curse on anyone who did. As a result, the people were weak and exhausted from hunger.

In this scene, a member of Saul’s army is speaking to Jonathan, Saul’s son. Jonathan had just eaten some honey, not knowing about the oath. The verse highlights the seriousness of Saul’s command and shows how it affected the people, making them faint from lack of food during a crucial time in battle.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 14:28

  • The word for "straitly charged" and "oath" is שָׁבַע (shavaʿ), which means to swear or make someone take an oath. The repetition in the Hebrew emphasizes how forcefully Saul imposed this command.
  • "Cursed" is אָרַר (ʾarar), meaning to bind with a curse or pronounce a serious consequence. This shows the severity of Saul’s warning and the fear it created.
  • "Faint" is עָפַר (ʿāphar), which often means to be exhausted or to lose strength. This word helps us understand that the people were not just hungry but physically weakened, which could affect their ability to fight.

Why 1 Samuel 14:28 matters

  • This verse helps explain why Jonathan’s actions were significant—he broke an oath he didn’t know about, which sets up tension in the story.
  • The verse shows the impact of Saul’s leadership choices on his people, highlighting how a strict or rash command can have unintended negative consequences.
  • It connects to the broader narrative by showing the physical and moral strain on Israel’s army, setting the stage for later conflict between Saul and Jonathan.

Where else these words appear

“faint” Hebrew H5774 · used in 29 verses

  • Genesis 1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
  • Psalms 18:10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
  • Isaiah 14:29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

“Cursed” Hebrew H779 · used in 52 verses

  • Genesis 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
  • Numbers 24:9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
  • Joshua 6:26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.