“All right, then,” Jonathan told him. “We will cross over and let them see us.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will reveal ourselves to them.
- KJV Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.
- BSB “Very well,” said Jonathan, “we will cross over toward these men and show ourselves to them.
- NKJV Then Jonathan said, “Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them.
- NASB Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we are going to cross over to the men and reveal ourselves to them.
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
Jonathan lays out a plan to reveal themselves to the Philistines and look for a sign of God's leading.
Overview
Rather than acting presumptuously, Jonathan seeks confirmation of God's will before advancing. His proposed approach shows faith joined to prayerful discernment, not reckless self-confidence. This careful seeking of God's guidance contrasts with Saul's earlier impatience and models trusting dependence on the Lord's direction.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Judg 7:9–14That same night, Yahweh said to him, “Arise, go down into the camp; for I have delivered it into your hand.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 14:8 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.