The Meaning of 1 Samuel 11:3 Explained

1 Samuel 11:3

KJV: And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.

YLT: And the elders of Jabesh say to him, 'Let us alone seven days, and we send messengers into all the border of Israel: and if there is none saving us -- then we have come out unto thee.'

Darby: And the elders of Jabesh said to him, Allow us seven days, and we will send messengers into all the districts of Israel; and if there be no man to deliver us, we will come out to thee.

ASV: And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days respite, that we may send messengers unto all the borders of Israel; and then, if there be none to save us, we will come out to thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the elders  of Jabesh  said  unto him, Give us seven  days'  respite,  that we may send  messengers  unto all the coasts  of Israel:  and then, if [there be] no man to save  us, we will come out  to thee. 

What does 1 Samuel 11:3 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 11:1-15 - The New King's Good Beginning
A hundred years before, the Ammonites had been defeated by Jephthah; now they were beleaguering Jabesh-gilead. Help seemed impossible. But when the Spirit of God comes upon a man, what cannot that man do! That was Saul's blessed experience. He aroused the country, after the manner of the Scottish chieftains with their fiery cross; then he sent a message of hope to the agonized city; and finally, as morning broke over the quiet pasture-lands, with his army of deliverance he burst upon the Ammonite camp.
Was there not a connection between Saul's previous self-control and his present victory? And must not that connection always be realized? Each of us must fight our fight against heredity, environment and habit; against self within and Satan without. The measure of our success will be the measure of our ability to help others. The mountain of temptation in the life of our Lord was followed in due course by His freeing the bodies and souls of men. In the hour of victory, Saul was borne to the throne. His success was the stairway to his coronation. We remember that when our Lord had destroyed and broken our foes, He took His seat, amid the acclaim of heaven, at the right hand of power. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 11

1  Nahash offers them of Jabesh Gilead a reproachful condition
4  They send messengers, and are delivered by Saul
12  Saul thereby is confirmed, and his kingdom renewed

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 11:3 mean?

And said to him the elders of Jabesh Hold off for seven days that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel And then if [there is] no one to save us and we will come out to you
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֵלָ֜יו זִקְנֵ֣י יָבֵ֗ישׁ הֶ֤רֶף לָ֙נוּ֙ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים וְנִשְׁלְחָה֙ מַלְאָכִ֔ים בְּכֹ֖ל גְּב֣וּל יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְאִם־ אֵ֥ין מוֹשִׁ֛יעַ אֹתָ֖נוּ וְיָצָ֥אנוּ אֵלֶֽיךָ

וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָ֜יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
זִקְנֵ֣י  the  elders 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: old.
יָבֵ֗ישׁ  of  Jabesh 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָבֵשׁ 
Sense: a town in the territory of Gilead; according to Eusebius, it is beyond the Jordan, 6 miles (0 km) from Pella, on the mountain road to Gerasa; site unknown but may be modern ‘Wadi Yabes’.
הֶ֤רֶף  Hold  off 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רָפָה  
Sense: to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, be disheartened.
שִׁבְעַ֣ת  seven 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
יָמִ֔ים  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וְנִשְׁלְחָה֙  that  we  may  send 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
מַלְאָכִ֔ים  messengers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
בְּכֹ֖ל  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
גְּב֣וּל  the  territory 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גְּבוּל  
Sense: border, territory.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  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.
וְאִם־  And  then  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
אֵ֥ין  [there  is]  no  one 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
מוֹשִׁ֛יעַ  to  save 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
אֹתָ֖נוּ  us 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
וְיָצָ֥אנוּ  and  we  will  come  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
אֵלֶֽיךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).

What are the major concepts related to 1 Samuel 11:3?

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