1 Samuel 14:44
New International Version
Saul said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan.”

New Living Translation
“Yes, Jonathan,” Saul said, “you must die! May God strike me and even kill me if you do not die for this.”

English Standard Version
And Saul said, “God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan.”

Berean Standard Bible
And Saul declared, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!”

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

New King James Version
Saul answered, “God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”

New American Standard Bible
And Saul said, “May God do the same to me and more also, for you shall certainly die, Jonathan!”

NASB 1995
Saul said, “May God do this to me and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”

NASB 1977
And Saul said, “May God do this to me and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And Saul said, “May God do this to me and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”

Amplified Bible
Saul answered, “May God do so [to me], and more also [if I do not keep my word], for you shall most certainly die, Jonathan.”

Christian Standard Bible
Saul declared to him, “May God punish me and do so severely if you do not die, Jonathan! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Saul declared to him, “May God punish me and do so severely if you do not die, Jonathan!”

American Standard Version
And Saul said, God do so and more also; for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.

Contemporary English Version
"Yes, Jonathan. I swear to God that you must die."

English Revised Version
And Saul said, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Saul said, "May God do worse things to me than are in this curse if you do not die, Jonathan!"

Good News Translation
Saul said to him, "May God strike me dead if you are not put to death!"

International Standard Version
Saul said, "May God do this to me and even more, if you don't surely die, Jonathan!"

Majority Standard Bible
And Saul declared, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!”

NET Bible
Saul said, "God will punish me severely if Jonathan doesn't die!"

New Heart English Bible
And Saul said, "God do the same to me and more also if you are not put to death this day.”"

Webster's Bible Translation
And Saul answered, God do so, and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.

World English Bible
Saul said, “God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Saul says, “Thus God does, and thus does He add, for you certainly die, Jonathan.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Saul saith, 'Thus doth God do, and thus doth He add, for thou dost certainly die, Jonathan.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Saul will say, So will Jehovah do, and so will he add; for dying, thou shalt die, Jonathan.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Saul said: May God do so and so to me, and add still more: for dying thou shalt die, O Jonathan.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Saul said, “May God do these things to me, and may he add these other things, for you shall surely die, Jonathan!”

New American Bible
Saul declared, “May God do thus to me, and more, if you do not indeed die, Jonathan!”

New Revised Standard Version
Saul said, “God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan!”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Saul said, God do so to me and more also, unless you shall surely die, Jonathan.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Shaul said: “So may God do to me and so may he add to me, for you will surely die, Jonathan!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Saul said: 'God do so and more also; thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Saul said to him, God do so to me, and more also, thou shalt surely die to-day.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The People Save Jonathan
43“Tell me what you have done,” Saul commanded him. So Jonathan told him, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. And now I must die?” 44And Saul declared, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!” 45But 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.…

Cross References
Judges 11:30-31
Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand, / then whatever comes out the door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

Judges 11:35
As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.”

Genesis 22:16-18
saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son, / I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. / And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Numbers 30:2
If a man makes a vow to the LORD or swears an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word; he must do everything he has promised.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23
If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, / you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

2 Samuel 12:5-6
David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! / Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.”

2 Samuel 14:11
“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”

2 Kings 1:16
And Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the LORD says: Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word? Is that why you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.”

2 Kings 5:20-27
Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, by not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” / So Gehazi pursued Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?” / “Everything is all right,” Gehazi replied. “My master has sent me to say, ‘Look, two young men from the sons of the prophets have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’” ...

Psalm 15:4
who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath,

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow. / It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.

Matthew 5:33-37
Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ / But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; / or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ...

Matthew 14:7-9
so much that he promised with an oath to give to her whatever she asked. / Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” / The king was grieved, but because of his oaths and his guests, he ordered that her wish be granted

Mark 6:23-26
And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!” / Then she went out and asked her mother, “What should I request?” And her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist.” / At once the girl hurried back to the king with her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” ...

Acts 23:12-14
When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. / More than forty of them were involved in this plot. / They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.


