complete verse (1 Samuel 14:26)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 14:26:

  • Kupsabiny: “That honey flowed from many trees in that bush, but there was no one who tasted even a small portion of that honey because they had made an oath.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “As soon as the men entered the forest, they discovered [it] coming out of the beehives, nevertheless, being afraid, remembering the matter of taking an oath with Saul, no one took any honey to eat.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Now all the soldiers went to the woods/[lit. trees], and they saw honey dripping to the ground. But none of them ate for they feared the oath.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “They were afraid to eat any, because they had solemnly promised that they would not eat any food.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 14:26

The focusing particle, behold, is an attempt to highlight the striking nature of the discovery of so much honey available to eat. The common Hebrew conjunction is rightly translated but in the middle of this verse, because it is contrary to what we expect, that hungry men would refuse to eat the available honey, even though Saul had forbidden them to eat anything.

The honey was dropping: literally “dropping of honey.” While this translates a very difficult Hebrew text, the expression seems to indicate how plentiful the honey was. There was so much that it was dripping from the honeycombs that were presumably in the trees and bushes. A literal translation may have to be avoided in some languages in favor of a more dynamic rendering of the meaning. Some may say “they saw honey oozing from its combs” (Knox) or “there was honey everywhere.”

Some interpreters suggest that the Hebrew noun dropping should be read as the verb “to walk” or “to go,” and the noun honey should be slightly changed to read “its bees,” that is, the honeycomb’s bees. Compare Klein, “When the troops came to the honeycomb, its bees had left” (similarly New American Bible and Moffatt). However, translators are urged to follow the Masoretic Text as reflected in Revised Standard Version.

No man put his hand to his mouth means that “no one dared to eat anything” or “no one took any of it to eat” (Bible en français courant).

The conjunction translated for introduces the reason for the soldiers’ refusal to eat. It was because of the oath that Saul had made them take (verse 24) that they declined to eat the honey.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .