1 Samuel 14
14
1One day Jonathan, son of Saul, said to the young armor-bearer, “Come on, let's cross over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he didn't let his father know his plans. 2Saul was staying near Gibeah under a pomegranate tree#14:2. “A pomegranate tree”: or “the Rock of Rimmon.” in Migron. He had about six hundred men with him, 3including Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod.#14:3. “Ephod”: a priestly garment. He was a son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, priest of the Lord in Shiloh. No one realized Jonathan had left. 4Cliffs stood on both sides of the pass that Jonathan planned to cross to reach the Philistine garrison, one called Bozez and the other Seneh. 5The cliff to the north was on the Michmash side, the one to the south on the Geba side.
6Jonathan said to the young armor-bearer, “Come on, let's cross over to the garrison of these heathen#14:6. “Heathen”: literally, “uncircumcised.” men. Maybe the Lord will help us out. It's not a problem for the Lord to win, whether by many or by few.”
7“You choose what you want to do,” the armor-bearer replied. “I'm with you whatever you decide!”
8“Let's go then!” Jonathan said. “We'll cross over in their direction so they can see us. 9If they tell us, ‘Wait there until we come down to you,’ we will wait where we are and we won't go up to them. 10But if they say, ‘Come on up to us,’ we'll climb up, for that will be the sign that the Lord has handed them over to us.”
11So both of them let themselves be seen by the Philistine garrison. “Hey, look!” shouted the Philistines. “The Hebrews are coming out of the holes#14:11. “Holes”: the word is often used to describe burrows where animals live. they were hiding in.”
12The men from the garrison called down to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up here, and we'll teach you a thing or two!”
“Follow me up,” Jonathan told his armor-bearer, “for the Lord has handed them over to Israel.”
13So Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. Jonathan attacked and killed them,#14:13. “Jonathan attacked and killed them”: literally, “they fell before Jonathan.” and his armor-bearer followed doing the same. 14In this first attack, Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed about twenty men over an area of half an acre. 15Then the Philistines went into a panic, in the camp, in the field, and throughout their army. Even those in the outposts and the groups of raiders became terrified. The earth shook—this was a panic sent from God.
16Saul's lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the Philistine army melting away, scattering in all directions. 17Saul told the soldiers with him, “Do a roll-call and find out who isn't here with us.” When they did the roll-call, they discovered that Jonathan and his armor-bearer weren't there.
18Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the Ark of God here.” (At the time the Ark of God traveled with the Israelites.)
19But as Saul was speaking to the priest, the commotion coming from the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul told the priest, “Forget it!”#14:19. “Forget it!”: literally, “Take away your hand.” The priest was about to try and determine the Lord's will regarding an attack on the Philistines, perhaps by consulting the Urim and the Thummin on the ephod or through the use of the Ark of God in some way. Whatever the case, Saul countermanded his previous order for divine guidance by telling the priest to stop whatever he was about to do.
20Then Saul and all his army assembled and went into battle. They discovered the Philistines were in total disarray, attacking each other with swords. 21The Hebrews who had previously sided with the Philistines, and who were with them in their camp, switched sides and joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22When all the Israelites who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were running away, they also joined in chasing after the Philistines to attack them. 23On that day the Lord saved Israel, and the battle extended past Beth-aven.#14:23. The Septuagint adds the following at this point: “and the army with Saul numbered around ten thousand men. The battle extended across the hill country of Ephraim.”
24It was difficult for the men of Israel that day because Saul had ordered the army to take an oath, saying, “Cursed is anyone who eats anything before evening, before I have avenged myself on my enemies.” So no one in the army had eaten anything. 25When they all entered the forest they found honeycomb on the ground. 26While they were in the forest they saw the honey running out, but no one picked it up to eat it because they were all afraid of the oath they had taken. 27But Jonathan hadn't heard that his father had ordered the army to take this oath. So he stuck the end of his stick into the honeycomb, picked up a piece to eat, and he felt much better.#14:27. “He felt much better”: literally, “his eyes brightened.” Also in verse 29. 28But one of the soldiers told him, “Your father made the army take a solemn oath, saying, ‘Cursed is anyone who eats anything today!’ That is why the men are exhausted.”
29“My father has caused a whole lot of trouble for everyone,”#14:29. “Everyone”: literally, “the land.” Jonathan replied. “See how well I am because I've eaten a little of this honey. 30It would have been so much better if only the army had eaten plenty today from the plunder taken from their enemies! How many more Philistines would have been killed?”
31After defeating the Philistines that day, killing them from Michmash to Aijalon, the Israelites were totally exhausted. 32They grabbed the plunder, taking sheep, cattle, and calves, and slaughtered them right there on the ground. But they ate them with the blood.
33Saul was told, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with the blood.”
“Law-breakers!” said Saul. “Roll a large stone over here right now!” 34Then he said, “Go around the soldiers and tell them, ‘Every man must bring me his cattle or his sheep and slaughter them here, and then eat. Don't sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood.’” Everyone in the army brought what he had#14:34. “What he had”: Septuagint reading. and slaughtered it there that night. 35So Saul built an altar to the Lord. This was the first altar he had built to the Lord.
36Saul said, “Let's go and chase down the Philistines during night and plunder them till dawn, leaving no survivors.”
