1 Samuel 14 20

1 Samuel 14:20 kjv

And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

1 Samuel 14:20 nkjv

Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed every man's sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion.

1 Samuel 14:20 niv

Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords.

1 Samuel 14:20 esv

Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, every Philistine's sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion.

1 Samuel 14:20 nlt

Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere.

1 Samuel 14 verses

1 Samuel 14 20 Meaning

This verse vividly portrays the scene witnessed by King Saul and his Israelite army as they approached the Philistine encampment. Following Jonathan's unexpected initial strike, God caused an extraordinary and escalating terror among the Philistines. As Saul's troops drew near, they observed not an organized enemy, but an army in complete internal disarray, with soldiers inexplicably attacking each other. This signifies a profound, divinely orchestrated panic and self-destruction within the Philistine ranks.

1 Samuel 14 20 Context

1 Samuel 14:20 occurs at a critical juncture in the conflict between Israel and the Philistines. The Philistine army held a significant technological and numerical advantage, having disarmed the Israelites of most of their weapons (1 Sam 13:19-22). King Saul had previously acted impetuously (1 Sam 13:8-14). The immediate events preceding this verse involved Jonathan, Saul's son, initiating a bold, faith-driven, two-man assault on a Philistine outpost, against overwhelming odds (1 Sam 14:1-14). God honored Jonathan's faith by sending a "trembling from God" (1 Sam 14:15) that caused widespread panic and disarray among the Philistine troops, even shaking the very ground. Observing the Philistine chaos from Gibeah, Saul was in the process of consulting the high priest and the ark (1 Sam 14:18-19) when the commotion became undeniable. This verse describes the moment Saul and his main army move forward to engage, only to find the enemy already consumed by an divinely inflicted self-destruction.

1 Samuel 14 20 Word analysis

• Then Saul (וְשָׁאוּל - wəšā’ûl): The action is presented as a direct response to the increasing commotion seen by Saul's camp. Though King, Saul's initiative in this decisive victory is secondary to Jonathan's faith and God's action.
• and all the people who were with him (וְכָל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ - wəḵol-hāʿām ’ăšer ’ittô): This refers to the main Israelite contingent under Saul's immediate command, distinct from Jonathan's initial small party. Their role is to join an already unfolding rout.
• rallied (נִזְעֲקוּ - nizʿaʾqû): From the Hebrew root זעק (zaʿaq), meaning "to cry out," "to assemble with a cry." In the Niph'al stem, it suggests they were quickly "summoned" or "gathered hastily" in response to the growing chaos they observed from afar. It implies a hurried, reactive gathering.
• and came to the battle (וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד־הַמִּלְחָמָה - wayyāvōʾû ʿad-hammilḥāmāh): They approached the point of conflict, anticipating an engagement. Their approach signifies joining the ongoing fray, which God had already set in motion.
• and behold (וְהִנֵּה - wəhinnēh): This Hebrew interjection serves to draw immediate attention to a surprising, sudden, or significant observation. It emphasizes the profound shock and unexpected nature of what Saul and his men discovered upon arrival – the enemy's complete self-destruction, signaling divine intervention.
• every man’s sword was against his fellow (חֶרֶב אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו - ḥerev īš bĕʾāḥîw): Literally, "sword of man against his brother." This powerful idiom depicts utter internecine conflict, "friendly fire" in modern military terms. It denotes complete disorientation, the loss of target identification, and rampant panic where soldiers attack their own comrades. It's a clear sign of a supernatural agency at work.
• and there was very great confusion (מְהוּמָה גְּדֹלָה מְאֹד - mĕhûmāh gĕdōlāh mĕʾōd): The Hebrew word מְהוּמָה (mĕhûmāh) denotes "uproar, panic, discomfiture, rout." The adjectival modifiers גְּדֹלָה (gĕdōlāh, "great") and מְאֹד (mĕʾōd, "very, exceedingly") intensify the description, emphasizing an unparalleled, extreme level of chaos and bewilderment. This 'confusion' is frequently a divine instrument of judgment and rout in the Bible (e.g., Exod 23:27; Zech 14:13).

Words-group Analysis:

• "Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and came to the battle": This phrase highlights the passive and reactive stance of Saul and his army compared to Jonathan. They were not initiating a strategic attack, but responding to and joining a victory already secured by God's power through Jonathan's faith. It underscores that this triumph was not primarily due to Saul's leadership or military might.
• "behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion": This full description captures the miraculous nature of the victory. The "behold" invites the reader to witness the astonishment of the Israelites. The core imagery of internal conflict and "very great confusion" points unequivocally to a supernatural phenomenon, where God caused the Philistine's overwhelming numbers and strength to crumble from within, making them defeat themselves. It is God's power made manifest, rendering human intervention from Israel's main army largely observational until the pursuit began.

1 Samuel 14 20 Bonus section

• The stark contrast between Saul's hesitancy and Jonathan's faith underscores a key theological point: God responds to faithful obedience and often chooses the seemingly weak or unconventional to display His mighty power.
• This specific manifestation of "confusion" (Hebrew: mehumah) aligns with several biblical accounts where God causes the enemies of His people to descend into self-destructive chaos, thereby delivering His people without their direct, overwhelming force (e.g., Gideon against Midian in Jdg 7). This method serves as a strong testament to God's omnipotence.
• The incident highlights that God’s presence can be a terror to His enemies and a source of strength for His people (as implied by Ps 14:5).

1 Samuel 14 20 Commentary

1 Samuel 14:20 marks the dramatic culmination of God's supernatural intervention in the battle against the Philistines. Following Jonathan's bold act of faith and the subsequent divine "trembling" (1 Sam 14:15), Saul and his assembled army advanced to confront the enemy, anticipating a battle. However, what greeted them was a scene of utter, divinely orchestrated pandemonium: the Philistines, once a formidable force, were caught in such extreme confusion that they had turned their swords upon each other. This "very great confusion" (mehumah gedolah me'od) is a biblical motif signifying divine judgment, where God disorients and defeats enemies through internal collapse rather than direct external assault. This verse emphatically declares that the victory was fundamentally God's, highlighting that His power operates independently of (and sometimes in contrast to) human strategy or large armies. It powerfully reinforces the theme that genuine triumph comes from the Lord, demonstrating His ability to fight and win battles for His people even when their own resources are meager, simply through confounding their adversaries.