The Meaning of 1 Samuel 14:15 Explained

1 Samuel 14:15

KJV: And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.

YLT: and there is a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people, the station and the destroyers have trembled -- even they, and the earth shaketh, and it becometh a trembling of God.

Darby: And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the ravagers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked; for it was a trembling from God.

ASV: And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled; and the earth quaked: so there was an exceeding great trembling.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And there was trembling  in the host,  in the field,  and among all the people:  the garrison,  and the spoilers,  they also trembled,  and the earth  quaked:  so it was a very great  trembling. 

What does 1 Samuel 14:15 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 14:1-15 - Jonathan's Exploit For The Lord
Jonathan was a true knight of God. He was the Hebrew Galahad, a soldier without fear and without reproach. His life was pure, his word was true, he was faithful to the high claims of human love, and followed the Christ, though as yet he knew Him not.
He had entered into the spirit of the divine Covenant, and could not believe that God had forgotten and forsaken. Was not the old promise true that "one [1] chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight"? Deuteronomy 32:30. Happy are they who can rise above depression and misfortune into the clear heaven of fellowship with God, allying their weakness with His might, their ignorance with His wisdom! "It may be that the Lord will work for us," said Jonathan; "for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few." Then he offered himself as the humble instrument of God's will. The people recognized this. They said: "He hath wrought with God this day." And the soul that reckons on God cannot be ashamed. "The Lord saved Israel that day."In such works God and man co-operate. See John 3:21. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 14

1  Jonathan goes and miraculously smites the Philistine's garrison
15  A divine terror makes them beat themselves
17  Saul, not staying the priest's answer, sets on them
21  The captivated Hebrews, and the hidden Israelites, join against them
24  Saul's unadvised adjuration hinders the victory
31  He restrains the people from eating blood
35  He builds an altar
37  Jonathan, taken by lot, is save by the people
47  Saul's victories, strength, and family

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 14:15 mean?

and there was trembling in the camp in the field and among all the people The garrison and the raiders trembled also they and quaked the earth was and terror from God
וַתְּהִי֩ חֲרָדָ֨ה בַמַּחֲנֶ֤ה בַשָּׂדֶה֙ וּבְכָל־ הָעָ֔ם הַמַּצָּב֙ וְהַמַּשְׁחִ֔ית חָרְד֖וּ גַּם־ הֵ֑מָּה וַתִּרְגַּ֣ז הָאָ֔רֶץ וַתְּהִ֖י לְחֶרְדַּ֥ת אֱלֹהִֽים

וַתְּהִי֩  and  there  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
חֲרָדָ֨ה  trembling 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֲרָדָה  
Sense: fear, anxiety, quaking, trembling, (extreme) anxiety, anxious care.
בַמַּחֲנֶ֤ה  in  the  camp 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: מַחֲנֶה  
Sense: encampment, camp.
בַשָּׂדֶה֙  in  the  field 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
וּבְכָל־  and  among  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָעָ֔ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַמַּצָּב֙  The  garrison 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַצָּב  
Sense: station, garrison, standing-place.
וְהַמַּשְׁחִ֔ית  and  the  raiders 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁחַת  
Sense: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay.
חָרְד֖וּ  trembled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָרַד  
Sense: to tremble, quake, move about, be afraid, be startled, be terrified.
גַּם־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
וַתִּרְגַּ֣ז  and  quaked 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָגַז  
Sense: tremble, quake, rage, quiver, be agitated, be excited, be perturbed.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לְחֶרְדַּ֥ת  and  terror 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֲרָדָה  
Sense: fear, anxiety, quaking, trembling, (extreme) anxiety, anxious care.
אֱלֹהִֽים  from  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).