Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.

1 SAMUEL 14:41KJV
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1 Samuel 14:41 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 14:41 mean?

1 Samuel 14:41 describes Saul asking God to reveal the truth by casting lots, seeking a clear answer about who was guilty. The result was that Saul and his son Jonathan were singled out by the lot, while the rest of the people were not chosen.

In this scene, Saul is speaking to God in front of the people of Israel during a tense moment. Saul wants to find out who has sinned and caused trouble for Israel, so he asks God to "give a perfect lot," meaning a clear and faultless decision. The process of casting lots was a common way in ancient Israel to seek God's guidance, and here it narrows down the possible guilty party to Saul and Jonathan, separating them from the rest of the people.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 14:41

  • "Give" (נָתַן, natan): This word means "to give" or "to provide." Here, Saul is asking God to provide a clear answer through the lot, showing his dependence on God's decision.
  • "Perfect" (תָּמִים, tamim): This word often means "complete," "whole," or "blameless." Saul is asking for a lot that is without error or ambiguity, wanting God's judgment to be unmistakable.
  • "Taken" (לָכַד, lakad): This word means "to capture" or "to seize." In the context of casting lots, it refers to being chosen or singled out, so Saul and Jonathan were "taken" by the lot, identified as the ones to be examined further.
  • "Escaped" (יָצָא, yatsa): This word means "to go out" or "to escape." The people "escaped" the lot, meaning they were not chosen or implicated.

Why 1 Samuel 14:41 matters

  • This verse shows how ancient Israelites relied on casting lots as a way to seek God's will in difficult situations, highlighting their trust in divine guidance rather than human judgment.
  • The use of the word "perfect" (tamim) emphasizes Saul's desire for an answer that is completely clear and beyond doubt, which adds weight to the seriousness of the situation.
  • The outcome sets up the dramatic tension in the story, as it narrows the focus to Saul and Jonathan, leading to the revelation of Jonathan's actions and the moral choices Saul must face.

Where else these words appear

“Give” Hebrew H3051 · used in 30 verses

  • Genesis 11:3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
  • Deuteronomy 1:13 Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.
  • Job 6:22 Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance?

“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.

“perfect” Hebrew H8549 · used in 85 verses

  • Genesis 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
  • Numbers 28:9 And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof:
  • Psalms 18:23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

“taken” Hebrew H3920 · used in 112 verses

  • Numbers 21:32 And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.
  • Judges 9:45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
  • Proverbs 5:22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.