The Meaning of 1 Samuel 31:4 Explained

1 Samuel 31:4

KJV: Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

YLT: and Saul saith to the bearer of his weapons, 'Draw thy sword, and pierce me with it, lest they come -- these uncircumcised -- and have pierced me, and rolled themselves on me;' and the bearer of his weapons hath not been willing, for he is greatly afraid, and Saul taketh the sword, and falleth upon it.

Darby: Then said Saul to his armour-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armour-bearer would not; for he was much afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.

ASV: Then said Saul to his armorbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armorbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell upon it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then said  Saul  unto his armourbearer,  Draw  thy sword,  and thrust me through  therewith; lest these uncircumcised  come  and thrust me through,  and abuse  me. But his armourbearer  would  not; for he was sore  afraid.  Therefore Saul  took  a sword,  and fell  upon it. 

What does 1 Samuel 31:4 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 31:1-13 - One Brave Deed On A Dark Day
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Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 31

1  Saul, having lost his army, and his sons slain,
4  he and his armor bearer kill themselves
7  The Philistines possess the forsaken towns of the Israelites
8  They triumph over the dead bodies
11  They of Jabesh Gilead recovering the dead bodies by night,
12  burn them at Jabesh,
13  and mournfully bury their bodies

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 31:4 mean?

And said Saul to his armorbearer Draw your sword and thrust me through with it lest come uncircumcised men these and thrust me through and abuse me but not would bearer his armorbearer for he was afraid Greatly therefore took - a sword and fell on it
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁאוּל֩ לְנֹשֵׂ֨א כֵלָ֜יו שְׁלֹ֥ף חַרְבְּךָ֣ ׀ וְדָקְרֵ֣נִי בָ֗הּ פֶּן־ יָ֠בוֹאוּ הָעֲרֵלִ֨ים הָאֵ֤לֶּה וּדְקָרֻ֙נִי֙ וְהִתְעַלְּלוּ־ בִ֔י וְלֹ֤א אָבָה֙ נֹשֵׂ֣א כֵלָ֔יו כִּ֥י יָרֵ֖א מְאֹ֑ד וַיִּקַּ֤ח אֶת־ הַחֶ֔רֶב וַיִּפֹּ֖ל עָלֶֽיהָ

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שָׁאוּל֩  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
כֵלָ֜יו  his  armorbearer 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
שְׁלֹ֥ף  Draw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַף  
Sense: to draw out or off, take off.
חַרְבְּךָ֣ ׀  your  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
וְדָקְרֵ֣נִי  and  thrust  me  through 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: דָּקַר  
Sense: to pierce, thrust through, pierce through.
בָ֗הּ  with  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
פֶּן־  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
יָ֠בוֹאוּ  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הָעֲרֵלִ֨ים  uncircumcised  men 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: עָרֵל  
Sense: uncircumcised, having foreskin.
הָאֵ֤לֶּה  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
וּדְקָרֻ֙נִי֙  and  thrust  me  through 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural, first person common singular
Root: דָּקַר  
Sense: to pierce, thrust through, pierce through.
וְהִתְעַלְּלוּ־  and  abuse 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָלַל 
Sense: to act severely, deal with severely, make a fool of someone.
בִ֔י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
וְלֹ֤א  but  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נֹשֵׂ֣א  bearer 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
כֵלָ֔יו  his  armorbearer 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
יָרֵ֖א  he  was  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
מְאֹ֑ד  Greatly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
וַיִּקַּ֤ח  therefore  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
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.
הַחֶ֔רֶב  a  sword 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
וַיִּפֹּ֖ל  and  fell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
עָלֶֽיהָ  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.