1 Samuel 14:43
New International Version
Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” So Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now I must die!”

New Living Translation
“Tell me what you have done,” Saul demanded of Jonathan. “I tasted a little honey,” Jonathan admitted. “It was only a little bit on the end of my stick. Does that deserve death?”

English Standard Version
Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die.”

Berean Standard Bible
“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?”

King James Bible
Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.

New King James Version
Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, and said, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. So now I must die!”

New American Standard Bible
So Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, and said, “I did indeed taste a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die!”

NASB 1995
Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” So Jonathan told him and said, “I indeed tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die!”

NASB 1977
Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” So Jonathan told him and said, “I indeed tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die!”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” So Jonathan told him and said, “I indeed tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I must die!”

Amplified Bible
Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” So Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die!”

Christian Standard Bible
Saul commanded him, “Tell me what you did.” Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of the staff I was carrying. I am ready to die! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Saul commanded him, “Tell me what you did.” Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of the staff I was carrying. I am ready to die!”

American Standard Version
Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and, lo, I must die.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Shaul said to Jonathan: “Tell me what you have done!” And Jonathan told him and said to him: “With the top of the staff that was in my hand I tasted a little honey, because I was dying!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done: and Jonathan told him, and said, I did indeed taste a little honey, with the end of my staff that was in my hand, and, lo! I am to die.

Contemporary English Version
"Jonathan," Saul exclaimed, "tell me what you did!" "I dipped the end of my walking stick in some honey and ate a little. Now you say I have to die!"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Saul said to Jonathan: Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said: I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod, which was in my hand, and behold I must die.

English Revised Version
Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand; and, lo, I must die.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Tell me," Saul asked Jonathan. "What did you do?" So Jonathan told him, "I tasted a little honey on the tip of the staff I had in my hand. And for that I am to die?"

Good News Translation
Then Saul asked Jonathan, "What have you done?" Jonathan answered, "I ate a little honey with the stick I was holding. Here I am--I am ready to die."

International Standard Version
Saul told Jonathan, "Tell me what you've done." So Jonathan spoke to him: "I did taste a little honey from the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I'm ready to die!"

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then Saul said to Jonathan: 'Tell me what thou hast done.' And Jonathan told him, and said: 'I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; here am I: I will die.'

Literal Standard Version
And Saul says to Jonathan, “Declare to me, what have you done?” And Jonathan declares to him and says, “I certainly tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that [is] in my hand; behold, I die!”

Majority Standard Bible
“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?”

New American Bible
Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” Jonathan replied, “I only tasted a little honey from the end of the staff I was holding. Am I to die for this?”

NET Bible
So Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." Jonathan told him, "I used the end of the staff that was in my hand to taste a little honey. I must die!"

New Revised Standard Version
Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand; here I am, I will die.”

New Heart English Bible
Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, and said, "I certainly did taste a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand; and look, I must die."

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand, and, lo, I must die.

World English Bible
Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done!” Jonathan told him, and said, “I certainly did taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and behold, I must die.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Saul saith unto Jonathan, 'Declare to me, what hast thou done?' and Jonathan declareth to him, and saith, 'I certainly tasted with the end of the rod that is in my hand a little honey; lo, I die!'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The People Save Jonathan
42Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was selected. 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!”…

Cross References
Joshua 7:19
So Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me."

1 Samuel 14:27
Jonathan, however, had not heard that his father had charged the people with the oath. So he reached out the end of the staff in his hand, dipped it into the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened.

1 Samuel 14:42
Then Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan." And Jonathan was selected.

Jonah 1:8
"Tell us now," they demanded, "who is to blame for this calamity that is upon us? What is your occupation, and where have you come from? What is your country, and who are your people?"


Treasury of Scripture

Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand, and, see, I must die.

Tell me

Joshua 7:19
And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.

Jonah 1:7-10
And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah…

I did but

1 Samuel 14:27
But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.

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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














(43, 44) Lo, I must die.--These wild and thoughtless vows are peculiarly characteristic of this half-barbaric period. We have already observed that the age now closing had been peculiarly the age of vows. A similar terrible oath, equalling Saul's in its rashness, had been taken by Jephthah. It is noticeable that not only Saul, who vowed the vow, but Jonathan, its victim, were convinced that the vow, though perhaps hastily and rashly made, must be kept. "Against both these," says Erdman in Lange with great force "rises the people's voice as the voice of God, the question (in 1Samuel 14:45), 'Shall Jonathan die? 'and the answer,' Far be it,' expresses the sorrowful astonishment and the energetic protest of the people, who were inspired by Jonathan's heroic deed and its brilliant result. . . . Over against Saul's oath the people set their own: 'As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground.' Probably Saul was not unwilling in this awful question, when his son's life trembled in the balance, to submit his will for once to the people's."

"Take then no vow at random: ta'en in faith,

Preserve it; yet not bent, as Jephthah once,

Blindly to execute a rash resolve,

Whom better it had suited to exclaim,

'I have done ill than to redeem his pledge

By doing worse."--Dante, Paradise, 5:63-68.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Tell
הַגִּ֥ידָה (hag·gî·ḏāh)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

me what
מֶ֣ה (meh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

you have done,”
עָשִׂ֑יתָה (‘ā·śî·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

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

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

him.
י֣וֹנָתָ֔ן (yō·w·nā·ṯān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3129: Jonathan

So Jonathan
יוֹנָתָ֗ן (yō·w·nā·ṯān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3129: Jonathan

told him,
וַיַּגֶּד־ (way·yag·geḏ-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

“I only
טָעֹ֨ם (ṭā·‘ōm)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 2938: To taste, to perceive

tasted
טָעַ֜מְתִּי (ṭā·‘am·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2938: To taste, to perceive

a little
מְעַ֥ט (mə·‘aṭ)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4592: A little, fewness, a few

honey
דְּבַ֖שׁ (də·ḇaš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1706: Honey, syrup

with the end
בִּקְצֵ֨ה (biq·ṣêh)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7097: End, extremity

of the staff
הַמַּטֶּ֧ה (ham·maṭ·ṭeh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4294: A staff, rod, shaft, branch, a tribe

that [was]
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

in my hand.
בְּיָדִ֛י (bə·yā·ḏî)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

And now I must die?”
אָמֽוּת׃ (’ā·mūṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill


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OT History: 1 Samuel 14:43 Then Saul said to Jonathan Tell me (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
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