1 Samuel 14
14
Jonathan Attacks the Philistines
1That day, Saul’s son Jonathan was talking with the young man who carried his weapons. Jonathan said, “Let’s go to the Philistine camp on the other side of the valley.” But Jonathan did not tell his father.
2Saul was sitting under a pomegranate tree at the threshing floor#14:2 at the threshing floor Or “in Migron.” at the edge of the hill.#14:2 edge of the hill Or “the edge of Gibeah.” Saul had about 600 men with him. 3One of the men was named Ahijah. Ahijah was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub. Ahitub was the son of Phinehas. Phinehas was the son of Eli. Eli had been the Lord’s priest at Shiloh. Now Ahijah was the priest who wore the ephod.
These men did not know that Jonathan had left. 4Jonathan was planning to go through a pass to get to the Philistine camp. There was a large rock on each side of the pass. The large rock on one side was named Bozez. The large rock on the other side was named Seneh. 5One of the rocks faced north toward Micmash, and the other faced south toward Geba.
6Jonathan said to his young helper who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s go to the camp of those foreigners.#14:6 foreigners Literally, “uncircumcised.” This means people who did not share in the agreement God made with Israel. See “circumcise, circumcision” in the Word List. Maybe the Lord will use us to defeat them. Nothing can stop the Lord—it doesn’t matter if we have many soldiers or just a few soldiers.”
7The young man who carried Jonathan’s weapons said to him, “Do what you think is best. Whatever you decide, I am with you all the way.”
8Jonathan said, “Let’s go! We’ll cross the valley and go to the Philistine guards. We’ll let them see us. 9If they say to us, ‘Stay there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are. We won’t go up to them. 10But if the Philistine men say, ‘Come up here,’ then we will climb up to them. That will be a sign from God. That will mean that the Lord will allow us to defeat them.”
11So Jonathan and his helper let the Philistines see them. The Philistine guards said, “Look! The Hebrews are coming out of the holes they were hiding in.” 12The Philistines in the fort shouted to Jonathan and his helper, “Come up here. We’ll teach you a lesson.”
Jonathan said to his helper, “Follow me up the hill. The Lord is letting Israel defeat the Philistines.”
13-14So Jonathan climbed up the hill with his hands and feet, and his helper was right behind him. Jonathan and his helper attacked them. In the first attack, they killed 20 Philistines in an area about one-half acre in size. Jonathan fought the men who attacked from the front. His helper came behind him and killed the men who were only wounded.
15Great fear spread among the Philistine soldiers—those in the field, in the camp, and at the fort. Even the bravest soldiers were afraid. The ground began to shake, and they were completely overcome with fear.
16Saul’s guards at Gibeah in the land of Benjamin saw the Philistine soldiers running away in different ways. 17Saul said to the army with him, “Count the men. I want to know who left camp.”
They counted the men. Jonathan and his helper were gone.
18Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring God’s Holy Box!” (At that time God’s Holy Box was there with the Israelites.)#14:18 The ancient Greek and Latin versions have “Saul said to Ahijah, ‘Bring the ephod!’ (At that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod.)” 19Saul was talking to Ahijah the priest waiting for advice from God. But the noise and confusion in the Philistine camp was growing and growing. Saul was becoming impatient. Finally, he said to Ahijah the priest, “That’s enough. Put your hand down and stop praying.”
20Saul gathered his army together and went to the battle. The Philistine soldiers were very confused. They were even fighting each other with their swords. 21There were Hebrews who served the Philistines in the past and who stayed in the Philistine camp. But now these Hebrews joined the Israelites with Saul and Jonathan. 22All the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard the Philistine soldiers were running away. So these Israelites also joined in the battle and began chasing the Philistines.
23So the Lord saved the Israelites that day. The battle moved on past Beth Aven. The whole army was with Saul—he now had about 10,000 men. The battle spread to every city in the hill country of Ephraim.#14:23 The whole army … Ephraim This is from the ancient Greek version.
Saul Makes Another Mistake
24But Saul made a big mistake that day.#14:24 But Saul … that day This is from the ancient Greek version. The standard Hebrew text has “The Israelites were very tired and hungry that day.” He made this oath: “If any man eats food before evening comes, before I finish defeating my enemies, he will be under a curse.” He made the soldiers promise not to eat. So none of them ate anything.
25-26Because of the fighting, the people went into some woods. Then they saw a honeycomb on the ground. The Israelites went up to the honeycomb, but they didn’t eat any of it. They were afraid to break the promise. 27But Jonathan didn’t know about the oath. He didn’t hear his father make the soldiers promise not to eat. Jonathan had a stick in his hand, so he dipped the end of the stick into the honeycomb and pulled out some honey. He ate the honey and began to feel much better.
