Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
1 Samuel 14:36-46
Continuation Of The Defeat Of The Philistines By Raiding Their Territory Is Aborted And Jonathan Is Nearly Executed, And All Due To Saul's Foolish Curse (1 Samuel 14:36).
This passage (1 Samuel 14:1) began with the depiction of Jonathan, the man of faith, bringing about the defeat of the Philistines (1 Samuel 14:1), and it now ends with Jonathan, the man of faith, almost being executed because of Saul's foolish oath. The whole section is designed to demonstrate Saul's downward slide and folly. The writer clearly has little interest in Saul from any positive viewpoint (although he will shortly very briefly list his attainments), but is concentrating on how by his foolishness and disobedience he had begun to lose his hold on the kingship and was proving YHWH's warning about the dangers of the appointment of a king to be correct. And as we have seen all this was shown to be the result of his attitude towards Samuel.
Analysis.
a And Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them” (1 Samuel 14:36 a).
b And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” Then said the priest, “Let us draw near here to God” (1 Samuel 14:36 b). And Saul asked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But He did not answer him that day (1 Samuel 14:36).
c And Saul said, “Draw nigh here, all you chieftains of the people; and know and see in what this sin has been this day For, as YHWH lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he will surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.'
d Then he said to all Israel, “You be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you. Therefore Saul said to YHWH, the God of Israel, “Show the right.” And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped (1 Samuel 14:40).
e And Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken (1 Samuel 14:42).
d Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, and said, “I certainly tasted a little honey with the end of the rod which was in my hand, and, lo, I must die” (1 Samuel 14:43).
c And Saul said, “God do so and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan” (1 Samuel 14:44).
b And the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far from it. As YHWH lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has wrought with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan, with the result that he died not (1 Samuel 14:45).
a Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place (1 Samuel 14:46).
Note that in ‘a' Saul aims to follow after the Philistines, and in the parallel he ceases from following the Philistines as a result of his own folly. In ‘b' the people say that Saul may do what seems good to him and the priest suggests consulting God, and in the parallel the people refuse to let Saul do what he wants, for they believe that YHWH is on Jonathan's side because he has ‘wrought with God'. In ‘c' Saul says that even if the marked man is Jonathan he will surely die, and in the parallel Saul tells Jonathan that he will surely die. In ‘d' Saul begins to seek the culprit, and says to God, ‘show the right', and in the parallel, believing that the right has been shown, Saul asks Jonathan what it is that he has done. Centrally in ‘e' Jonathan is selected out.
‘ And Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” Then said the priest, “Let us draw near here to God.” '
A great victory having been achieved Saul was now eager to follow it up by a night raid on the fleeing Philistines in order to obtain further spoils and destroy their army. It was, of course, describing an unachievable ideal in the exultancy of the moment, but war fever had taken hold of him and at least the spoils might be achievable. The people, equally excited, were prepared to do whatever he asked. To them he had achieved a great victory. The Priest, however, was more cautious and suggested rather that they should draw near to God and seek His guidance. Had he been with Saul Samuel would not have needed to have hesitated like this. He would have known the mind of YHWH.
‘ And Saul asked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day.'
So Saul sought counsel from God, and asked whether they should continue the chase into Philistine territory. The question was, would God deliver them into their hands? This question was probably put to God by means of the Urim and Thummim which could probably give the answers ‘yes', ‘no', or ‘no answer' (we are not sure precisely how it worked, but there are indications to this end). In this particular case he received the response, ‘no answer'.
It is thought that possibly the Urim and Thummim would be tossed down and if they both ended the same way up the answer was seen as ‘no reply', while ‘yes' and ‘no' would be indicated by which lay one way and which the other.
Note Saul's assumption that someone must be at fault. He will not believe that God will not answer him. (A similar situation arises near the end of his reign (1 Samuel 28:6) which may suggest that here the fault did not really lie with Jonathan in God's eyes.
‘ And Saul said, “Draw nigh here, all you chieftains of the people; and know and see in what this sin has been this day.” '
Saul did not consider the possibility that this failure to obtain an answer might lie at his door and immediately assumed that it must be because of sin in the camp. His mind no doubt went back to the incident of Achan (Joshua 7). So he called all his chieftains together and demanded of them whether they knew of any reason why God was not answering. What sin had been committed among them that day that had resulted in this situation?
