And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
Parallel translations
- WEB Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.” Jonathan was selected.
- BSB Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was selected.
- NKJV And Saul said, “Cast lots between my son Jonathan and me.” So Jonathan was taken.
- NASB Then Saul said, “Cast lots between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was selected by lot.
- NLT Then Saul said, “Now cast lots again and choose between me and Jonathan.” And Jonathan was shown to be the guilty one.
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
A further casting of lots between Saul and Jonathan selects Jonathan as the one in question.
Overview
The lot singles out Jonathan, bringing the inquiry to its tragic climax. Though the process points to him, the reader knows his 'offense' was committed in ignorance and was in no true sense sin against God. The narrowing of the lot heightens the tension between Saul's rash oath and the innocence of his faithful son.
Cross-references & the web
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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 14:42 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
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