“Do what you think best,” they replied. But the priest said, “Let's ask God first.”
37Saul asked God, “Shall I go down and chase down the Philistines? Will you hand them over to Israel?” But that day God didn't answer him.
38So Saul gave the order, “All you army commanders, come here so we can investigate what sin has happened today. 39I swear on the life of the Lord who saves Israel, that even if it's my son Jonathan, he will have to die!” But no one of the whole army said anything.
40Saul told them all, “You stand over to one side, and I and my son Jonathan will stand on the opposite side.”
“Do what you think best,” the army replied.
41Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Let the Thummin show.”#14:41. In other words, let the Thummin show who is the guilty party. Jonathan and Saul were identified, while everyone else was cleared.
42Then Saul said, “Cast lots between me and my son Jonathan.” Jonathan was selected.
43“Tell me what you have done,” Saul asked Jonathan.
“I just tasted a little honey with the end of my stick,” Jonathan told him. “Here I am, and I have to die.”
44Saul said, “May God punish me very severely if you do not die, Jonathan!”
45But the people told Saul, “Does Jonathan have to die, the one who achieved this great victory in Israel? Absolutely not! We swear on the life of the Lord, not a single hair of his head will fall to the ground, for it was with God's help that he achieved this today.” The people saved Jonathan, and he didn't die.
46Saul stopped chasing down the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own country.
47After Saul had made his hold over Israel secure, he fought against all his enemies all around: Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Whatever direction he went he defeated them all. 48He fought bravely, conquering the Amalekites, saving Israel from those who plundered them.
49Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi,#14:49. Also called Ishbosheth. and Malchishua. The names of his two daughters were Merab (the firstborn), and Michal (the younger one). 50The name of his wife was Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of Saul's army commander was Abner, son of Ner, and Ner was Saul's uncle. 51Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel.
52Throughout Saul's lifetime there was constant war with the Philistines. Saul recruited into his army every strong warrior and every brave fighter that he met.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
1 Samuel 14
14
1 Now it happened on a day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come! Let’s go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he didn’t tell his father. 2Saul stayed in the uttermost part of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron; and the people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli the priest of the LORD in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. The people didn’t know that Jonathan was gone.
4 Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side; and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. 6Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come! Let’s go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for there is no restraint on the LORD to save by many or by few.”
7 His armor bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go, and behold, I am with you according to your heart.”
8 Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will reveal ourselves to them. 9If they say this to us, ‘Wait until we come to you!’ then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them. 10But if they say this, ‘Come up to us!’ then we will go up, for the LORD has delivered them into our hand. This shall be the sign to us.”
11 Both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, “Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they had hidden themselves!” 12The men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you something!”
Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come up after me, for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel.” 13Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and his armor bearer after him, and they fell before Jonathan; and his armor bearer killed them after him. 14That first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land.
15 There was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so there was an exceedingly great trembling. 16The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude melted away and scattered. 17Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Count now, and see who is missing from us.” When they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.
18 Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring God’s ark here.” For God’s ark was with the children of Israel at that time. 19While Saul talked to the priest, the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased; and Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand!”
20 Saul and all the people who were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle; and behold, they were all striking each other with their swords in very great confusion. 21Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before and who went up with them into the camp from all around, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. 23So the LORD saved Israel that day; and the battle passed over by Beth Aven.
24 The men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had adjured the people, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food until it is evening, and I am avenged of my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food.
25 All the people came into the forest; and there was honey on the ground. 26When the people had come to the forest, behold, honey was dripping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27But Jonathan didn’t hear when his father commanded the people with the oath. Therefore he put out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened. 28Then one of the people answered, and said, “Your father directly commanded the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food today.’” So the people were faint.
29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Please look how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. 30How much more, if perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the plunder of their enemies which they found? For now there has been no great slaughter among the Philistines.” 31They struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. The people were very faint; 32and the people pounced on the plunder, and took sheep, cattle, and calves, and killed them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. 33Then they told Saul, saying, “Behold, the people are sinning against the LORD, in that they eat meat with the blood.”
He said, “You have dealt treacherously. Roll a large stone to me today!” 34Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them, ‘Every man bring me here his ox, and every man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat; and don’t sin against the LORD in eating meat with the blood.’” All the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and killed them there.
35 Saul built an altar to the LORD. This was the first altar that he built to the LORD. 36Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines by night, and take plunder among them until the morning light. Let’s not leave a man of them.”
They said, “Do whatever seems good to you.”
Then the priest said, “Let’s draw near here to God.”
37 Saul asked counsel of God: “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he didn’t answer him that day. 38Saul said, “Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see in whom this sin has been today. 39For as the LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. 40Then he said to all Israel, “You be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.”
The people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.”
41 Therefore Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, “Show the right.”
Jonathan and Saul were chosen, but the people escaped.
42 Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.”
Jonathan was selected.
43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done!”
Jonathan told him, and said, “I certainly did taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and behold, I must die.”
44 Saul said, “God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”
45 The people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God today!” So the people rescued Jonathan, so he didn’t die. 46Then Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place.
47 Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he 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. Wherever he turned himself, he defeated them. 48He did valiantly and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them. 49Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal. 50The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. 51Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
52 There was severe war against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he took him into his service.
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