1 Samuel 14 · Verse 45

1 Samuel 14:45

And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
1 Samuel 14:45, King James Version

1 Samuel 14:45 in other translations

BSBBut the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die—he who accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for with God’s help he has accomplished this today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.
WEBThe people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God today!” So the people rescued Jonathan, so he didn’t die.
ASVAnd the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far from it: as Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
YLTAnd the people say unto Saul, ‘Doth Jonathan die who wrought this great salvation in Israel? --a profanation! Jehovah liveth, if there falleth from the hair of his head to the earth, for with God he hath wrought this day;' and the people rescue Jonathan, and he hath not died.
DARBYAnd the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far be it! as Jehovah liveth, there shall not a hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has wrought with God this day. So the people delivered Jonathan, that he died not.
BBEAnd the people said to Saul, Is death to come to Jonathan, the worker of this great salvation for Israel? Let it not be so: by the living Lord, not one hair of his head is to be touched, for he has been working with God today. So the people kept Jonathan from death.
WebsterAnd the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? By no means: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.

What does 1 Samuel 14:45 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
45. the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not--When Saul became aware of Jonathan's transgression in regard to the honey, albeit it was done in ignorance and involved no guilt, he was, like Jephthah [Jud 11:31, 35], about to put his son to death, in conformity with his vow [1Sa 14:44]. But the more enlightened conscience of the army prevented the tarnishing the glory of the day by the blood of the young hero, to whose faith and valor it was chiefly due.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 45 And the people said - "Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid! As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground." Here was a righteous and impartial jury, who brought in a verdict according to the evidence: No man should die but for a breach of the law of God; but Jonathan hath not broken any law of God; therefore Jonathan should not die. And because he should not, therefore he shall not. He hath wrought with God this day - God has been commander-in-chief; Jonathan has acted under his directions. So the people rescued Jonathan - And God testified no displeasure; and perhaps he permitted all this that he might correct Saul's propensity to rashness and precipitancy.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 14:36-46

If God turns away our prayer, we have reason to suspect it is for some sin harboured in our hearts, which we should find out, that we may put it away, and put it to death. We should always first suspect and examine ourselves; but an unhumbled heart suspects every other person, and looks every where but at home for the sinful cause of calamity. Jonathan was discovered to be the offender. Those most indulgent to their…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 14:36-46 →

1 Samuel 14:45 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.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merand it saidH559
הָעָ֜םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
אֶל\־'el-toH413
שָׁא֗וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
הֲֽיוֹנָתָ֤ן\׀hayo.na.Tan¿ JonathanH3129
יָמוּת֙ya.Mutwill he dieH4191
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhoH834
עָ֠שָׂה'A.sahhe has doneH6213
הַיְשׁוּעָ֨הhay.shu.'Ahthe deliveranceH3444
הַגְּדוֹלָ֣הha.ge.do.Lah<the> greatH1419
הַזֹּאת֮ha.zoT<the> thisH2063
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל֒be.Yis.ra.'Elin IsraelH3478
חָלִ֗ילָהcha.Li.lahfar be itH2486
חַי\־chai-[by] [the] lifeH2416
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehof YahwehH3068
אִם\־'im-ifH518
יִפֹּ֞לyi.Polit will fallH5307
מִשַּׂעֲרַ֤תmi.sa.'a.Ratone of [the] hair[s] ofH8185
רֹאשׁוֹ֙ro.Shohead hisH7218
אַ֔רְצָה'Ar.tzah[the] ground towardsH776
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
עִם\־'im-withH5973
אֱלֹהִ֥ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
עָשָׂ֖ה'a.Sahhe has actedH6213
הַיּ֣וֹםhai.Yomthe dayH3117
הַזֶּ֑הha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
וַיִּפְדּ֥וּvai.yif.Duand they redeemedH6299
הָעָ֛םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יוֹנָתָ֖ןyo.na.TanJonathanH3129
וְלֹא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
מֵֽת\׃\ \סMethe diedH4191

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 14:45

  • Acts 27:34

    Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.

  • 2 Samuel 14:11

    Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the Lord thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

  • Luke 21:18

    But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

  • 1 Kings 1:52

    And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.

  • Matthew 10:30

    But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

  • 2 Corinthians 6:1

    We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

  • Acts 21:19

    And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

  • Revelation 19:14

    And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

  • Revelation 17:14

    These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

  • Acts 15:12

    Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

  • Philippians 2:12-13

    Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

  • Isaiah 29:20-21

    For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off: That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
who hath.
23; 19:5; Ne 9:27
there shall not.The people judged rightly, that the guilt was contracted by Saul, and not by Jonathan; and therefore they rescued him from the hands of his rash and severe father.
2Sa 14:11; 1Ki 1:52; Mt 10:30; Lu 21:18; Ac 27:34
he hath.
2Ch 19:11; Isa 13:3; Ac 14:27; 15:12; 21:19; Ro 15:18; 1Co 3:9
2Co 6:1; Php 2:12,13; Re 17:14; 19:14
the people.
Isa 29:20,21

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 14:44

    And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.

  • 1 Samuel 14:45

    And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.

  • 1 Samuel 14:46

    Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place.

Read all of 1 Samuel 14

1 Samuel 14:45 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas el pueblo dijo á Saúl: ¿Ha pues de morir Jonathán, el que ha hecho esta salud grande en Israel? No será así. Vive Jehová, que no ha de caer un cabello de su cabeza en tierra, pues que ha obrado hoy con Dios. Así libró el pueblo á Jonathán, para que no muriese.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le peuple dit à Saül: Jonathan, qui a opéré cette grande délivrance en Israël, mourra-t-il? Qu’ainsi n’advienne! L’ Éternel est vivant, s’il tombe à terre un des cheveux de sa tête! car il a opéré avec Dieu aujourd’hui. Et le peuple délivra Jonathan, et il ne mourut pas.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Aber das Volk sprach zu Saul: Sollte Jonathan sterben, der diese große Rettung in Israel geschafft hat? Das sei ferne! So wahr Jehova lebt, wenn von den Haaren seines Hauptes eines auf die Erde fällt! denn er hat mit Gott gehandelt an diesem Tage. So erlöste das Volk Jonathan, daß er nicht starb.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixitque populus ad Saul: Ergone Jonathas morietur, qui fecit salutem hanc magnam in Israël? hoc nefas est: vivit Dominus, si ceciderit capillus de capite ejus in terram, quia cum Deo operatus est hodie. Liberavit ergo populus Jonathan, ut non moreretur.