The Meaning of 1 Samuel 14:12 Explained

1 Samuel 14:12

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.

YLT: And the men of the station answer Jonathan, and the bearer of his weapons, and say, 'Come up unto us, and we cause you to know something.' And Jonathan saith unto the bearer of his weapons, 'Come up after me, for Jehovah hath given them into the hand of Israel.'

Darby: And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armour-bearer and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you something. And Jonathan said to his armour-bearer, Come up after me; for Jehovah has 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Samuel 14:12 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 14:1-15 - Jonathan's Exploit For The Lord
Jonathan was a true knight of God. He was the Hebrew Galahad, a soldier without fear and without reproach. His life was pure, his word was true, he was faithful to the high claims of human love, and followed the Christ, though as yet he knew Him not.
He had entered into the spirit of the divine Covenant, and could not believe that God had forgotten and forsaken. Was not the old promise true that "one [1] chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight"? Deuteronomy 32:30. Happy are they who can rise above depression and misfortune into the clear heaven of fellowship with God, allying their weakness with His might, their ignorance with His wisdom! "It may be that the Lord will work for us," said Jonathan; "for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few." Then he offered himself as the humble instrument of God's will. The people recognized this. They said: "He hath wrought with God this day." And the soul that reckons on God cannot be ashamed. "The Lord saved Israel that day."In such works God and man co-operate. See John 3:21. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 14

1  Jonathan goes and miraculously smites the Philistine's garrison
15  A divine terror makes them beat themselves
17  Saul, not staying the priest's answer, sets on them
21  The captivated Hebrews, and the hidden Israelites, join against them
24  Saul's unadvised adjuration hinders the victory
31  He restrains the people from eating blood
35  He builds an altar
37  Jonathan, taken by lot, is save by the people
47  Saul's victories, strength, and family

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 14:12 mean?

And called the men of the garrison - to Jonathan and bearer his armorbearer and said come up to us and we will show you something - And said Jonathan to his armorbearer come up after me for has delivered them Yahweh into the hand of Israel
וַיַּעֲנוּ֩ אַנְשֵׁ֨י הַמַּצָּבָ֜ה אֶת־ יוֹנָתָ֣ן ׀ וְאֶת־ נֹשֵׂ֣א כֵלָ֗יו וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ עֲל֣וּ אֵלֵ֔ינוּ וְנוֹדִ֥יעָה אֶתְכֶ֖ם דָּבָ֑ר פ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יוֹנָתָ֜ן אֶל־ כֵלָיו֙ עֲלֵ֣ה אַחֲרַ֔י כִּֽי־ נְתָנָ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה בְּיַ֥ד יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַיַּעֲנוּ֩  And  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
אַנְשֵׁ֨י  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הַמַּצָּבָ֜ה  of  the  garrison 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַצָּבָה 
Sense: guard, watch, army.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יוֹנָתָ֣ן ׀  to  Jonathan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄונָתָן  
Sense: a son of king Saul and a friend of David.
נֹשֵׂ֣א  bearer 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
כֵלָ֗יו  his  armorbearer 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עֲל֣וּ  come  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
אֵלֵ֔ינוּ  to  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְנוֹדִ֥יעָה  and  we  will  show 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
דָּבָ֑ר  something 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יוֹנָתָ֜ן  Jonathan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄונָתָן  
Sense: a son of king Saul and a friend of David.
כֵלָיו֙  his  armorbearer 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
עֲלֵ֣ה  come  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
אַחֲרַ֔י  after  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
נְתָנָ֥ם  has  delivered  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בְּיַ֥ד  into  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.