Then Saul fell immediately his full length on the earth, and was terrified, because of Samuel’s words. There was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all day long or all night long.
Parallel translations
- KJV Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.
- BSB Immediately Saul fell flat on the ground, terrified by the words of Samuel. And his strength was gone, because he had not eaten anything all that day and night.
- NKJV Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, and was dreadfully afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night.
- NASB Then Saul immediately fell full length to the ground and was very afraid because of Samuel’s words; there was no strength in him either, because he had eaten no food all day and all night.
- NLT Saul fell full length on the ground, paralyzed with fright because of Samuel’s words. He was also faint with hunger, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.
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
Terrified by Samuel's words, Saul collapses full length on the ground, weak from fasting. The prophecy crushes him in body and spirit.
Overview
Saul falls prostrate, overwhelmed by dread and drained from not eating all day and night. His physical collapse mirrors the spiritual ruin Samuel has just declared. The image of the once-towering king lying helpless dramatizes the devastating weight of divine judgment.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- 1 Sam 28:5When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
- 1 Sam 25:37In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
- Job 26:2“How have you helped him who is without power! How have you saved the arm that has no strength!
- Job 15:20–24the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
- Ps 50:21–22You have done these things, and I kept silent. You thought that I was just like you. I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes.
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 28:20 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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