1 Samuel 14 · Verse 16

1 Samuel 14:16

And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
1 Samuel 14:16, King James Version

1 Samuel 14:16 in other translations

BSBNow when Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in Benjamin looked and saw the troops melting away and scattering in every direction,
WEBThe watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude melted away and scattered.
ASVAnd the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went hither and thither.
YLTAnd the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin see, and lo, the multitude hath melted away, and it goeth on, and is beaten down.
DARBYAnd the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on slaying one another.
BBEAnd the watchmen of Saul, looking out from Geba in the land of Benjamin, saw all the army flowing away and running here and there.
WebsterAnd the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

What does 1 Samuel 14:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. the watchmen of Saul ... looked--The wild disorder in the enemies' camp was described and the noise of dismay heard on the heights of Gibeah.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 The watchmen of Saul - Those who were sent out as scouts to observe the motions of the army. Melted away - There was no order in the Philistine camp, and the people were dispersing in all directions. The Vulgate has, Et ecce multitudo prostrata, "And behold the multitude were prostrate;" many lay dead upon the field, partly by the sword of Jonathan and his armor-bearer, and partly by the swords of each other, 1Sam 14:20.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 14:16-23
The Philistines were, by the power of God, set against one another. The more evident it was that God did all, the more reason Saul had to inquire whether God would give him leave to do any thing. But he was in such haste to fight a fallen enemy, that he would not stay to end his devotions, nor hear what answer God would give him. He that believeth, will not make such haste, nor reckon any business so urgent, as not to allow time to take God with him.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Samuel 14:16 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.

וַיִּרְא֤וּvai.yir.'Uand they sawH7200
הַצֹּפִים֙ha.tzo.Fimthe watchmenH6822
לְשָׁא֔וּלle.sha.'Ulof SaulH7586
בְּגִבְעַ֖תbe.giv.'Atat Gibeah ofH1390
בִּנְיָמִ֑ןbin.ya.MinBenjaminH1144
וְהִנֵּ֧הve.hi.Nehand there!H2009
הֶהָמ֛וֹןhe.ha.Monthe multitudeH1995
נָמ֖וֹגna.Mogit melted awayH4127
וַיֵּ֥לֶךְvai.Ye.lekhand it wentH1980
וַהֲלֹֽם\׃\ \פva.ha.Lomand hereH1988

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 14:16

  • 1 Samuel 14:20

    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.

  • Psalms 68:2

    As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

  • Psalms 58:7

    Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

  • Isaiah 19:2

    And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

  • Judges 7:22

    And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth–shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel–meholah, unto Tabbath.

  • 2 Chronicles 20:22-25

    And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
melted away.
Ps 58:7; 68:2
beating down.
20; Jud 7:22; 2Ch 20:22-25; Isa 19:2

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 14:15

    And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.

  • 1 Samuel 14:16

    And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

  • 1 Samuel 14:17

    Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.

Read all of 1 Samuel 14

1 Samuel 14:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y las centinelas de Saúl vieron desde Gabaa de Benjamín cómo la multitud estaba turbada, é iba de una parte á otra, y era deshecha.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et les sentinelles de Saül, qui étaient à Guibha de Benjamin, regardèrent, et voici, la multitude s’écoulait, et s’en allait, et ils s’entre-tuaient.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und die Wächter Sauls zu Gibea-Benjamin sahen, und siehe, die Menge zerrann und lief dahin und dorthin.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et respexerunt speculatores Saul qui erant in Gabaa Benjamin, et ecce multitudo prostrata, et huc illucque diffugiens.