1 Samuel 14:33

33 Saul was told, "Look, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with the blood in it." ¹ "You are traitors!" Saul cried out. "Roll a big stone over here to me."

1 Samuel 14:33 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 14:33

Then they told Saul
Some that were more conscientious and religious, were more circumspect, and strictly attended to the laws forbidding the eating of blood, and were concerned at the indecent behaviour of others, and therefore thought fit to acquaint Saul with it, to restrain it:

behold, the people sin against the Lord, in that they eat with the
blood;
by breaking the laws of God respecting the eating of blood in ( Genesis 9:4 ) ( Leviticus 3:17 ) ( Leviticus 7:26 Leviticus 7:27 ) ( Leviticus 17:10 Leviticus 17:11 ) , especially in ( Leviticus 19:26 )

and he said, ye have transgressed;
the above laws of God; that is, Saul said to some persons who were accused of the breach of them, and were ordered to come before him, and did come:

roll a great stone unto me this day;
pointing, perhaps, at one which lay at some distance from him, and which he ordered to be rolled to him; this was done, that the creatures might be slain on it, and their blood drawn out from them, or to offer sacrifice upon, and indeed for both.

1 Samuel 14:33 In-Context

31 That day the Israelites defeated the Philistines, fighting all the way from Michmash to Aijalon. By this time the Israelites were very weak from hunger,

32 and so they rushed over to what they had captured from the enemy, took sheep and cattle, slaughtered them on the spot, and ate the meat with the blood still in it.

33 Saul was told, "Look, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with the blood in it." "You are traitors!" Saul cried out. "Roll a big stone over here to me."

34 Then he gave another order: "Go among the people and tell them all to bring their cattle and sheep here. They are to slaughter them and eat them here; they must not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood in it." So that night they all brought their cattle and slaughtered them there.

35 Saul built an altar to the Lord, the first one that he built.

Cross References

• 1. 14.33Genesis 9.4;Leviticus 7.26, 27; 17.10-14; 19.26;Deuteronomy 12.16, 23; 15.23.

Footnotes

• [a]. [One ancient translation] here; [Hebrew] today.