1 Samuel 14 42

1 Samuel 14:42 kjv

And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.

1 Samuel 14:42 nkjv

And Saul said, "Cast lots between my son Jonathan and me." So Jonathan was taken.

1 Samuel 14:42 niv

Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken.

1 Samuel 14:42 esv

Then Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan." And Jonathan was taken.

1 Samuel 14:42 nlt

Then Saul said, "Now cast lots again and choose between me and Jonathan." And Jonathan was shown to be the guilty one.

1 Samuel 14 verses

1 Samuel 14 42 Meaning

This verse details the second stage of Saul's process to determine who among Israel had incurred God's disfavor, after the initial lot separated Saul and Jonathan from the rest of the people. Saul commanded that lots be cast again, specifically between himself and his son Jonathan, to pinpoint the individual. The divine outcome of this second drawing directly identified both Jonathan and Saul as the ones taken, indicating one of them was the cause of God's judgment.

1 Samuel 14 42 Context

1 Samuel chapter 14 describes a significant battle between Israel and the Philistines. Jonathan, without his father Saul's knowledge, initiated a courageous attack with his armor-bearer, striking down many Philistines and causing great confusion. Saul's subsequent rash oath, placing a curse upon anyone who ate food before evening and his complete victory, caused great distress to his weary soldiers and inadvertently led Jonathan to violate the oath due to his ignorance of it. Despite the army's victory, God remained silent when Saul later sought divine counsel (1 Sam 14:37), indicating sin among the people. To identify the transgressor and lift the divine curse, Saul initiated a process of elimination through lots, starting with the general population and narrowing down to families, individuals, and finally between himself and Jonathan. This verse highlights the decisive outcome of that final stage.

1 Samuel 14 42 Word analysis

• Then: Hebrew waiyo'mer (וַיֹּאמֶר). This conjunction indicates a sequential action, linking this decision directly to the previous events of God's silence and the people being exonerated. It highlights Saul's resolve to press forward with the inquiry.
• Saul: Hebrew Sha'ul (שָׁאוּל). The king of Israel, initiating the divine inquiry. His desperate search for the sin's source underscores the perceived gravity of God's silence and the lack of a full victory.
• said: Hebrew wa-yomer (וַיֹּאמֶר). To speak, utter a command. Here, it denotes Saul's directive to carry out the casting of lots.
• "Cast lots: Hebrew yittu goral (יַפִּיל֣וּ גוֹרָל֙). Lit., "they shall cast a lot." The verb yittu (from naphal, "to fall" or "to cast") implies the physical act of throwing down the lot. The noun goral refers to the "lot" itself, which was often a stone or piece of wood used for divination or decision-making. In Israelite tradition, the casting of lots, especially when done before God or by priestly authority, was considered a divine mechanism for revealing God's will (Prov 16:33). It was not mere chance but a means through which God communicated truth.
• between me and my son Jonathan.": Hebrew bêynî ū-ḇêyn Yonāṯān bənî. Saul narrows the scope, effectively isolating himself and his immediate family, implying a recognition that the sin might lie with those in leadership, or with those closely associated with him. This reflects a shift from a general inquiry (1 Sam 14:40-41) to a highly personal one.
• And Jonathan and Saul: Hebrew wa-yillaḵḏū Yôwnāṯān w'Sha'ûl (וַיִּלָּכְד֤וּ יְהוֹנָתָן֙ וְשָׁאֽוּל). These are the two key figures identified by the lot. Their pairing here is crucial, setting the stage for the dramatic revelation of the actual transgressor.
• were taken: Hebrew yillaḵḏū (נִלְכְּד֥וּ). This is the Nifal perfect of the verb lakad, meaning "to catch," "to seize," "to be caught," or "to be apprehended." The passive voice ("were taken") is significant; it indicates divine agency. The outcome of the lot was not accidental but divinely determined, confirming God's designation of them. They were singled out, apprehended by the divine revelation.

1 Samuel 14 42 Bonus section

The outcome of the lots in 1 Samuel 14:42 underscores a crucial theological point: God's ultimate sovereignty and ability to reveal hidden matters, even through what might appear to be random means to human observers (Prov 16:33). The use of lots as a legitimate means of seeking divine guidance faded as the prophetic office grew in prominence and later, with the complete and sufficient revelation of God in Christ (Heb 1:1-2). Furthermore, this episode is a tragic example of Saul's escalating spiritual problems; despite the divine guidance in pinpointing the issue, he initially still failed to grasp the deeper sin in his own heart or acknowledge his prior failures (1 Sam 13). His focus was external—finding who had transgressed his oath—rather than introspective.

1 Samuel 14 42 Commentary

1 Samuel 14:42 marks a pivotal moment in Saul's reign, illustrating the use of lots as a divine instrument for revealing hidden truth and identifying sin. Saul, unable to gain a divine oracle through more direct means (likely the Urim and Thummim), resorted to this ancient method, believing that the Lord would indicate the culprit behind the divine silence and military stagnation. The previous stages of lot casting eliminated the entire people of Israel, leaving only Saul and Jonathan in question. This particular verse details the final, decisive cast.

The result, that "Jonathan and Saul were taken," immediately implicates both the king and his son. The verb "taken" (Hebrew lakad) suggests a divine apprehension, emphasizing that God's hand directed the lot. While Jonathan had unknowingly transgressed Saul's rash oath, Saul was also a party to the situation—as the one who uttered the problematic oath, and importantly, as the leader whose own previous disobedience had already earned divine rejection (1 Sam 13). The ambiguity in "Jonathan and Saul were taken" necessitates a further inquiry, showing God's precise and relentless revelation of truth. This sequence highlights the spiritual crisis within Saul's house and sets the stage for the revelation of Jonathan's "sin," an innocent violation, but a transgression nonetheless in the eyes of the law regarding oaths. This event also underscores God's justice in holding even leaders accountable for the spiritual well-being and obedience of His people.