1 Samuel 14:33

1Sa 14:33 Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day.

Ver. 33. Ye have transgressed.] But whose fault was it that they thus transgressed? Was not his rash edict or ordinance the occasion of the people’s trasgressing God’s ordinance? This was never thought on by him.

Roll a great stone unto me this day.] That I may see the blood clean drained out of the flesh before it be eaten. But he that maketh so much ado about eating with the blood, makes nothing of spilling the blood of innocent Jonathan, and of swearing bloody oaths at the same time.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa 14:33-34. Ye have transgressed — He sees their fault, but not his own, in giving the occasion of it. Disperse yourselves among the people — Saul sends out his officers to charge the people that, when any more beasts were to be killed by or for any of them, they should bring them to a particular place, where he had fixed a stone for the purpose, and slay them under the inspection of proper officers.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That the blood of the beast that shall be slain, may be pressed out upon it.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 33. Roll a great stone unto me] Probably this means that they should set up an altar to the Lord, on which the animals might be properly slain, and the blood poured out upon the earth; and a large stone was erected for an altar.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(33) Roll a great stone unto me this day.—The object of this was that the people should kill their beasts upon the stone, and the blood could run off upon the ground. It was a rough expedient, but it showed the wild soldiers that their king and general determined that the Law of Moses should be kept and honoured, even under circumstances of the direst necessity. This scrupulous care for the “Law of the Lord” at such a time as the evening of the battle of Michmash shows us what a strange complex character was Saul’s: now superstitiously watchful lest the letter of the Law should be broken; now recklessly careless whether or not the most solemn commands of God were executed.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

33. this day] Rather, forthwith. But the Sept. reads “here,” perhaps rightly.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 Gen 9:4, especially in Lev 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.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Sin against the Lord - See the marginal reference “u.” But the prohibition was older than the Law of Moses Gen 9:4. Compare Act 15:20, Act 15:29.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He sees their fault, but not his own, in giving the occasion to it.

Roll a great stone unto me; that the cattle might be all killed in one place, under the inspection of Saul, or some other appointed by him for that work; and upon the stone, that the blood may sooner and better flow out.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

33. Roll a great stone unto me — For the purpose of building an altar, whereon the peace offerings of sheep and oxen might be properly slain.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 33, 34. Ye have transgressed. Better as in the margin, "dealt treacherously," i.e. faithlessly, to the covenant between Israel and Jehovah. Roll a great stone unto me this day. Or, as we should say, this minute; but the Hebrew uses "this day" for anything to be done at once (see on ch. 2:16). The purpose of this stone was to raise up the caresses of the slaughtered animals from the ground, so that the blood might drain away from them. On tidings of this arrangement being dispersed throughout the army, the people obey Saul with the same unquestioning devotion as they had shown to his command to abstain from food.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Transgressed - He sees their fault, but not his own, in giving the occasion of it.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

by eating with the blood

This was a violation of the Law which was given to Moses for the nation of Israel. This can be made explicit. AT: "by eating meat without draining the blood first as required by the law" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

You have acted unfaithfully

Saul is accusing his whole army of acting unfaithfully though this is a generalization because not every soldier acted unfaithfully. (See: Hyperbole and Generalization)

Now, roll a big stone here to me

The stone would hold the animals up and make it easier to drain the blood from them. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

kill them here, and eat

This would allow Saul to observe if the blood was properly drained from the animals.

translationWords

Saul (OT)

sin

Yahweh

faithful

blood

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Roll over to me. An expression of גַּלְּלוּ [roll].

Today. While it is yet daytime, and below it stated, "and all the people brought near, each man his ox in his hand that night." Our Rabbis had different views at the end of Maseches Zevochim; some of them explain that [Scripture is referring to] ordinary animals, while here [the Scripture is referring to] sacrificial animals. Others explained that here [Scripture is referring to] sacrificial animals which were sanctified to be offered at the large high place in Nov, while here [Scripture is referring to] sacrificial animals which were sanctified to be offered at a small high place. Scripture thereby teaches us that a private burnt-offering may be slaughtered at night [on a small, i.e., private high place].

A boulder. He made it a high place upon which to sprinkle the blood and for the burning of the fatty parts.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.