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.

1 SAMUEL 14:39KJV
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1 Samuel 14:39 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 14:39 mean?

1 Samuel 14:39 records King Saul swearing a solemn oath before the people, declaring that even if his own son Jonathan is guilty, Jonathan must die. Saul’s statement is met with silence from the people, who do not respond to his declaration.

In this scene, Saul is speaking to the Israelites after someone has broken his earlier command not to eat food during battle. Saul, trying to find the guilty person, insists that justice must be served even if it means punishing his own son. The people’s silence shows their discomfort or disagreement, possibly because they know Jonathan is innocent or because they respect him.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 14:39

  • LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of Israel’s God, used here to give weight and seriousness to Saul’s oath.
  • liveth (חַי, ḥay): This word means “alive” or “living,” emphasizing the truthfulness and binding nature of Saul’s vow by invoking the living God.
  • saveth (מוֹשִׁיעַ, môshîaʿ): This word means “saves” or “delivers,” reminding the people that God is the one who rescues Israel, adding gravity to Saul’s words.
  • surely…die (מ֥וֹת יָמֽוּת, mōt yāmût): This is a strong Hebrew phrase meaning “he shall surely die,” stressing that Saul is making an absolute, non-negotiable statement about the penalty.

Why 1 Samuel 14:39 matters

  • This verse highlights Saul’s intense commitment to his oath, even to the point of threatening his own son’s life, which shows the seriousness with which oaths and commands were treated in ancient Israel.
  • The silence of the people hints at underlying tensions—either their respect for Jonathan or their unease with Saul’s leadership—setting up the dramatic events that follow.
  • Understanding the original Hebrew phrases helps clarify just how absolute and binding Saul intended his words to be, underscoring the weight of leadership decisions in the biblical narrative.

Where else these words appear

“Jonathan” Hebrew H3129 · used in 35 verses

  • 1 Samuel 13:2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
  • 1 Samuel 14:21 Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.
  • 1 Kings 1:42 And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.

“be” Hebrew H3426 · used in 129 verses

  • Genesis 18:24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
  • 1 Samuel 23:23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.
  • Psalms 135:17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.