The Meaning of 1 Samuel 11:7 Explained

1 Samuel 11:7

KJV: And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

YLT: and he taketh a couple of oxen, and cutteth them in pieces, and sendeth through all the border of Israel, by the hand of the messengers, saying, 'He who is not coming out after Saul and after Samuel -- thus it is done to his oxen;' and the fear of Jehovah falleth on the people, and they come out as one man.

Darby: And he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, Whoever comes not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen! And the fear of Jehovah fell on the people, and they came out as one man.

ASV: And he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the dread of Jehovah fell on the people, and they came out as one man.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he took  a yoke  of oxen,  and hewed them in pieces,  and sent  [them] throughout all the coasts  of Israel  by the hands  of messengers,  saying,  Whosoever cometh not forth  after  Saul  and after  Samuel,  so shall it be done  unto his oxen.  And the fear  of the LORD  fell  on the people,  and they came out  with one  consent. 

What does 1 Samuel 11:7 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 11:7 mean?

So he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent [them] throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers saying Whoever not does go out to battle with Saul and Samuel so it shall be done to his oxen And fell the fear of Yahweh on the people and they came out with consent one
וַיִּקַּח֩ צֶ֨מֶד בָּקָ֜ר וַֽיְנַתְּחֵ֗הוּ וַיְשַׁלַּ֞ח בְּכָל־ גְּב֣וּל יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ בְּיַ֣ד הַמַּלְאָכִ֣ים ׀ לֵאמֹר֒ אֲשֶׁר֩ אֵינֶ֨נּוּ יֹצֵ֜א אַחֲרֵ֤י שָׁאוּל֙ וְאַחַ֣ר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל כֹּ֥ה יֵעָשֶׂ֖ה לִבְקָר֑וֹ וַיִּפֹּ֤ל פַּֽחַד־ יְהוָה֙ עַל־ הָעָ֔ם וַיֵּצְא֖וּ כְּאִ֥ישׁ אֶחָֽד

וַיִּקַּח֩  So  he  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.
צֶ֨מֶד  a  yoke 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: צֶמֶד  
Sense: couple, pair, team, yoke.
בָּקָ֜ר  of  oxen 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
וַֽיְנַתְּחֵ֗הוּ  and  cut  them  in  pieces 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: נָתַח  
Sense: to cut, cut up, cut in pieces, divide.
וַיְשַׁלַּ֞ח  and  sent  [them] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
בְּכָל־  throughout  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.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֮  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.
בְּיַ֣ד  by  the  hands 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
הַמַּלְאָכִ֣ים ׀  of  messengers 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
לֵאמֹר֒  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲשֶׁר֩  Whoever 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יֹצֵ֜א  does  go  out  to  battle 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
שָׁאוּל֙  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל  Samuel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמוּאֵל  
Sense: son of Elkanah by his wife Hannah and judge or prophet of Israel during the days of Saul and David.
כֹּ֥ה  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
יֵעָשֶׂ֖ה  it  shall  be  done 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לִבְקָר֑וֹ  to  his  oxen 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
וַיִּפֹּ֤ל  And  fell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
פַּֽחַד־  the  fear 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פַּחַד  
Sense: terror, dread.
יְהוָה֙  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הָעָ֔ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וַיֵּצְא֖וּ  and  they  came  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
כְּאִ֥ישׁ  with  consent 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶחָֽד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).