1 Samuel 11 · Verse 7

1 Samuel 11:7

And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

1 Samuel 11:7, King James Version

1 Samuel 11:7 in other translations

BSB	He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the land of Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not march behind Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the LORD fell upon the people, and they turned out as one man.
WEB	He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, then sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever doesn’t come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.” The dread of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out as one man.
ASV	And he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the dread of Jehovah fell on the people, and they came out as one man.
YLT	and he taketh a couple of oxen, and cutteth them in pieces, and sendeth through all the border of Israel, by the hand of the messengers, saying, ‘He who is not coming out after Saul and after Samuel--thus it is done to his oxen;' and the fear of Jehovah falleth on the people, and they come out as one man.
DARBY	And he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, Whoever comes not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen! And the fear of Jehovah fell on the people, and they came out as one man.
BBE	And he took two oxen and, cutting them up, sent them through all the land of Israel by the hand of runners, saying, If any man does not come out after Saul and Samuel, this will be done to his oxen. And the fear of the Lord came on the people and they came out like one man.
Webster	And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

What does 1 Samuel 11:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

7. he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces--(see Jud 19:29). This particular form of war-summons was suited to the character and habits of an agricultural and pastoral people. Solemn in itself, the denunciation that accompanied it carried a terrible threat to those that neglected to obey it. Saul conjoins the name of Samuel with his own, to lend the greater influence to the measure, and to strike greater terror unto all contemners of the order. The small contingent furnished by Judah suggests that the disaffection to Saul was strongest in that tribe.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 7 He took a yoke of open - The sending the pieces of the oxen was an act similar to that of the Levite, Jdg 19:29 (note), where see the note. And both customs are similar to the sending about of the bloody cross, to call the clans to battle, practiced by the ancient Highlanders of Scotland. See at the end of this chapter, 1Sam 11:15 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 11:1-11

Chapter Outline Jabesh-gilead delivered. (1-11) Saul confirmed in his kingdom. (12-15) Verses 1-11 The first fruit of Saul's government was the rescue of Jabesh-gilead from the Ammonites. To save their lives, men will part with liberty, and even consent to have their eyes put out; is it then no wisdom to part with that sin which is as dear to us as our right eye, rather than to be cast into hell-fire? See the faith…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 11:1-11 →

1 Samuel 11:7 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּקַּח֩vai.yi.Kachand he tookH3947

צֶ֨מֶדTze.meda pair ofH6776

בָּקָ֜רba.Karox[en]H1241

וַֽיְנַתְּחֵ֗הוּvay.na.te.Che.huand he cut in pieces itH5408

וַיְשַׁלַּ֞חvay.sha.Lachand he sent [them]H7971

בְּכָל\־be.kholin allH3605

גְּב֣וּלge.Vul[the] territory ofH1366

יִשְׂרָאֵל֮Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

בְּיַ֣דbe.Yadby [the] hand ofH3027

הַמַּלְאָכִ֣ים\׀ha.mal.'a.Khimthe messengersH4397

לֵאמֹר֒le.Mor<to> sayingH559

אֲשֶׁר֩'a.Sher[the one] whoH834

אֵינֶ֨נּוּ'ei.Ne.nunot heH369

יֹצֵ֜אyo.Tze'[is] coming outH3318

אַחֲרֵ֤י'a.cha.ReiafterH310

שָׁאוּל֙sha.'UlSaulH7586

וְאַחַ֣רve.'a.Charand afterH310

שְׁמוּאֵ֔לshe.mu.'ElSamuelH8050

כֹּ֥הkohthusH3541

יֵעָשֶׂ֖הye.'a.Sehit will be doneH6213

לִבְקָר֑וֹliv.ka.Roto ox[en] hisH1241

וַיִּפֹּ֤לvai.yi.Poland it fellH5307

פַּֽחַד\־pa.chad-[the] dread ofH6343

יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068

עַל\־'al-onH5921

הָעָ֔םha.'Amthe peopleH5971

וַיֵּצְא֖וּvai.ye.tze.'Uand they came outH3318

כְּאִ֥ישׁke.'Ishlike a manH376

אֶחָֽד\׃'e.ChadoneH259

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 11:7

Judges 19:29
And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.
Judges 20:1
Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer–sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the Lord in Mizpeh.
2 Chronicles 17:10
And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.
Judges 21:5-11
And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the Lord? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the Lord to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death. And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day. How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them of our daughters to wives? And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the Lord? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh–gilead to the assembly. …
Genesis 35:5
And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
2 Chronicles 14:14
And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the Lord came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

he took.The sending the pieces of the oxen was an act similar to that of the Levite, Jud 19:29, where see the Note. An eminent Scotch writer describes the rites, incantations, and imprecations used prior to the fiery cross being circulated, to summon the rough warriors of ancient times to the service of their chief; and he alludes to this ancient custom, which in comparatively modern times, has been practised in Scotland; and proves that a similar punishment of death, or destruction of their houses, for disobeying the summons, was inflicted by the ancient Scandinavians, as recorded by Olaus Magnus, in his History of the Goths. This bears a striking similarity to the ancient custom of the Israelites. With the Highlanders, a goat was slain; with the Israelites, an ox. The exhibition of a cross, stained with the blood of the sacrificed animal, was the summons of the former, while part of the animal, was the mandate of the latter. Disobedience in one nation was punished with the death of themselves or oxen, and burning of their dwellings in the other.
hewed.
Jud 19:29
Whosoever.
Jud 21:5-11
the fear.
Ge 35:5; 2Ch 14:14; 17:10
with one consent. Heb. as one man.
Jud 20:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

1 Samuel 11:6
And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.
1 Samuel 11:7
And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.
1 Samuel 11:8
And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

Read all of 1 Samuel 11

1 Samuel 11:7 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y tomando un par de bueyes, cortólos en piezas, y enviólas por todos los términos de Israel por mano de mensajeros, diciendo: Cualquiera que no saliere en pos de Saúl y en pos de Samuel, así será hecho á sus bueyes. Y cayó temor de Jehová sobre el pueblo, y salieron como un solo hombre.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et il prit une paire de bœufs, et les coupa en morceaux, et envoya dans tous les confins d’Israël par des messagers, en disant: Celui qui ne sortira pas après Saül et après Samuel, on fera ainsi à ses bœufs. Et la frayeur de l’ Éternel tomba sur le peuple, et ils sortirent comme un seul homme.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und er nahm ein Joch Rinder und zerstückte sie, und er sandte die Stücke durch Boten in alle Grenzen Israels und ließ sagen: Wer nicht auszieht hinter Saul und hinter Samuel her, dessen Rindern wird also getan werden! Da fiel der Schrecken Jehovas auf das Volk, und sie zogen aus wie ein Mann.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et assumens utrumque bovem, concidit in frustra, misitque in omnes terminos Israël per manum nuntiorum, dicens: Quicumque non exierit, et secutus fuerit Saul et Samuel, sic fiet bobus ejus. Invasit ergo timor Domini populum, et egressi sunt quasi vir unus.