1 Samuel 14:6

And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Jonathan	יְהוֹנָתָ֜ן ye.ho.na.Tan	H3083	Jehonathan · proper noun, a man's name
said	וַיֹּ֨אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
man	הַנַּ֣עַר ha.Na.'ar	H5288	(concretely) a boy (as active) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
bare	נֹשֵׂ֣א no.Se'	H5375	to lift · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular construct
armour	כֵלָ֗יו khe.Lav	H3627	something prepared · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
Come	יָלַךְ yâlak	H3212	to walk (literally or figuratively)
over	וְנַעְבְּרָ֗ה ve.na'.be.Rah	H5674	to cross over · conjunction + verb, qal infinitive construct, 1st person common plural
garrison	מַצַּב֙ ma.Tzav	H4673	a fixed spot · noun, common masculine singular construct
uncircumcised	הָעֲרֵלִ֣ים ha.'a.re.Lim	H6189	uncircumcised (i.e. still having the prepuce uncurtaile… · definite article + adjective, masculine plural absolute
LORD	יְהוָ֖ה Yah.weh	H3068	Jehovah · proper noun, a title
work	יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה ya.'a.Seh	H6213	to do or make · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
restraint	מַעְצ֔וֹר ma'.Tzor	H4622	objectively · noun, common masculine singular absolute
LORD	לַֽיהוָה֙ la.Yah.weh	H3068	Jehovah · preposition + proper noun, a title
save	לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ le.ho.Shi.a'	H3467	properly · preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive construct
many	בְּרַ֖ב be.Rav	H7227	abundant (in quantity · preposition + adjective, masculine singular absolute
few	בִמְעָֽט vim.'At	H4592	a little or few (often adverbial or compar.) · preposition + noun, common masculine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spir…
Deuteronomy 32:30 How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?
2 Chronicles 14:11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: he…
Judges 7:4-7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall…
Psalms 115:1-3 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.
2 Samuel 16:12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 14:1-15

We must here take notice, I. Of the goodness of God in restraining the Philistines, who had a vast army of valiant men in the field, from falling upon that little handful of timorous trembling people that Saul had with him, whom they would easily have swallowed up at once. It is an invisible power that sets bounds to the malice of the church's enemies, and suffers them not to do that which we should think there is nothing to hinder them from. II. Of the weakness of Saul, who seems here to have been quite at a loss, and unable to help himself. 1. He pitched his tent under a tree, and had but 600 men with him, Sa1 14:2. Where were now the 3000 men he had chosen, and put such a confidence in? S…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 14:6

it may be that the Lord will work for us--This expression did not imply a doubt; it signified simply that the object he aimed at was not in his own power--but it depended upon God--and that he expected success neither from his own strength nor his own merit.

Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 14:6

Let us go over - Moved, doubtless, by a Divine impulse. There is no restraint to the Lord - This is a fine sentiment; and where there is a promise of defense and support, the weakest, in the face of the strongest enemy, may rely on it with the utmost confidence.

John Gill on 1 Samuel 14:6

And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour,.... A second time, as Abarbinel thinks; the young man giving no answer to him the first time, perhaps through fear, he repeats it, and enlarges upon it for his encouragement: come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised; as these Philistines were, whereas several of the other nations, though Heathen, were circumcised; as the Edomites, Arabians, and others; and this Jonathan observes to the young man, in hope that they being such the Lord would deliver them into their hand: it may be that the Lord will work for us; a sign, as the Targum, a miracle, as indeed he did; and of which Jonathan was persuaded in his own m…

The Church Fathers

What is the garrison of the Philistines, if not the strength of malignant spirits? For holy men, when they prepare themselves for the correction of sinners, openly know that they fight against angels fallen from heaven. This battle, therefore, since it is between angels and men, is fought by the strong against the weak, by the cunning against the simple. For he had received an assault from these strong ones, who said: "The strong have rushed upon me, though neither my iniquity nor my sin, O Lord" (Psalm 58:4). Paul also, perceiving the cunning of the fallen angel, says: "We are not ignorant of his cunning" (2 Cor. 2:11). Against the cunning, therefore, the way of cautious reasoning must be sought; against the strong, however, divine help must be sought. So that it may be understood that preaching must be carried out with great caution, Jonathan is said to have invited his armor-bearer to cross over with him. And so that in driving out the enemies, confidence may be placed in God's mercy, he speaks saying: "Because it is not difficult for God to save, whether by many or by few." And because the conversion of the wicked is not easy, he says: "Perhaps God will act for us." He says "perhaps" because he does not yet fully presume upon the complete salvation of sinners.
— Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 4

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Circumcision — Cutting around. This rite, practised before, as some think, by divers races, was appointed by God to be the special badge of his chosen people, an abiding sign of their consecration to him. It was…
Garrison — (1.) Heb. matstsab, a station; a place where one stands (1 Sam. 14:12); a military or fortified post (1 Sam. 13:23; 14:1, 4, 6, etc.). (2.) Heb. netsib, a prefect, superintendent; hence a military…
Jonathan — Whom Jehovah gave, the name of fifteen or more persons that are mentioned in Scripture. The chief of these are, (1.) A Levite descended from Gershom (Judg. 18:30). His history is recorded in 17:7-13…
Moabite — The designation of a tribe descended from Moab, the son of Lot (Gen. 19:37). From Zoar, the cradle of this tribe, on the south-eastern border of the Dead Sea, they gradually spread over the region on…
Philistines — (Gen. 10:14, R.V.; but in A.V., “Philistim”), a tribe allied to the Phoenicians. They were a branch of the primitive race which spread over the whole district of the Lebanon and the valley of the…
Armor-Bearer · Of Jonathan — Of Jonathan
Circumcision · The Jews: Despised as unclean those not of the — The Jews: Despised as unclean those not of the
Jews, The · Often distinguished in war — Often distinguished in war
Jonathan · .Victory of, over the Philistines at Michmash — .Victory of, over the Philistines at Michmash
Philistines · Jonathan and his armour-bearer smote a garrison of, at the passages — Jonathan and his armour-bearer smote a garrison of, at the passages
Power Of God, The · Can save by many or by few

1 Samuel 14:6

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 14:1-15

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 14:6

Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 14:6

John Gill on 1 Samuel 14:6

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Samuel 14:6

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 14:1-15

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 14:6

Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 14:6

John Gill on 1 Samuel 14:6

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on 1 Samuel 14:1-15

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Samuel 14:6

Rashi on 1 Samuel 14:5