1 Samuel 14:1-52
1 Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.
2 And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;
3 And Ahiah,a the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD'S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
5 The forefrontb of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.
7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.
9 If they say thus unto us, Tarryc until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.
10 But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.
11 And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.
14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearerd made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.
15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.
16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
17 Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.
18 And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
19 And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noisee that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.
20 And Saul and all the people that were with him assembledf themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.
21 Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.
22 Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.
23 So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.
24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.
25 And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground.
26 And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath.
27 But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.
28 Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint.g
29 Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
30 How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?
31 And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint.
32 And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.
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:h roll a great stone unto me this day.
34 And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with himi that night, and slew them there.
35 And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: the same was the first altar that he built unto the LORD.
36 And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God.
37 And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.
38 And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chiefj of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.
39 For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
40 Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee.
41 Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Givek a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.
42 And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.
44 And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
45 And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
46 Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place.
47 So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.
48 And he gatheredl an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them.
49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchishua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:
50 And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner,m the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.
51 And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
52 And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.
1 Samuel 14:2. Under a pomegranate tree. רמן Rimmon, a rock in the tribe of Judah. Joshua 15:32; Judges 20:47. This reading agrees best with the position of Saul's army, in a place of safety.
1 Samuel 14:3. Ahiah. Ahimelech, whom Saul slew with all the priests of Nob: 1 Samuel 22:9.
1 Samuel 14:6. Let us go over to the garrison. מצב Matzab, a station, an out-post of the army. Hence Mythe, near Tewkesbury, a Roman station. In the time of sore calamity, which is a time of prayer, God prompted Jonathan, like Samson, to effectuate the salvation of the nation.
1 Samuel 14:14. A yoke; meaning oxen. Our Saxon fathers had much the same phrase, when they measured land by an ox-gang.
1 Samuel 14:18. Bring hither the ark. The LXX, Bring hither the ephod, which is evidently the true reading, as the ark was not with Saul. The army would not go to war without the ark of Jehovah's strength.
1 Samuel 14:21. The Hebrews, which had been captured and made slaves, came over to their brethren as soon as they could escape.
1 Samuel 14:24. Saul adjured the people not to taste food; whereas the more prudent Gideon had required bread of the men of Succoth for his army.
1 Samuel 14:26. The honey dropped from the hollow of trees, in that land of milk and honey, through the great heat of the weather. Honey-dews in excessively hot days will drop from the leaves of oaks, &c.; after which the leaf is apt to curl and decay.
1 Samuel 14:35. Saul built an altar, as priests and princes had ever done in all parts of the earth. What time he lost whilst the highest duties await his arm! He should have asked counsel when first engaged in this war.
1 Samuel 14:39. He shall surely die, though perfectly ignorant, and consequently innocent; for he had broken no known law. Rash vows should rarely be kept. This vow greatly lowers the character of Saul.
1 Samuel 14:52. Sore war all the days of Saul; yea, in most of the days of David also. Strong man. Saul's guards were the finest men that the nation could boast.
REFLECTIONS.
While the Philistines encamped on the plain, and sent out their parties to plunder the land; while Saul guarded the passes of the mountain! with six hundred men; and while all the inhabitants were fleeing from the invader, or hiding among rocks and in caves; Jonathan, prompted by a divine impulse, ventured with his armour-bearer to attack the garrison, or advanced guard of the enemy. What an act of faith and courage. A single man, attended with his lusty servant, advanced against an army. What an accomplishment of the promise, “one of you shall chase a thousand!” The Philistines said, “come,” intending to take him prisoner, or to put him to death. But on seeing in his countenance the soul of a hero, they awaited not the first blow of his sword: twenty of them fell before him. The consternation communicated itself to the camp; and they probably thought the gods were come down in the likeness of men; for correspondently to the divine impulse, the terrors of God fell on the multitude, and the earth trembled under their feet. What a scene of confusion! It was a nation affrighted at once. See the thousands of chariots locking the wheels of one another, and overturned by the fright and fury of the horses. See every man, infuriated with fear, cut down those who entangled him or obstructed his escape. See the Hebrew captives and slaves in this host, perceiving the hand of God against the enemy, catch up arms and attack their masters. See Jonathan enrol his name among the first of heroes, and heroes who believed in God; see him proceed in the career of slaughter till a thousand had fallen at his feet. See him restrain his arm only by the approach of night, and on reaching the confines of the enemy's country. Here is the glorious son; but where is the gloomy father? Ah, the father, stung with his sentence, and torporized with unbelief, abode in Gibeah till the watchmen apprized him of the enemy's route. And what did he do? When man is not guided by a gracious influence he often greatly errs. So Saul called for the ark, or rather for the ephod that the priest might consult the Lord; but ere that was performed, he said stay thy hand; and cursing the man who should taste any food, he instantly joined the pursuit. But the day that we haste to duty before devotion, we make poor speed; the people could not pursue with vigour for want of food. Finding honey in the hollow trees of a wood, they preferred hunger to a curse; but blessed not the policy of their prince. Jonathan, having passed the wood, was refreshed with a comb of the honey to complete the glories of the day. From this signal victory we may learn, that it is better for a nation to trust in God than in an arm of flesh. A single man, when animated by divine influence, is in himself a victorious army; for it is one with God to save by many or by few. Let the christian minister also be emboldened to speak and act for God, though scarcely a single man stand up to support him in the work; and let the individual not be afraid, though he be surrounded with the alien host. Jonathan was emboldened by the consideration that he went against the uncircumcised: for this was a sign of their not being in covenant with God. Saul having offended at Gilgal, now farther offended by rash swearing and hasty passions, so that the Lord answered him not. Thus while the son was exalted in the eyes of the nation, the father sunk in their esteem. Let us beware of strong passions and rash vows: they will bring shame upon us in the sight of God and men. Ah, how calamitous had this day proved to Saul, had not the people saved Jonathan from becoming a victim, like Jephthah's daughter, to the rashness of a father's vow. Thus while they opposed oath to oath, and humbled Saul for his sin, they saved him the best of sons, the friend and companion of all his future wars.