1 Samuel 14 33

1 Samuel 14:33 kjv

Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day.

1 Samuel 14:33 nkjv

Then they told Saul, saying, "Look, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood!" So he said, "You have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone to me this day."

1 Samuel 14:33 niv

Then someone said to Saul, "Look, the men are sinning against the LORD by eating meat that has blood in it." "You have broken faith," he said. "Roll a large stone over here at once."

1 Samuel 14:33 esv

Then they told Saul, "Behold, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood." And he said, "You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here."

1 Samuel 14:33 nlt

Someone reported to Saul, "Look, the men are sinning against the LORD by eating meat that still has blood in it." "That is very wrong," Saul said. "Find a large stone and roll it over here.

1 Samuel 14 verses

1 Samuel 14 33 Meaning

This verse describes a report brought to King Saul, indicating that the Israelite people were committing a significant sin against the Lord. Their transgression involved eating meat that had not been properly drained of blood, directly violating a clear command from God given in the Mosaic Law. This act demonstrated a disregard for the sacredness of life, represented by blood, which was set apart for atonement.

1 Samuel 14 33 Context

The events of 1 Samuel chapter 14 follow Jonathan's miraculous victory over the Philistines at Micmash, achieved almost single-handedly. However, Saul, displaying his characteristic impulsiveness and spiritual insensitivity, imposed a rash oath on the people, forbidding them to eat any food until evening, on pain of death. This vow, made without consulting God, severely exhausted the fighting men, diminishing their capacity to pursue the retreating Philistines effectively. By evening, the hungry soldiers, after their prolonged fasting and battle, became ravenous. In their desperation, they seized the plunder – sheep, oxen, and calves – and began to slaughter and eat the animals hastily on the bare ground. The problem highlighted in verse 33 is that their hunger led them to neglect the specific divine commandment regarding the proper draining of blood from animals before consumption, thereby "sinning against the Lord." This act demonstrated a lack of reverence for God's holy law and was perceived as a significant transgression requiring immediate attention by the king.

1 Samuel 14 33 Word analysis

• Then they told Saul: This implies a formal reporting to the authority figure, King Saul, highlighting the gravity and widespread nature of the issue.
• "Behold" (הִנֵּה, hinnêh): An interjection used to draw immediate attention. It signifies urgency, surprise, or an important disclosure, here emphasizing the shock and seriousness of the discovery.
• "the people" (הָעָם, ha'am): Refers collectively to the Israelite soldiers and those in the camp. It underscores that the sin was widespread, not an isolated incident.
• "are sinning" (חֹטִים, chotim from חָטָא, chata): To miss the mark, to err, to fall short of God's standard. It signifies a moral and spiritual offense, a transgression of divine law.
• "against the Lord" (לַֽיהוָה, la-YHWH): Clearly identifies the offended party as God Himself. The sin is not merely a civil offense or a mistake but a direct violation of God's holy covenant.
• "by eating meat" (בָּאֲכָלָם, ba'akalem – their eating): The act itself of consumption, not necessarily illicit, but rendered so by the manner.
• "with the blood in it" / "upon the blood" (עַל־הַדָּם, al-haddam): The crucial phrase. The Hebrew preposition al (on, upon, by) suggests eating the meat directly in its bloody state, without properly draining it, or near the undrained blood. This was a direct contravention of multiple divine prohibitions (Lev 7:26, 17:10-14; Deut 12:16, 23).
• "blood" (דָּם, dam): In biblical theology, blood represents life itself (Lev 17:11). It was uniquely designated for atonement on the altar and forbidden for human consumption, setting apart God's people from pagan practices that sometimes involved consuming blood to gain power or commune with deities. Its improper use was seen as a desecration of life and a violation of divine holiness.

1 Samuel 14 33 Bonus section

• The rapid action by the people suggests not only extreme hunger but potentially a lapse in their regular religious discipline amidst the chaos of battle. They prioritized immediate gratification over adherence to God's law.
• Saul's subsequent action in 1 Sam 14:34-35—commanding proper slaughter and then building an altar—shows an attempt to re-establish proper spiritual order and ritual purity among the troops. This new altar is noted as "the first altar that he built to the Lord," underscoring its significance in marking this correction.
• This event serves as a stark reminder of how challenging circumstances can test one's commitment to divine commandments and how a leader's choices profoundly impact the spiritual health of his followers. The incident highlights the principle that the pressures of life, even desperate ones, do not excuse sin against God's direct commands.

1 Samuel 14 33 Commentary

1 Samuel 14:33 highlights a critical spiritual breach within Israel stemming from the intense pressures of war and Saul's leadership failures. The hurried and improper consumption of meat with its blood was a direct violation of a foundational covenant command (Lev 17:11-12, 14; Deut 12:23), which taught the sacredness of life residing in the blood and reserved its atoning power solely for God. This prohibition also served to distinguish Israel from the pagan nations, where consuming blood might be part of idolatrous rituals (Ezek 33:25).

The severity of the sin is conveyed by the urgent report to Saul, emphasizing that the people were "sinning against the Lord," not merely committing a logistical error. This underscores the theological nature of their transgression: they were not honoring God's holiness. While the circumstances of extreme hunger contributed, it did not nullify the sin. Saul's own rash vow indirectly led to the desperate conditions, yet his response here—seeking to correct the immediate transgression by building an altar and ensuring proper draining—shows some adherence to the Law, contrasting with his earlier presumptuous sacrifice. This incident serves as another point of tension in Saul's reign, revealing a leader whose outward concern for Mosaic law often masked a deeper, systemic disregard for obedience and God's true will.