1 Samuel 19:5 Meaning and Explanation
“For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jonathan reminds Saul that David risked his life for Israel's deliverance, so killing him would be shedding innocent blood without cause.
What Does 1 Samuel 19:5 Mean?
Jonathan presses his argument with the memory of Goliath. David put his life in his hand and struck down the Philistine, and through him the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel. Saul himself saw it and rejoiced. To kill such a man now would be to shed innocent blood without cause.
The phrase the Lord wrought a great salvation gives God the glory for the victory David won. Jonathan exposes the madness of repaying a deliverer with death, of turning against innocent blood. Scripture takes the shedding of guiltless blood with utmost seriousness, and the cry against killing the innocent without a cause echoes forward to the truly innocent One condemned by jealous men, in whom God worked the greatest salvation of all.
1 Samuel 19:5 in the Original Language
yeshu'ah (יְשׁוּעָה), 'salvation' -- deliverance, victory, rescue; the root behind the name Jesus.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 19:5
What does 1 Samuel 19:5 mean?
Jonathan reminds Saul that David risked his life for Israel's deliverance, so killing him would be shedding innocent blood without cause.