1 Samuel 14:23
So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven.
Original Language Analysis
וַיּ֧וֹשַׁע
saved
H3467
וַיּ֧וֹשַׁע
saved
Strong's:
H3467
Word #:
1 of 11
properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e., (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or succor
יְהוָ֛ה
So the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֛ה
So the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
2 of 11
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
בַּיּ֥וֹם
that day
H3117
בַּיּ֥וֹם
that day
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
3 of 11
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
הַה֖וּא
H1931
הַה֖וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
4 of 11
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
5 of 11
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
6 of 11
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
וְהַ֨מִּלְחָמָ֔ה
and the battle
H4421
וְהַ֨מִּלְחָמָ֔ה
and the battle
Strong's:
H4421
Word #:
7 of 11
a battle (i.e., the engagement); generally, war (i.e., war-fare)
עָֽבְרָ֖ה
passed over
H5674
עָֽבְרָ֖ה
passed over
Strong's:
H5674
Word #:
8 of 11
to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in
Cross References
Exodus 14:30Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.1 Samuel 13:5And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven.
Historical Context
Beth-aven ('house of wickedness') was near Bethel in the hill country west of Michmash. The battle's extension to this region indicates significant Philistine retreat. The phrase 'the LORD saved Israel' uses the same verb that defines the judges' function and anticipates David's victories.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the statement 'the LORD saved Israel' affect our understanding of human contribution to victory?
- What does it mean to participate in what God accomplishes while giving Him full credit?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven.
The narrator's theological summary - 'So the LORD saved Israel that day' - attributes victory entirely to divine action despite the human participants. The Hebrew yasha ('saved') declares Yahweh as sole deliverer. The battle 'passed over unto Beth-aven' indicates pursuit extending miles west of the initial engagement. This comprehensive statement of divine salvation frames all the human activity within God's sovereign purpose. Jonathan's faith, the panic, the pursuit - all instruments of Yahweh's salvation.