The Meaning of 1 Samuel 14:30 Explained

1 Samuel 14:30

KJV: How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?

YLT: How much more if the people had well eaten to-day of the spoil of its enemies which it hath found, for now, the smiting hath not been great among the Philistines.'

Darby: How much more, if the people had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for would there not now have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?

ASV: How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for now hath there been no great slaughter among the Philistines.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

How much more,  if haply  the people  had eaten  freely  to day  of the spoil  of their enemies  which they found?  for had there not been now a much greater  slaughter  among the Philistines? 

What does 1 Samuel 14:30 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 14:30 mean?

How much more how much better if freely had eaten today the people of the spoil of their enemies which they found for now not would there have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines
אַ֗ף כִּ֡י לוּא֩ אָכֹ֨ל אָכַ֤ל הַיּוֹם֙ הָעָ֔ם מִשְּׁלַ֥ל אֹיְבָ֖יו אֲשֶׁ֣ר ؟ מָצָ֑א כִּ֥י עַתָּ֛ה לֹֽא־ רָבְתָ֥ה מַכָּ֖ה ؟ בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּֽים

אַ֗ף  How  much  more 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אַף  
Sense: also, yea, though, so much the more adv.
כִּ֡י  how  much  better 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אָכֹ֨ל  freely 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אָכַ֤ל  had  eaten 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
הַיּוֹם֙  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הָעָ֔ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
מִשְּׁלַ֥ל  of  the  spoil 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׁלָל  
Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.
אֹיְבָ֖יו  of  their  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
؟ מָצָ֑א  they  found 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
עַתָּ֛ה  now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
רָבְתָ֥ה  would  there  have  been  a  much  greater 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
מַכָּ֖ה  slaughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַכָּה  
Sense: blow, wound, slaughter.
؟ בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּֽים  among  the  Philistines 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.

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