1 Samuel 14 43

1 Samuel 14:43 kjv

Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.

1 Samuel 14:43 nkjv

Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, and said, "I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. So now I must die!"

1 Samuel 14:43 niv

Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." So Jonathan told him, "I tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now I must die!"

1 Samuel 14:43 esv

Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, "I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die."

1 Samuel 14:43 nlt

"Tell me what you have done," Saul demanded of Jonathan. "I tasted a little honey," Jonathan admitted. "It was only a little bit on the end of my stick. Does that deserve death?"

1 Samuel 14 verses

1 Samuel 14 43 Meaning

This verse captures Jonathan's candid and complete confession to his father, King Saul, regarding his unwitting violation of Saul's rash oath. After the lot identifies him as the one who brought trouble upon Israel by eating, Jonathan explains that he only tasted a small amount of honey from the tip of his staff, unaware of the severe prohibition Saul had imposed.

1 Samuel 14 43 Context

Chapter 14 describes a significant battle between Israel and the Philistines. Jonathan, demonstrating remarkable faith and valor, initiates a surprise attack with his armor-bearer that turns the tide of the war. Unbeknownst to Jonathan, King Saul, consumed by his own anxiety and piety, had laid a rash oath upon the soldiers: "Cursed be the man who eats food until evening, before I take vengeance on my enemies." This oath was foolish as it weakened his already weary troops and stemmed from a self-focused desire for vengeance rather than a divine command. The troops become famished, leading to sin by eating blood. Saul seeks a divine sign to pursue the Philistines further, but God does not answer, indicating some transgression within the camp. To uncover this, Saul casts lots, narrowing down the culprit to himself or Jonathan. The lots fall upon Jonathan, leading to this dramatic confrontation where Jonathan honestly confesses his innocent transgression. The incident underscores Saul’s impulsive and rigid leadership, contrasting sharply with Jonathan's righteous integrity and God's providential working to prevent the innocent from perishing due to a foolish oath.

1 Samuel 14 43 Word analysis

• "Then Saul said to Jonathan": This immediately establishes the direct confrontation between father and son, king and heir-apparent. Saul is positioned as the one in authority, demanding accountability.
• "Tell me what you have done." (מַה־עָּשִׂ֥יתָ - mah-asah-tah): A direct command from the king, loaded with tension, implying guilt has already been pinpointed by the divine lot. Saul is not asking if anything was done, but what specifically, reinforcing the outcome of the lots.
• "And Jonathan told him and said": Indicates Jonathan's immediate, open, and unreserved confession. This contrasts sharply with Saul's own tendencies to make excuses or shift blame when confronted with his own errors (e.g., 1 Sam 13:11-12, 1 Sam 15:20-21). It showcases Jonathan's moral fortitude and transparent character.
• "I tasted a little honey": Hebrew טָעַם (ta'am) signifies a mere sampling or testing by taste, not a substantial consumption or a meal. This detail is crucial; it emphasizes the minor nature of Jonathan's action from a practical standpoint, highlighting the disproportionate severity of Saul's curse. Jonathan's hunger and weariness were genuine.
• "with the tip of the staff that was in my hand": This specific detail visually portrays the triviality of the act and the practical, even accidental, manner of consumption. מַטֵּה (mat_teh) refers to a staff or rod, an ordinary object carried by travelers or soldiers. It further underlines that this was a casual, necessary, and unplanned action, taken by a soldier who was exhausted after leading a major victory.
• "Only that did I do.": This phrase is a concise and complete confession, leaving no room for doubt or further inquiry about his actions related to the oath. It reveals Jonathan's integrity and his commitment to truth, even if it leads to dire personal consequences. This unflinching honesty directly precipitates the people's intervention on his behalf.

1 Samuel 14 43 Bonus section

• The tension in this verse underlines the dramatic irony: the deliverer of Israel (Jonathan) is placed under a death sentence by the very king he served, all due to an unnecessary oath.
• Jonathan's straightforwardness and willingness to face the consequences, despite the severe personal risk, contrasts sharply with the king's tendency to avoid accountability, as seen in subsequent chapters of Saul's reign.
• The scene highlights the communal impact of individual sin, as Saul perceives Jonathan's "breaking" of the fast as the reason God was not answering his inquiry for further military guidance. However, it implicitly critiques the leader who creates unnecessary stumbling blocks for his people.
• Honey, often associated with blessing and prosperity (e.g., the promised land flowing with "milk and honey"), becomes a near instrument of death due to human folly and misguided piety.

1 Samuel 14 43 Commentary

This verse serves as a crucial juncture in 1 Samuel 14, pivoting the narrative from battle success to internal conflict. Jonathan’s confession, delivered with unvarnished honesty, starkly illuminates his virtuous character against the backdrop of Saul’s erratic and self-serving leadership. Jonathan, unaware of his father’s curse, instinctively partook of a common, life-giving substance to alleviate extreme exhaustion after bravely securing a divine victory. His “sin” was trivial, committed unknowingly, and motivated by necessity, not defiance. Saul's subsequent insistence on executing his son, even for such a minor, unwitting transgression, reveals a deeply flawed understanding of divine justice and an obsession with legalism over grace and common sense. This rigid adherence to a self-imposed oath, threatening the life of the very son who brought salvation, marks another significant moment of Saul's unraveling as a king, contrasting with God's preference for mercy over blind sacrifice. It demonstrates that the severity of the consequence (death) was out of all proportion to the "crime," highlighting Saul's escalating poor judgment and tyrannical tendencies that alienated both God and his people.