1 Samuel 14:18
New International Version
Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (At that time it was with the Israelites.)

New Living Translation
Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, “Bring the ephod here!” For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites.

English Standard Version
So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God went at that time with the people of Israel.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (For at that time it was with the Israelites.)

King James Bible
And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.

New King James Version
And Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here” (for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel).

New American Standard Bible
Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For at that time the ark of God was with the sons of Israel.

NASB 1995
Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel.

NASB 1977
Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel.

Amplified Bible
Saul said to Ahijah [the priest], “Bring the ark of God here.” For at that time the ark of God was with the sons of Israel.

Christian Standard Bible
Saul told Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God,” for it was with the Israelites at that time.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Saul told Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God,” for it was with the Israelites at that time.

American Standard Version
And Saul said unto Ahijah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was there at that time with the children of Israel.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Shaul said to Akhia: “Bring the Ark of God!”, because the Ark of LORD JEHOVAH was there in that day with the children of Israel

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Saul said to Achia, Bring the ephod; for he wore the ephod in that day before Israel.

Contemporary English Version
At that time, Ahijah was serving as priest for the army of Israel, and Saul told him, "Come over here! Let's ask God what we should do."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Saul said to Achias: Bring the ark of the Lord. (For the ark of God was there that day with the children of Israel.)

English Revised Version
And Saul said unto Ahijah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was there at that time with the children of Israel.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the priestly ephod," because Ahijah carried the ephod in front of Israel that day.

Good News Translation
"Bring the ephod here," Saul said to Ahijah the priest. (On that day Ahijah was carrying it in front of the people of Israel.)

International Standard Version
Saul told Ahijah, "Bring the Ark of God here." For at that time the Ark of God was with the Israelis.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Saul said unto Ahijah: 'Bring hither the ark of God.' For the ark of God was there at that time with the children of Israel.

Literal Standard Version
And Saul says to Ahiah, “Bring the Ark of God near”; for the Ark of God has been with the sons of Israel on that day.

Majority Standard Bible
Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (For at that time it was with the Israelites.)

New American Bible
Saul then said to Ahijah, “Bring the ephod here.” (Ahijah was wearing the ephod before the Israelites at that time.)

NET Bible
So Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring near the ephod," for he was at that time wearing the ephod.

New Revised Standard Version
Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For at that time the ark of God went with the Israelites.

New Heart English Bible
And Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring near the ephod," for he wore the ephod at that time before Israel.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Saul said to Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.

World English Bible
Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring God’s ark here.” For God’s ark was with the children of Israel at that time.

Young's Literal Translation
And Saul saith to Ahiah, 'Bring nigh the ark of God;' for the ark of God hath been on that day with the sons of Israel.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jonathan's Victory over the Philistines
17Saul said to the troops who were with him, “Call the roll and see who has left us.” And when they had called the roll, they saw that Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. 18Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (For at that time it was with the Israelites.) 19While Saul was talking to the priest, the commotion in the Philistine camp continued to increase. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”…

Cross References
1 Samuel 14:17
Saul said to the troops who were with him, "Call the roll and see who has left us." And when they had called the roll, they saw that Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.

1 Samuel 14:36
And Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until dawn, leaving no man alive!" "Do what seems good to you," the troops replied. But the priest said, "We must consult God here."

1 Samuel 23:9
When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod."

1 Samuel 30:7
Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought it to him,


Treasury of Scripture

And Saul said to Ahiah, Bring here the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.

1 Samuel 4:3-5
And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies…

1 Samuel 30:8
And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

Numbers 27:21
And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.

For the ark

1 Samuel 5:2
When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

1 Samuel 7:1
And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

Jump to Previous
Ahiah Ahijah Ahi'jah Ark Children Ephod Hither Israel Israelites Nigh Saul Time
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Ahiah Ahijah Ahi'jah Ark Children Ephod Hither Israel Israelites Nigh Saul Time
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














(18) And Saul said unto Ahiah . . .--The LXX. renders here, "And Saul said to Ahijah, Bring hither the ephod; for he bore the ephod in those days before the children of Israel." This is a statement easily to be understood. Saul was in doubt what to do under the present emergency. Should he--seeing the panic that was evidently increasing in the Philistine camp, and knowing nothing of the cause, only that his son and the armour-bearer were missing--should he risk his little force, and, leaving his strong position, attack that great host of apparently panic-stricken enemies? So he sent for the high priest Ahijah, and bade him consult the Urim and Thummim in his ephod.

But the Hebrew and all the versions read as in our English Version, "Bring hither the Ark of God" What does this mean? Was the Ark, then, with that little band of Saul? We never before, or after, find the slightest hint that the sacred coffer ever left the "city of woods" (Kiriath-yearim) until David bore it to Zion. Then, again, the word preceding "Bring hither" is never used in connection with the Ark. No question or oracle could be asked of the Ark or by the Ark. The Urim and Thummim, whatever these mysterious objects were alone were used to give answers to questions solemnly asked by king and people, and this Urim and Thummim were connected, not with the Ark, but with the high-priestly ephod. On the whole, the reading of the LXX. probably represents the original Hebrew. The present Hebrew text, with the word "Ark," is, however, clearly of extreme antiquity; the second part of the verse is most likely an explanatory gloss of some ancient scribe. Josephus' account of this transaction shows us that he had before him a text corresponding to the LXX. His words are, "He bid the priest take the garment of his high priesthood and prophesy" (Antiq., 6 ? 3). Maurer prefers the present Hebrew text, for he says, At that supreme moment of danger Saul wanted not the advice of an oracle, but rather the help and encouragement which the presence of the sacred Ark would give to his handful of soldiers. But this would rather degrade Saul to the level of the superstitious Hophni and Phinehas, the wicked sons of Eli. who, it will be remembered, exposed and lost the sacred Ark in the fatal battle in which they perished. Saul, with all his faults, was a far nobler type of man than those profligate, though brave, priests.



Parallel Commentaries ...


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

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

to Ahijah,
לַֽאֲחִיָּ֔ה (la·’ă·ḥî·yāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 281: Ahijah -- 'brother of Yah', an Israelite name

“Bring
הַגִּ֖ישָׁה (hag·gî·šāh)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5066: To draw near, approach

the ark
אֲר֣וֹן (’ă·rō·wn)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 727: A chest, ark

of God.”
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

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

at that
הַה֖וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

time
בַּיּ֥וֹם (bay·yō·wm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

it
אֲר֧וֹן (’ă·rō·wn)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 727: A chest, ark

was
הָיָ֞ה (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

with the Israelites.)
וּבְנֵ֥י (ū·ḇə·nê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son


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OT History: 1 Samuel 14:18 Saul said to Ahijah Bring here (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 14:17
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