1 Samuel 14:20

20 Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords.

1 Samuel 14:20 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
20 And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.
English Standard Version (ESV)
20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, every Philistine's sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion.
New Living Translation (NLT)
20 Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere.
The Message Bible (MSG)
20 Saul immediately called his army together and they went straight to the battle. When they got there they found total confusion - Philistines swinging their swords wildly, killing each other.
American Standard Version (ASV)
20 And Saul and all the people that were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, [and there was] a very great discomfiture.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
20 Saul and all the troops with him assembled and went into battle. They found Philistine soldiers killing their fellow soldiers in wild confusion.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
20 Saul and all the troops with him assembled and marched to the battle, and there, the Philistines were fighting against each other in great confusion!
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
20 Then Saul and all of his men gathered together. They went to the battle. They saw that the Philistines were in total disorder. They were striking each other with their swords.

1 Samuel 14:20 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 14:20

And Saul, and all the people that were with him, assembled
themselves
The six hundred men that were with him, unless we can suppose the 1000 that had been with Jonathan in Gibeah were here still, see ( 1 Samuel 13:2 )

and they came to the battle;
to the field of battle, the place where the army of the Philistines had lain encamped:

and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow;
taking one another for Hebrews, or treacherous and disaffected persons; so that, though the Israelites had neither swords nor spears, they needed none, for the Philistines destroyed one another with their own swords; and there was a

very great discomfiture;
noise, tumult, confusion, slaughter, and destruction.

1 Samuel 14:20 In-Context

18 Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (At that time it was with the Israelites.)
19 While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”
20 Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords.
21 Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22 When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit.

Cross References 1

  • 1. S Judges 7:22; Ezekiel 38:21; Zechariah 14:13; 2 Chronicles 20:23
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