1 Samuel 14:41 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Bible Comments

Give a perfect lot. — The rendering in the margin, “show the innocent,” is a better and more accurate rendering of the Hebrew. “Give a perfect lot” is the translation given by Rabbi D. Kimchi. Dean Payne Smith observes that “there are few mistakes of the English Version which have not some good authority for them, as King James’ translators were singularly well versed in Jewish literature, while they seem strangely to have neglected the still higher authority of the ancient versions.”

In the forty-first and in the following verse the LXX. version is lengthened out with a long paraphrase, which, however, contains no fact of additional interest.

1 Samuel 14:41

41 Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Givek a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.