1 Samuel 14:12 net — Then the men of the garrison said to Jonathan and his armor bearer,“Come on up to us so we can teach you a thing or two…

NET Bible

"Then the men of the garrison said to Jonathan and his armor bearer,“Come on up to us so we can teach you a thing or two!” Then Jonathan said to his armor bearer,“Come up behind me, for the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel!”"

— 1 Samuel 14:12, NET Bible

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1 Samuel 14:12 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.”

  • ASV

    “And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armorbearer, Come up after me; for Jehovah hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. ”

  • WEB

    “The men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you something!" Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come up after me; for Yahweh has delivered them into the hand of Israel."”

  • DRB

    “And the men of the garrison spoke to Jonathan, and to his armourbearer, and said: Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armourbearer: Let us go up, follow me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hands of Israel.”

  • BBE

    “And the armed men of the force gave Jonathan and his servant their answer, saying, Come up here to us, and we will let you see something. Then Jonathan said to his servant, Come up after me: for the Lord has given them up into the hands of Israel.”

  • KJVA

    “And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.”

1 Samuel 14 — Context

9

If they say to us,‘Stay put until we approach you,’ we will stay right there and not go up to them.

10

But if they say,‘Come up against us,’ we will go up. For in that case the LORD has given them into our hand– it will be a sign to us.”

11

When they made themselves known to the Philistine garrison, the Philistines said,“Look! The Hebrews are coming out of the holes in which they hid themselves.”

12

Then the men of the garrison said to Jonathan and his armor bearer,“Come on up to us so we can teach you a thing or two!” Then Jonathan said to his armor bearer,“Come up behind me, for the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel!”

13

Jonathan crawled up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer following behind him. Jonathan struck down the Philistines, while his armor bearer came along behind him and killed them.

14

In this initial skirmish Jonathan and his armor bearer struck down about twenty men in an area that measured half an acre.

15

Then fear overwhelmed those who were in the camp, those who were in the field, all the army in the garrison, and the raiding bands. They trembled and the ground shook. This fear was caused by God.

1 Samuel 14:12 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does 1 Samuel 14:12 say?
1 Samuel 14:12 in the NET Bible reads: “Then the men of the garrison said to Jonathan and his armor bearer,“Come on up to us so we can teach you a thing or two!” Then Jonathan said to his armor bearer,“Come up behind me, for the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel!””
Where is 1 Samuel 14:12 in the Bible?
1 Samuel 14:12 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 14, verse 12.
Who wrote 1 Samuel?
1 Samuel is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Samuel, Nathan, and Gad). It was written c. 930–722 BC.
What is the book of 1 Samuel about?
1 Samuel marks Israel's transition from judges to kings. It traces the births and ministries of the prophet Samuel, the rise and tragic fall of Saul as Israel's first king, and the anointing of the shepherd boy David, whose faith makes him a man after God's own heart.
What are the major themes of 1 Samuel?
1 Samuel explores themes including Kingship, Prophet, Faith vs. Fear, God's Sovereign Choice, Anointing. These themes shape the meaning and context of 1 Samuel 14:12.
What translation should I read 1 Samuel 14:12 in?
1 Samuel 14:12 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize 1 Samuel 14:12?
1 Samuel 14:12 reads (NET): “Then the men of the garrison said to Jonathan and his armor bearer,“Come on up to us so we can teach you a thing or two!” Then Jonathan said to his armor bearer,“Come up behind me, for the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel!”” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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