1 Samuel 14:10
New International Version
But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands.”

New Living Translation
But if they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the LORD’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”

English Standard Version
But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the LORD has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us.”

Berean Standard Bible
But if they say, ‘Come on up,’ then we will go up, because this will be our sign that the LORD has delivered them into our hands.”

King James Bible
But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.

New King James Version
But if they say thus, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up. For the LORD has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us.”

New American Standard Bible
But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the LORD has handed them over to us; and this shall be the sign to us.”

NASB 1995
“But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the LORD has given them into our hands; and this shall be the sign to us.”

NASB 1977
“But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the LORD has given them into our hands; and this shall be the sign to us.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for Yahweh has given them into our hands; and this shall be the sign to us.”

Amplified Bible
But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will go up, for the LORD has handed them over to us; and this shall be the sign to us.”

Christian Standard Bible
But if they say, ‘Come on up,’ then we’ll go up, because the LORD has handed them over to us—that will be our sign.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But if they say, ‘Come on up,’ then we’ll go up, because the LORD has handed them over to us—that will be our sign.”

American Standard Version
But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up; for Jehovah hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be the sign unto us.

Contemporary English Version
But we will go if they tell us to come up the hill and fight. That will mean the LORD is going to help us win."

English Revised Version
But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be the sign unto us.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But if they say to us, 'Come up here,' then we'll go up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has handed them over to us."

Good News Translation
But if they tell us to go to them, then we will, because that will be the sign that the LORD has given us victory over them."

International Standard Version
But if they say, 'Come up and fight us,' then we will go up, for the LORD has given them into our hands, and this will be the sign for us."

Majority Standard Bible
But if they say, ‘Come on up,’ then we will go up, because this will be our sign that the LORD has delivered them into our hands.”

NET Bible
But if they say, 'Come up against us,' we will go up. For in that case the LORD has given them into our hand--it will be a sign to us."

New Heart English Bible
But if they say this, 'Come up to us.' then we will go up; for the LORD has delivered them into our hand. This shall be the sign to us."

Webster's Bible Translation
But if they say thus, Come up to us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand; and this shall be a sign to us.

World English Bible
But if they say this, ‘Come up to us!’ then we will go up, for Yahweh has delivered them into our hand. This shall be the sign to us.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and if they thus say, Come up against us, then we have gone up, for YHWH has given them into our hand, and this [is] the sign to us.”

Young's Literal Translation
and if thus they say, 'Come up against us,' then we have gone up, for Jehovah hath given them into our hand, and this to us is the sign.

Smith's Literal Translation
And if thus they shall say, Come up upon us; and we went up: for Jehovah gave them into our hand; and this to us the sign.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But if they shall say: Come up to us: let us go up, because the Lord hath delivered them into our hands, this shall be a sign unto us.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But if they will say, ‘Ascend to us,’ let us ascend. For the Lord has delivered them into our hands. This will be the sign to us.”

New American Bible
But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will go up, because the LORD has delivered them into our hand. That will be our sign.”

New Revised Standard Version
But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up; for the LORD has given them into our hand. That will be the sign for us.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But if they say to us thus, Come up to us; then we will go up; for the LORD our God has delivered them into our hand; and this shall be a sign to us.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And if thus they will say to us: ‘Come up to us!’, we will go up, because LORD JEHOVAH our God has handed them over into our hands, this is a sign to us”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But if they say thus: Come up unto us; then we will go up; for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand; and this shall be the sign unto us.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But if they should say thus to us, Come up to us; then will we go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hands; this shall be a sign to us.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jonathan's Victory over the Philistines
9If they say, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stay where we are and will not go up to them. 10But if they say, ‘Come on up,’ then we will go up, because this will be our sign that the LORD has delivered them into our hands.” 11So the two of them showed themselves to the outpost of the Philistines, who exclaimed, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes in which they were hiding!”…

Cross References
Judges 7:9-15
That night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up and go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand. / But if you are afraid to do so, then go down to the camp with your servant Purah / and listen to what they are saying. Then your hands will be strengthened to attack the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant to the outposts where armed men were guarding the camp. ...

2 Kings 7:3-7
Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die? / If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.” / So they arose at twilight and went to the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the outskirts of the camp, there was not a man to be found. ...

Genesis 24:12-14
“O LORD, God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. / Here I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. / Now may it happen that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who responds, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

Exodus 4:1-9
Then Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to my voice? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’” / And the LORD asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. / “Throw it on the ground,” said the LORD. So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and he ran from it. ...

