The Meaning of 1 Samuel 14:24 Explained

1 Samuel 14:24

KJV: And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.

YLT: And the men of Israel have been distressed on that day, and Saul adjureth the people, saying, 'Cursed is the man who eateth food till the evening, and I have been avenged of mine enemies;' and none of the people hath tasted food.

Darby: But the men of Israel were distressed that day. Now Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth food until evening, and until I am avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted food.

ASV: And the men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until it be evening, and I be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted food.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the men  of Israel  were distressed  that day:  for Saul  had adjured  the people,  saying,  Cursed  [be] the man  that eateth  [any] food  until evening,  that I may be avenged  on mine enemies.  So none of the people  tasted  [any] food. 

What does 1 Samuel 14:24 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 14:16-35 - Victory Shadowed By Saul's Errors
Saul's unwise prohibition had a terrible sequel: first, in the exhaustion of his troops; and, second, in the rushing of the hungry upon the spoil without the proper separation of blood. Then, as the day closed in, the divine oracle was dumb. Evidently some sin had interposed its dark shadow between the king and the Eternal Light. See 1 Samuel 14:37. Saul knew this, but he refused to look for the sin in his own heart, even when he and Jonathan stood alone. See 1 Samuel 14:42.
The cause of the discomfiture and silence was not in Jonathan. Saul was alone to blame. In that the good sense of the people decided rigidly. Not only had the king marred and missed the greatest opportunity of his life, but he was already enwrapping his soul in that jealousy, moroseness of temper and impetuosity of judgment which ruined his after-career. In Paul's expressive phrase, he became a castaway, and was flung from the mighty hand which longed to make Him a vessel unto honor, meet for every noble work. See 1 Corinthians 9:27; 2 Timothy 2:21. [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 14:24 mean?

And the men of Israel were distressed day that for had placed under oath Saul - the people saying Cursed [is] the man who eats [any] food until evening and before I have taken vengeance on my enemies So none of tasted all manner the people food -
וְאִֽישׁ־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל נִגַּ֖שׂ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא וַיֹּאֶל֩ שָׁא֨וּל אֶת־ הָעָ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר אָר֣וּר הָ֠אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־ יֹ֨אכַל לֶ֜חֶם עַד־ הָעֶ֗רֶב וְנִקַּמְתִּי֙ מֵאֹ֣יְבַ֔י וְלֹֽא טָעַ֥ם כָּל־ הָעָ֖ם לָֽחֶם ס

וְאִֽישׁ־  And  the  men 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל  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.
נִגַּ֖שׂ  were  distressed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַשׂ  
Sense: to press, drive, oppress, exact, exert demanding pressure.
בַּיּ֣וֹם  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֑וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
וַיֹּאֶל֩  for  had  placed  under  oath 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָלָה  
Sense: to swear, curse.
שָׁא֨וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
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.
הָעָ֜ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לֵאמֹ֗ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אָר֣וּר  Cursed  [is] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: אָרַר  
Sense: to curse.
הָ֠אִישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
יֹ֨אכַל  eats 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לֶ֜חֶם  [any]  food 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הָעֶ֗רֶב  evening 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.
וְנִקַּמְתִּי֙  and  before  I  have  taken  vengeance 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: נָקַם  
Sense: to avenge, take vengeance, revenge, avenge oneself, be avenged, be punished.
מֵאֹ֣יְבַ֔י  on  my  enemies 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
וְלֹֽא  So  none 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
טָעַ֥ם  of  tasted 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טָעַם  
Sense: to taste, perceive, eat.
כָּל־  all  manner 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָעָ֖ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לָֽחֶם  food 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation