1 Samuel 14:1-16

CRITICAL AND EXPOSITORY NOTES

1 Samuel 14:1. “Garrison of the Philistines.” The advanced post mentioned in 1 Samuel 13:23. For the situation of the armies see note on 1 Samuel 13:6.

1 Samuel 14:2. “A pomegranate tree,” etc., rather the pomegranate, a well-known tree. “According to Judges 20:45, a rock near Gibeah bore the name ‘Rock of the pomegranate’ (Rimmon), and was well adapted for a fortified position. It is a natural supposition that the same rock is meant here, named after the well-known pomegranate.” (Erdmann.) This is the more probable because a pomegranate tree is not sufficiently high to admit of the erection of a tent beneath its branches. “Migron.” A place of this name is mentioned in Isaiah 10:28. Its exact site is not known, but it lay in this neighbourhood. It may be, however, that this spot is another of the same name, as the word signifies a precipice, and the entire district is rocky and precipitous. “Six hundred men.” “His forces, then, had not increased since he came to Gibeah, as might have been expected.” (Wordsworth.)

1 Samuel 14:3. “Ahiah, the son of Ahitub.” This man was therefore a great-grandson of Eli. He is generally snpposed to be the same person as Abimelech, mentioned in 1 Samuel 22:9; 1 Samuel 22:11. The signification of Abijah (as it ought to be written) is “Friend of Jehovah,” and that of Abimelech is Friend of the King, viz., of Jehovah. It is quite possible, however, that Ahiah may have died without sons, and been succeeded by a brother named Abimelech. “The Lord’s priest in Shiloh.” “As Eli was so emphatically known and described as God’s priest in Shiloh, and as there is every reason to believe that Shiloh was no longer the seat of the ark (see chap 22; 1 Chronicles 13:3), it is far better to refer these words to Eli.… This fragment of genealogy is a very valuable help to the chronology. The grandson of Phinehas, the son of Eli, was now High Priest; and Samuel, who was probably a few years older than Ahitub, was now an old man. All this indicates a period of about fifty years or upward from the taking of the ark by the Philistines.” (Biblical Commentary.)

1 Samuel 14:4. “Between the passages,” etc. The ground is thus described by Robinson in his Biblical Researches—“In the gorge or valley are two hills of a conical or rather spherical form, having steep rocky sides, with small wadies running up behind each, so as almost to isolate them. One is on the side towards Geba, and the other on the side towards Michmash. These would seem to be the two rocks mentioned in Jonathan’s adventure. They are not indeed so sharp as the language of Scripture would seem to imply, but they are the only rocks of the kind in the vicinity.” In his Later Researches he says, “The ridges on either side of the valley exhibit two elevated points which project into the great wady; and the easternmost of these bluffs on each side were probably the outposts of the two garrisons of the Philistines and the Israelites. The road passes around the eastern side of the southern hill, the post of Israel, and then strikes over the western part of the northern one, the post of the Philistines and the scene of Jonathan’s adventure. These hills struck us now, more than formerly, as of sharp ascent, and as appropriate to the circumstances of the narrative. They are isolated cliffs in the valley, except so far as the low ridge, at the end of which they are found, connected them back with the higher ground on each side.”

1 Samuel 14:6. These uncircumcised. “It is remarkable that this epithet, used as a term of reproach, is confined almost exclusively to the Philistines. This is probably an indication of the long continued oppression of the Israelites by the Philistines, and their frequent wars.” (Biblical Commentary.) “May be.” “This indicates not a doubt but the humility which was coupled with Jonathan’s heroic spirit.” (Erdmann.)

1 Samuel 14:10. “This shall be a sign,” etc. “All attempts to bring Jonathan’s conduct within the rules of ordinary human action are vain. Though it is not expressly said, as in the case of Gideon (Judges 6:34), Othniel (1 Samuel 3:10), and others, that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, yet the whole course of the narrative, especially 1 Samuel 14:13, indicates an extraordinary Divine interposition and tends to place Jonathan on the same platform as the judges and saviours of Israel.” (Biblical Commentary.)

1 Samuel 14:11. “Behold the Hebrews come forth.” “As it could not occur to the sentries that two men had come with hostile designs, it was a natural conclusion that they were Israelite deserters; and hence no attempt was made to hinder their ascent, or stone them, as they were scrambling up the ridge.” (Jamieson.) “Come up to us,” etc. “They hoped to have sport with them, not supposing that they could there climb the rock.” (Clericus.)

1 Samuel 14:14. “Twenty men within, as it were, an half acre of land.” Rather a half furrow of a yoke of land. “This indicates the position of the fallen, after Jonathan, pressing impetuously on. had struck them down one after another, and his armour-bearer after him, had killed those that were not dead. This occurred in the space of about half a furrow in a piece of land which one with a yoke of oxen could plough in a day.” (Erdmann.) “Their terror and flight are perfectly conceivable, if we consider that the outposts of the Philistines were so stationed upon the top of the ridge of the steep mountain wall that they could not see how many were following, and the Philistines could not imagine it possible that two Hebrews would have ventured to climb the rock alone and make an attack upon them. Sallust relates a similar occurrence in connection with the scaling of a castle in the Numidian war. Bell. Jugurtha. c. 89, 90.” (Keil.)

1 Samuel 14:15. “The earth quaked.” Keil and others think that it merely trembled “with the noise and tumult of the frightened foe,” but there can be no reason why it should not be understood to describe a real earthquake—a supernatural interposition of God. “Just as a strong east wind” divided the waters of the Red Sea; just as the great hailstones smote the Canaanites to death “at the going down of Bethhoron” (Joshua 10:11), as “the stars in their courses fought against Sisera;” “as the Lord thundered with a great thunder … and discomfited the Philistines at Ebenezer (1 Samuel 8:10), … so now the earth quaked at the presence of the Lord who fought for Jonathan.” (Biblical Commentary.) “A very great trembling”—“a trembling of God,” i.e., “a supernatural terror infused by God into the Philistines.” (Kiel.)

1 Samuel 14:16. “The watchmen of Saul looked.” This shows that the distance between the two encampments was not great. “The multitude melted away.” The Hebrew text is here very obscure. Multitude may be rendered tumult. Many read “the multitude,” or “the tumult, dispersed hither and thither.”

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— 1 Samuel 14:1

JONATHAN’S VICTORY OVER THE PHILISTINES

This victory—

I. Reveals the character of Jonathan. His words and his deeds proclaim him to have been a man of physical courage, and of humble piety. These two elements united in the character of one man make him as perfect a specimen of manhood as it is possible to find. The possession of either characteristic—and especially of the latter—gives to its possessor a claim on our respect. Courage—an absence of fear in the presence of bodily danger—a willingness to expose one’s body to risk for the sake of gaining a certain end—is a quality which is not met with in every person, and it deserves to be acknowledged and honoured wherever it is found. But there are many physically brave men who have no godliness: God, in whom they live and move and have their being, is never acknowledged by them, and their deeds of daring are undertaken and accomplished without any thought of seeking His help or rendering to Him thanksgiving for deliverance. And it cannot be denied that there are godly men who are naturally timid in the presence of bodily danger—that, although godliness has a tendency to make a man brave in every sense of the word, it does not so change his natural disposition as to make one who is constitutionally fearful bold and daring in a remarkable degree. But when a courageous man is a man of God—when his deeds of daring are undertaken in dependence upon God, and when he acknowledges Him in all his ways, he is a man in the highest sense of the word, and a consciousness of God’s favour increases his natural courage and makes him willing to do and to dare anything in the path of duty. That Saul was a physically brave man we have abundant proof. But he had now been for some time in the field, and had evidently done nothing. So far as can be gathered from the Scripture record, he had remained inactive since his interview with Samuel. We can but contrast his present hesitation with his decision in relation to the Ammonite invasion, and see in the change which had come over him how departure from God may make a naturally courageous man timid and hesitating. But Jonathan evidently added to his father’s natural bravery a spirit of humble dependence upon God, and reminds us of Israel’s first warlike leader Joshua, in whom were also united these two noble characteristics. “Let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison” speaks for the courage of the warrior-prince, while “It may be that the Lord will work for us” tells of his godly character.

II. Reveals God’s approval of His servant’s undertaking. This victory of Jonathan’s is one among the many instances upon record in the history of God’s Church of the special seal of Divine approval which is always set upon eminent faith. Old Testament history gives many illustrations of the truth of the Saviour’s words, “All things are possible to Him that believeth” (Mark 9:23), and the success which crowned this undertaking makes it a striking one. It is instructive to notice the increasingly evident marks of Divine approval which were vouchsafed to Jonathan on this occasion. God first condescends to give His servant just enough encouragement to lead him to persevere in his project by accepting the sign which he had proposed. Here was just enough token of God’s approval to lead him to go on, but not enough to do away with the exercise of faith. A man of less confidence in God might have faltered here, and have been tempted to regard the Philistines’ invitation as only a remarkable coincidence. But Jonathan’s faith was strong enough to see in it a token that “the Lord had delivered the enemy into the hand of Israel,” and the faith which could discern the Divine approval in an incident apparently so trivial was soon to receive an abundant reward in an unmistakable manifestation of Jehovah’s presence in the terror-stricken host, and in the quaking earth. This is the method of Divine working generally. God always looks with approval upon undertakings which are born of confidence in His power and goodness, but although He may, during their progress, vouchsafe sufficient tokens of His power and presence to encourage the hearts of His servants, He may withhold His most decisive and unmistakable manifestations until their courage and faith have been abundantly tested.

OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS

1 Samuel 14:6. Divine power of faith, which makes a man more than men! The question is not what Jonathan can do, but what God can do, whose power is not in the means, but in Himself. O admirable faith in Jonathan, whom neither the steepness of rocks nor the multitude of enemies can dissuade from such an assault!—Bp. Hall.

Hope, founded on faith.

1. It is certain,—a matter of faith—that the Lord can save by many or by few.
2. It may be a matter of hope that He will work for us. (People often say: “I have faith that we shall succeed in this enterprise.” That is not properly a matter of faith, but only of hope. We believe that God can give success when it is His will; we are persuaded that our enterprise is righteous and would have desirable results; therefore we hope it may be God’s will to give us success).—Translator of Lange’s Commentary.