Judges 6:36-40
Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said, / then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” / And that is what happened. When Gideon arose the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. ...

1 Samuel 10:7
When these signs have come, do as the occasion demands, for God is with you.

1 Samuel 17:45-47
But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. / This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. / And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.”

2 Samuel 5:23-25
So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. / As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because this will mean that the LORD has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” / So David did as the LORD had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

2 Kings 19:29-31
And this will be a sign to you, O Hezekiah: This year you will eat what grows on its own, and in the second year what springs from the same. But in the third year you will sow and reap; you will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. / And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root below and bear fruit above. / For a remnant will go forth from Jerusalem, and survivors from Mount Zion. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.

Isaiah 7:11-14
“Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven.” / But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask; I will not test the LORD.” / Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well? ...

Matthew 12:38-40
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” / Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. / For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Matthew 16:1-4
Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came and tested Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven. / But He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘The weather will be fair, for the sky is red,’ / and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but not the signs of the times. ...

Luke 11:29-30
As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. / For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation.

John 2:18-22
On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?” / Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” / “This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?” ...

John 6:30-32
So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do? / Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” / Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.


Treasury of Scripture

But if they say thus, Come up to us; then we will go up: for the LORD has delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign to us.

this shall be a sign

1 Samuel 10:7
And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

Genesis 24:14
And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

Judges 7:11
And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.

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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














But if they say
This phrase introduces a conditional statement, a common rhetorical device in Hebrew narrative that sets the stage for divine intervention. The Hebrew word for "if" (אִם, 'im) often indicates a test or a condition that requires faith. In this context, Jonathan is seeking a sign from God, demonstrating his reliance on divine guidance rather than human wisdom.

‘Come up to us,’
The phrase "Come up to us" is a direct challenge from the Philistines. In ancient warfare, the high ground was strategically advantageous, and the Philistines' invitation for Jonathan and his armor-bearer to ascend suggests overconfidence. This reflects a common biblical theme where God uses the arrogance of the enemy to bring about their downfall, as seen in accounts like David and Goliath.

then we will go up
Jonathan's response, "then we will go up," signifies his readiness to act upon God's sign. The Hebrew verb for "go up" (עָלָה, 'alah) is often used in the context of ascending to a place of worship or significance. Here, it symbolizes Jonathan's faith and willingness to engage in battle, trusting in God's promise of victory.

for this will be our sign
The concept of a "sign" (אוֹת, 'oth) in the Hebrew Bible often indicates a divine confirmation or assurance. Jonathan seeks a tangible indication of God's will, reminiscent of Gideon's fleece in Judges 6. This reflects a deep-seated belief in God's active involvement in the affairs of His people, providing guidance and assurance in times of uncertainty.

that the LORD has delivered them
The phrase "the LORD has delivered them" underscores the belief in God's sovereignty and providence. The Hebrew verb for "delivered" (נָתַן, nathan) implies a transfer of power or control. Jonathan acknowledges that victory is not by human strength but by God's hand, echoing the biblical theme that "the battle is the LORD's" (1 Samuel 17:47).

into our hands
The expression "into our hands" signifies possession and control. In the ancient Near Eastern context, hands symbolize power and action. By stating that the Philistines will be delivered "into our hands," Jonathan expresses confidence in God's promise to empower His people to overcome their enemies, reinforcing the biblical narrative of God's faithfulness to His covenant people.

Verse 10. - A sign. The waiting of the garrison for Jonathan and his armour bearer to mount up to them would be a sign of great indifference and supineness on their part; but what he rather meant was that they were to regard it as an omen. Kim'hi has a long digression in his commentary on this place to show that there was nothing superstitous in their looking for a prognostic to encourage them in their hazardous undertaking. God, he says, bade Gideon go to the camp of the Midianites to obtain such a sign. as Jonathan looked for here (see Judges 7:11).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But if
וְאִם־ (wə·’im-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

they say,
יֹאמְר֜וּ (yō·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘Come on up,’
עֲל֤וּ (‘ă·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

then we will go up,
וְעָלִ֔ינוּ (wə·‘ā·lî·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

because
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

this
וְזֶה־ (wə·zeh-)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

will be our sign
הָאֽוֹת׃ (hā·’ō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 226: A signal, as a, flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence

that the LORD
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

has delivered them
נְתָנָ֥ם (nə·ṯā·nām)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

into our hands.”
בְּיָדֵ֑נוּ (bə·yā·ḏê·nū)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 3027: A hand


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OT History: 1 Samuel 14:10 But if they say thus Come up (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 14:9
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