1 Samuel 11:2 Meaning and Explanation
“And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Nahash agrees to terms only if he may gouge out every man's right eye, disgracing all Israel.
What Does 1 Samuel 11:2 Mean?
Nahash answers the men of Jabesh with brutal contempt. He will spare them only at the price of their right eyes, the eye a soldier needed to aim past his shield. The mutilation would leave them defenseless and brand the whole nation with shame, for an insult to one town in Israel was an insult to all.
Here is the face of an enemy who offers no mercy, only humiliation dressed as peace. Such a 'covenant' exposes the cruelty that the world's powers can carry beneath their bargains. Against this darkness the Lord's coming rescue will shine all the brighter, for He does not maim the weak but lifts up the lowly and removes the reproach of His people.
1 Samuel 11:2 in the Original Language
cherpah (חֶרְפָּה), 'reproach' -- public shame and disgrace, the very thing God promises elsewhere to take away from His people.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 11:2
What does 1 Samuel 11:2 mean?
Nahash agrees to terms only if he may gouge out every man's right eye, disgracing all Israel.