1 Samuel 14:34

34 Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the troops, and say to them, "Let all bring their oxen or their sheep, and slaughter them here, and eat; and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.' " So all of the troops brought their oxen with them that night, and slaughtered them there.

1 Samuel 14:34 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 14:34

And Saul said, disperse yourselves among the people
In the camp, some one way, and some another, and make proclamation throughout it; this he said to some of his officers, whom he sent out as heralds, to publish his will and pleasure:

and say unto them, bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his
sheep, and slay them here;
on the great stone he had ordered to roll to the place where he was:

and eat them;
in the same place, being rightly slain, and the blood let out; all this was to be done, the slaying of the beasts, and eating them, in the presence of Saul, and under his inspection, that every thing might be done decently, and in order, and according to the law of God:

and sin not against the Lord, in eating with the blood;
as some of them had done, ( 1 Samuel 14:32 ) and all the people brought every man his ox with him; and his sheep also, though not expressed, yet to be supplied from the preceding clause: and these every man brought "with him that night"; the Jewish Rabbins F3 are divided about these creatures slain, whether for sacrifices or common food; and those that think sacrifices are meant dispute whether it was lawful to slay them in the night, which some allow to be lawful, if on a small and private altar, but not upon a large and public one; but these were slain no doubt for common food, which all agree might be slain in the night:

and slew them there;
before Saul, and on the great stone rolled unto him.


FOOTNOTES:

F3 T. Bab. Zebachim, fol. 120. 1.

1 Samuel 14:34 In-Context

32 so the troops flew upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the troops ate them with the blood.
33 Then it was reported to Saul, "Look, the troops are sinning against the Lord by eating with the blood." And he said, "You have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone before me here."
34 Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the troops, and say to them, "Let all bring their oxen or their sheep, and slaughter them here, and eat; and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.' " So all of the troops brought their oxen with them that night, and slaughtered them there.
35 And Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.
36 Then Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and despoil them until the morning light; let us not leave one of them." They said, "Do whatever seems good to you." But the priest said, "Let us draw near to God here."
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.