XIV.
(1 Samuel 14:1) Saul’s War with the Philistines — Jonathan becomes
the Divinely appointed Hero for the People’s Deliverance from their
restless Foes — The Battle of Michmash — Saul’s Rash Oath —
The House of Saul.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW IT CAME TO PASS. — As if in strong contrast to Saul — who at
Gilgal openly made light of the supernatural assistance promised by
Samuel, showing plainly by his conduct on that memorable occasion that
he hardly believed in the part the invisible King had laken in the
history of the people — the a... [ Continue Reading ]
UNDER A POMEGRANATE TREE. — The love of Saul for trees, which was so
common among the children of Israel, has been noticed. (See again 1
Samuel 22; 1 Samuel 14:6. The king is spoken of as under the tamarisk
of Ramali; Deborah is specially mentioned as judging Israel under the
palm-tree in Beth-el.)... [ Continue Reading ]
AHIAH, THE SON OF AHITUB. — The Chronicles, rehearsing these facts,
show us what a terrible impression the last events in Eli’s reign as
high priest had made in Israel. The destruction of Shiloh, the death
of the high priest, the fall of Phinehas and his brother in battle,
the melancholy circumstanc... [ Continue Reading ]
BOZEZ... SENEH. — These names are of extreme antiquity. Their
signification is disputed. Possibly Bozez signifies “shining,” and
Seneh “the accacia.” These rocks have been identified by modern
travellers.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JONATHAN SAID. — This companion in arms answered to the esquire
of the knight of the middle ages. Gideon, Joab, David, and others of
the famous Israelite warriors, were constantly accompanied in a
similar manner by an armour-bearer.
COME, AND LET US GO OVER. — Although in this history of the gre... [ Continue Reading ]
TURN THEE. — The very words of the prince’s armour-bearer seem to
have been preserved; the expression is a colloquial one, and is
rendered here literally. It signifies, “Go on; I will follow.”
(8) BEHOLD, WE WILL PASS OVER. — The steep crag upon which the
Philistine outpost was entrenched was acros... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PHILISTINES SAID... — Easily might the sentinels of the
outpost have rolled stones down the steep cliff, and hurled back the
daring assailants; but they treated them with utter contempt, probably
thinking to take them alive if ever they succeeded in scaling the
slippery cliff.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY FELL BEFORE JONATHAN... — The sign he prayed for was given
him. There were probably but few sentinels at their posts; the
inaccessibility of the craggy fortress had lulled the garrison into
security. The few watching him at first mocked, and then, as Jonathan
advanced with strange rapidity,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THAT FIRST SLAUGHTER... — Considerable doubt exists as to the
exact meaning of this verse. The LXX. either had here a different text
before them, or else translated, as has been suggested,
“conjecturally, what they did not understand;” their rendering is
“about twenty men, with darts and slings... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS TREMBLING IN THE HOST. — The rest of the outpost
garrison, panic-stricken, escaped to the other camp of the main body
of the host, spreading dismay as they fled.
AND THE EARTH QUAKED... — To add to the dire confusion, an
earthquake was felt, which completed the discomfiture of the
Phil... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WATCHMEN OF SAUL IN GIBEAH OF BENJAMIN LOOKED... — The
distance between the outposts of the little Israelite army and the
vast Philistine host was only about two miles, but a deep ravine or
chasm lay between them. The watchmen of Saul were well able to see the
scene of dire confusion in the... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID SAUL... — When this panic which was taking place in the
Philistine army was reported to King Saul, he naturally inquired as to
what had caused it, knowing that he, as general-in-chief, had given no
directions to any of his men to attack the enemy. In the little
Israelitish force, when the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAUL SAID UNTO AHIAH... — The LXX. renders here, “And Saul
said to Ahijah, Bring hither the ephod; for he bore the ephod in those
days before the children of Israel.” This is a statement easily to
be understood. Saul was in doubt what to do under the present
emergency. Should he — seeing the pan... [ Continue Reading ]
WITHDRAW THINE HAND. — The instinct of the general, as we should
expect from the character of Saul, soon got the better of his first
desire for some Divine guidance. His watchful eye saw that the
confusion in the Philistine camp was increasing; now was the moment
for his little compact force to thro... [ Continue Reading ]
ASSEMBLED THEMSELVES. — In the margin of the English Version we find
“were cried together,” that is, “were assembled by the trumpet
call.” The Syriac and Vulg., however, more accurately render the
Hebrew _shouted,_ that is, raised the war-cry of Israel.
EVERY MAN’S SWORD WAS AGAINST HIS FELLOW. — T... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER THE HEBREWS THAT WERE WITH THE PHILISTINES. — These
Israelites were, most likely, prisoners who had been compelled to
fight against their countrymen, or were levies raised in those parts
of the land more immediately under Philistine influence. These, we
read, took the first opportunity to g... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE LORD SAVED ISRAEL... — The identical words used at the Red
Sea, after the deliverance of the people from Egypt. So the battle
rolled westward through Beth-aven, past city and village, over Mount
Ephraim. It was a decisive victory, crushing in its results to the
Philistines, who were driven ba... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MEN OF ISRAEL WERE DISTRESSED THAT DAY. — The LXX., between
the 23rd and 24th verses, has a somewhat long addition: “And the
whole people was with Saul, about ten thousand men; and the battle
spread in the whole city, in the mountains of Ephraim; and Saul
committed a great error.” The number... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THEY OF THE LAND CAME TO A WOOD. — In the wilder parts of
the land the old woods were not yet cleared. There seems to have been
once in that favoured land an abundance of woods.
AND THERE WAS HONEY... — The wild bees, as has been often seen in
the American forests, fill the hollow trees wit... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THE HONEY DROPPED. — Literally,. _Behold, a stream of honey.
_... [ Continue Reading ]
HE PUT FORTH THE END OF THE ROD. — Most likely, with the point of
his staff took up a piece of the honeycomb. Jonathan in that hurried
battle and pursuit had heard nothing of his father’s rash oath, and
was, no doubt, owing to his exertions in the earlier part of that
eventful day, worn out with fat... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN ANSWERED ONE OF THE PEOPLE. — Most probably, in reply to
Jonathan’s pointing out the plentiful supply of honey, and inviting
the soldiers near him to refresh themselves with it. The words “and
the people were faint,” at the close of the verse, should be
rendered, _and the people are faint;_ the... [ Continue Reading ]
MY FATHER HATH TROUBLED THE LAND. — In other words, “My father’s
ill-considered vow has done-grave harm to us in Israel. Had he not
weakened the people, by hindering them from taking the needful
refreshment, our victory would have been far more complete. Utter
exhaustion has prevented us from follow... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM MICHMASH TO AIJALON. — The battle and pursuit had then extended
some twenty miles of country. Again the extreme weariness of the
Israelites is mentioned. Aijalon, the modern Yälo, is some eighteen
or twenty miles from Michmash, where the main body of the Philistine
army had been encamped.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PEOPLE FLEW UPON THE SPOIL... — No doubt, had the men of
Israel not been so faint for want of food, and utterly weary, many
more of the Philistine host would have fallen: as it was, vast spoil
was left behind in the hurried flight; but it was the beasts that the
conquerors greedily seized, t... [ Continue Reading ]
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 an... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SAME WAS THE FIRST ALTAR THAT HE BUILT... — More accurately, as
in margin, _the same he began to build as an altar._ The great Jewish
commentators are divided as to the precise meaning of the old Hebrew
language of this verse. _Abarbanel_ interprets the words, “that King
Saul began to build, but... [ Continue Reading ]
LET US GO DOWN AFTER THE PHILISTINES BY NIGHT. — In the depth of the
night, when the rough feasting on the captured beasts was over, King
Saul would have had the bloody work begun afresh, and would have
hurried after the flying Philistines, and with a wild butchery have
completed the great and signa... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAUL ASKED COUNSEL OF GOD. — The same phrase is always used in
the many passages in the Books of Judges, 1 Sam., 2 Sam., 1 Chron.,
Hosea, &c. when God was inquired of by the Urim and Thummim. It may be
styled the technical term of inquiry of the Oracle of the Most High;
there are, however, sligh... [ Continue Reading ]
DRAW YE NEAR HITHER. — Round that rough unfinished altar, in the
dark night, King Saul hastily summoned his leading officers and the
prominent chiefs of the Israelites who had joined him in the late
battle. The word rendered “chief of the people” (_pinnoth_) is
literally, _corner stones_ (as in Judg... [ Continue Reading ]
THOUGH IT BE IN JONATHAN MY SON. — “Were Jonathan himself the
transgressor, he [Saul] would not spare his life; and so, feeling
inwardly bound by his oath, presses for decision by means of the
sacred lot, amid the ominous silence of the horror-stricken people.”
— _Ewald.
_... [ Continue Reading ]
GIVE A PERFECT LOT. — The rendering in the margin, “show the
innocent,” is a better and more accurate rendering of the Hebrew.
“Give a perfect lot” is the translation given by Rabbi D. Kimchi.
Dean Payne Smith observes that “there are few mistakes of the
English Version which have not some good auth... [ Continue Reading ]
LO, I MUST DIE. — These wild and thoughtless vows are peculiarly
characteristic of this half-barbaric period. We have already observed
that the age now closing had been peculiarly the age of vows. A
similar terrible oath, equalling Saul’s in its rashness, had been
taken by Jephthah. It is noticeable... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAUL WENT UP FROM FOLLOWING THE PHILISTINES. — Saul recognised
now that the fault which caused the oracle of the Urim and Thummim to
keep silence was his, and not Jonathan’s. He seems quietly to have
acquiesced with Ahijah’s evident reluctance to countenance a public
pursuit; he drew off his fo... [ Continue Reading ]
SO SAUL TOOK THE KINGDOM OVER ISRAEL. — Some expositors closely
connect this verse with the successful termination of the Philistine
war, considering that it was through this great victory over the
nation which had so long harassed and impoverished Israel that Saul
really acquired for the first time... [ Continue Reading ]
SMOTE THE AMALEKITES. — Out of the many wars the king waged, this
war with Amalek is singled out, for in the new development of Hebrew
power by which Saul’s reign was marked this campaign or series of
campaigns was especially prominent. This war is related with some
detail in the next chapter, but i... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF SAUL. — The three brave sons who perished with their
father in the battle on Mount Gilboa are apparently mentioned here,
the only difficulty being the middle name, “Ishui,” which occurs
nowhere else, save in two genealogies as that of a son of Asher
(Genesis 46:17; 1 Chronicles 7:30). It... [ Continue Reading ]
SAUL’S WIFE. — In accordance with a usual practice, the name of
the most prominent of the family and royal household of the king are
given. We know nothing of Saul’s queen besides her name. It has been
surmised that she was of the family of Eli, the high priest, owing to
the _Ah_ (brother) entering... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SON OF ABIEL. — For “son” the commentators mostly agree we
must read _sons._ Kish and Ner, we know, were both sons of Abiel. (See
1 Chronicles 9:35, where, however, the father’s name is given as
Jehiel.)... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE DAYS OF SAUL. — Although after the rout of Michmash the
Philistines were driven out of their fastnesses in the land of Israel
back into their own coast districts, yet all through the reign of Saul
they continued to be powerful, and were a constant source of danger
and trouble to the people.... [ Continue Reading ]