“ For, as YHWH lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he will surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.'
And he swore that whoever had so sinned would die, even if it should be Jonathan his own son. Note his words, ‘as YHWH lives who saves Israel'. He still recognised that their victory was due to YHWH, and still swore by His Name. The problem was that his life did not live up to his words. However, later the people will use a similar oath about Jonathan not dying. The writer probably intends us to see that the people were right.
No one answered Saul. They were feeling that this was not quite right, and no one was prepared to give Jonathan away. Or perhaps those who were there did not know what Jonathan had done.
‘ Then he said to all Israel, “You be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.”
Recognising that the failure of the leadership would be the main thing likely to have an effect on God's response, Saul decided first of all that he would eliminate himself and his son. So he called on the people (no doubt represented by their leaders) and declared that the first lot would determine whether the guilt lay with himself and Jonathan or whether it lay with the people. The reply of the people was that he must do what seemed right to him. Compare 1 Samuel 14:36 where they had said a similar thing. But what follows suggest that this time the words were wrung out of them with reluctance, for in the last analysis they did not let him do what seemed good to him.
‘ Therefore Saul said to YHWH, the God of Israel, “Show the right.” And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped.'
Then Saul called on ‘YHWH, the God of Israel' (indicating the seriousness of the process) to ‘show the right'. In other words to indicate whether they were innocent or guilty. And when the lot was cast, to Saul's surprise, and no doubt horror, the use of the lot indicated that it was either he or his son. The people were shown to be free from blame.
‘ And Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken.'
Then Saul called for the lot to be cast between him and Jonathan. And the result was that Jonathan was indicated. This was what we have been waiting for, because we have known all along what Jonathan has done. But as we know Jonathan was the hero of the day. And in view of how it had happened (Jonathan had not known about the vow) it is clear that there is something wrong here.
‘ Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, and said, “I certainly tasted a little honey with the end of the rod which was in my hand, and, lo, I must die.” '
Meanwhile Saul demanded that Jonathan tell him what he had done, and Jonathan, now knowing of the oath, admitted that he had eaten a little honey from the end of the staff that he was carrying, and recognised that as a result he must die. No one seems to have queried the circumstances. A rash oath may have been uttered by the king, but the consequences had to follow. Such was the power and responsibility of kings. We are, however, probably justified in thinking that to YHWH the culprit was not Jonathan but Saul.
‘ And Saul said, “God do so and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan.” '
At his words Saul confirmed the death sentence. He declared that before God Jonathan must assuredly die. As far as he was concerned there was no alternative. It was the king's oath. This was the extreme to which his religious activity had taken him. The death of his own son for something that had not been done with sin in the heart.
The writer wants us to know that Saul's arrogance had reached such a stage that the thought of his oath being violated was seen by him as sufficient to warrant a death sentence being passed even on his own son. It was the arrogance of the absolute monarch. (We should note in this regard that there is no hint that any enquiry was made into the circumstances, nor had God been consulted as to the verdict. Saul just assumed that he was right).
‘ And the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far from it. As YHWH lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has wrought with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan, with the result that he died not.'
The people, however, were not prepared for this to happen. Was it not Jonathan whom YHWH had used to bring about His great deliverance? How then could he be put to death on the day of that victory? Thus they would not allow it and declared equally strongly in YHWH's Name that as God's champion not a hair of his head would be allowed to fall to the ground. And the consequence was that he was delivered from death.
The writer clearly sees the people as in the right and Saul as in the wrong, and sees YHWH's response to Saul's questions as His attempt also to prove Saul in the wrong. The people similarly saw it in the same way, for they swore by YHWH's life. Thus in the writer's view they recognised the heart of God better than Saul. What Saul was proposing therefore was not YHWH's will. His exposure as no longer knowing the mind of God was complete.
Note the contrast with 1 Samuel 11:13. The magnanimous Saul has now become the callous Saul. He no longer sees YHWH's victory as a cause for forgiveness. His heart has become rigid in its religious inflexibility. It is a further indication of his downward slide.
‘ Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.'
The final result was that Saul ceased the pursuit of the Philistines, and they were allowed to return home and reorganise themselves. It was recognised that it was an opportunity lost, and all due to Saul's folly.