But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has accomplished salvation in Israel.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Saul said, “No man shall be put to death today; for today Yahweh has rescued Israel.”
- KJV And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.
- BSB But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.”
- NASB But Saul said, “Not a single person shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has brought about victory in Israel.”
- NLT But Saul replied, “No one will be executed today, for today the Lord has rescued Israel!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Saul refuses to execute anyone, declaring that today the Lord has saved Israel. He shows magnanimity and gives God the glory.
Overview
Saul's restraint and mercy mark this as one of his finest moments. By attributing the salvation to Yahweh, he rightly directs praise away from himself. This gracious sparing of his former opponents reflects the spirit of a true deliverer and stands in poignant contrast to the harshness of his later years.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 2 Sam 19:22David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For don’t I know that I am king over Israel today?”
- 1 Sam 19:5for he put his life in his hand, and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh worked a great victory for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?”
- Exod 14:13Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will work for you today: for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall never see them again.
- Exod 14:30Thus Yahweh saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.
- 1 Sam 14:45The people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As Yahweh lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked with God today!” So the people rescued Jonathan, that he didn’t die.
- Ps 44:4–8You are my King, God. Command victories for Jacob!
- Isa 59:16He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore his own arm brought salvation to him; and his righteousness sustained him.
- 1 Cor 15:10But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 11:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.