Treasury of Scripture

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

God

1 Samuel 25:22
So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

Ruth 1:17
Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

2 Samuel 3:9
So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;

thou shalt

1 Samuel 14:39
For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.

Genesis 38:24
And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

2 Samuel 12:5,31
And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: …

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Add Deal Death Die Jonathan Punishment Saul Severely Surely
1 Samuel 14
1. Jonathan goes and miraculously smites the Philistine's garrison
15. A divine terror makes them beat themselves
17. Saul, not staying the priest's answer, sets on them
21. The captivated Hebrews, and the hidden Israelites, join against them.
24. Saul's unadvised adjuration hinders the victory
31. He restrains the people from eating blood
35. He builds an altar
37. Jonathan, taken by lot, is save by the people
47. Saul's victories, strength, and family














And Saul declared
The phrase indicates a formal pronouncement by Saul, the first king of Israel. In the Hebrew context, the word for "declared" (אָמַר, 'amar) often implies a solemn or authoritative statement. Saul's role as king gives weight to his words, reflecting the gravity of his leadership and the seriousness with which he approaches the situation. Historically, this moment underscores the tension between Saul's kingly authority and his personal relationships, particularly with his son Jonathan.

May God punish me
This phrase is a form of oath, invoking divine retribution upon oneself if the stated condition is not met. The Hebrew root for "punish" (עָשָׂה, 'asah) can mean to do or make, but in this context, it implies God taking action against Saul. This reflects the ancient Near Eastern practice of invoking deities in oaths to ensure truthfulness and accountability. Saul's invocation of God highlights his recognition of divine authority, even as he struggles with his own leadership and decision-making.

and ever so severely
The repetition in Hebrew (וְכֹה יוֹסִיף, ve'koh yosif) intensifies the oath, emphasizing the seriousness of Saul's declaration. This hyperbolic language is common in biblical texts to convey the speaker's earnestness and the dire consequences of breaking the oath. It reflects the cultural and religious importance of oaths in ancient Israel, where words held significant power and breaking them could lead to severe consequences.

if you, Jonathan
Here, Saul directly addresses his son, Jonathan, highlighting the personal nature of the conflict. Jonathan, who had unknowingly violated Saul's command by eating honey, is caught in a situation that tests familial loyalty against royal decree. This moment is pivotal in the narrative, illustrating the tragic consequences of Saul's rash vows and the strain they place on his relationship with Jonathan.

do not surely die!
The phrase "surely die" (מוֹת תָּמוּת, mot tamut) is a Hebrew idiom for certain death, often used in legal and covenantal contexts. Saul's pronouncement of death upon Jonathan is a stark reminder of the seriousness of vows and the potential for human error in leadership. This moment foreshadows the eventual decline of Saul's kingship, as his inability to balance justice with mercy becomes increasingly apparent. Theologically, it serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of rash decisions and the need for wisdom and discernment in leadership.

Verse 44. - God do so, etc. Again Saul takes an oath to put Jonathan to death, supposing himself bound by his former words. But he must have been pained beyond measure at the miserable consequences of his rashness, and have bitterly reproached himself for thus twice marring the happiness of the day by unhallowed oaths. Jonathan's trespass, committed unwittingly, required nothing more than a trespass offering for its expiation, nor did the silence of the Urim and Thummim imply any fault in him. The fault lay in Saul having imposed an oath upon the army; that oath had been broken, and a formal expiation must be made. But Saul was by nature a despot, and could endure nothing that seemed even for the moment to stand in his way.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And Saul
שָׁא֔וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

declared
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“May God
אֱלֹהִ֖ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

punish me,
יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה (ya·‘ă·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

and ever so
וְכֹ֣ה (wə·ḵōh)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

severely,
יוֹסִ֑ף (yō·w·sip̄)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3254: To add, augment

if you, Jonathan,
יוֹנָתָֽן׃ (yō·w·nā·ṯān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3129: Jonathan

do not
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

surely
מ֥וֹת (mō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

die!”
תָּמ֖וּת (tā·mūṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill


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OT History: 1 Samuel 14:44 Saul said God do so and more (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
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