1 Samuel 14:33

33 Saul was told, "Do something! The soldiers are sinning against God. They're eating meat with the blood still in it!"

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 They killed Philistines that day all the way from Micmash to Aijalon, but the soldiers ended up totally exhausted.

32 Then they started plundering. They grabbed anything in sight - sheep, cattle, calves - and butchered it where they found it. Then they glutted themselves - meat, blood, the works.

33 Saul was told, "Do something! The soldiers are sinning against God. They're eating meat with the blood still in it!"

34 He continued, "Disperse among the troops and tell them, 'Bring your oxen and sheep to me and butcher them properly here. Then you can feast to your heart's content. Please don't sin against God by eating meat with the blood still in it.'" And so they did. That night each soldier, one after another, led his animal there to be butchered.

35 That's the story behind Saul's building an altar to God. It's the first altar to God that he built.