28One of the soldiers told Jonathan, “Your father forced the soldiers to make a special promise. He said that any man who eats today will be under a curse. So the men have not eaten anything. That’s why they are weak.”
29Jonathan said, “My father has brought a lot of trouble to the land. See how much better I feel after tasting just a little of this honey. 30It would have been much better for the men to eat the food that they took from their enemies today. We could have killed more Philistines.”
31That day the Israelites defeated the Philistines. They fought them all the way from Micmash to Aijalon. So the people were very tired and hungry. 32They had taken sheep, cattle, and calves from the Philistines. Now they were so hungry that they killed the animals on the ground and ate them. And the blood was still in the animals.
33Someone said to Saul, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord. They’re eating meat that still has blood in it!”
Saul said, “You have sinned. Roll a large stone over here now!” 34Then Saul said, “Go to the men and tell them that each one must bring his bull and sheep to me. Then the men must kill their bulls and sheep here. Don’t sin against the Lord! Don’t eat meat that still has blood in it.”
That night everyone brought their animals and killed them there. 35Then Saul built an altar for the Lord. Saul himself began building that altar for the Lord.
36Saul said, “Let’s go after the Philistines tonight. We will take everything from them. We will kill them all!”
The army answered, “Do whatever you think is best.”
But the priest said, “Let’s ask God.”
37So Saul asked God, “Should I go chase the Philistines? Will you let us defeat the Philistines?” But God did not answer Saul that day.
38So Saul said, “Bring all the leaders to me! Let’s find who committed the sin today. 39I swear by the Lord who saves Israel, that even if my own son Jonathan sinned, he must die.” None of the people said a word.
40Then Saul said to all the Israelites, “You stand on this side. I and my son Jonathan will stand on the other side.”
The soldiers answered, “As you wish, sir.”
41Then Saul prayed, “Lord, God of Israel, why haven’t you answered me today? Show us who sinned. If it was I or my son Jonathan, give Urim. But if it was your people Israel who sinned, give Thummim.”#14:41 Then Saul prayed … give Thummim This is found in the ancient Greek version. The standard Hebrew text has, “Then Samuel prayed to the Lord, God of Israel, ‘Give the right answer.’”
Saul and Jonathan were shown to be the ones who sinned, and the people went free. 42Saul said, “Throw them again to show the guilty one—me or my son Jonathan.” Jonathan was shown to be the one.
43Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.”
Jonathan told Saul, “I only tasted a little honey from the end of my stick. Should I die for doing that?”
44Saul said, “I made an oath and asked God to punish me if I didn’t keep it. Jonathan, you must die.”
45But the soldiers said to Saul, “Jonathan led Israel to a great victory today. Must Jonathan die? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not one hair of Jonathan’s head will fall to the ground! God helped Jonathan fight against the Philistines today.” So the people saved Jonathan from death.
46Saul did not chase the Philistines. The Philistines went back to their place.
Saul Fights Israel’s Enemies
47Saul took full control of Israel and fought all the enemies who lived around Israel. Saul fought Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the king of Zobah, and the Philistines. He defeated Israel’s enemies wherever he went. 48Saul was very brave. He saved Israel from all the enemies who tried to take things from the Israelites. He even defeated the Amalekites.
49Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki Shua. Saul’s older daughter was named Merab. Saul’s younger daughter was named Michal. 50Saul’s wife was named Ahinoam. Ahinoam was the daughter of Ahimaaz.
The commander of Saul’s army was named Abner son of Ner. Ner was Saul’s uncle. 51Saul’s father Kish and Abner’s father Ner were sons of Abiel.
52Saul was brave all his life. He fought hard against the Philistines. Any time Saul saw a man who was strong or brave, he took that man and put him into the group of soldiers who stayed near the king and protected him.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
1 Samuel 14
14
1That same day Saul’s son Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” However, he did not tell his father.
2Saul was staying under the pomegranate tree in Migron # Is 10:28 on the outskirts of Gibeah. # LXX reads on top of the hill # 1Sm 13:15-16 The troops with him numbered about 600. # 1Sm 13:15 3Ahijah, # 1Sm 22:9-12,20 who was wearing an ephod, # 1Sm 2:28 was also there. He was the son of Ahitub, the brother of Ichabod # 1Sm 4:21 son of Phinehas, son of Eli the Lord’s priest at Shiloh. # 1Sm 1:3 But the troops did not know that Jonathan had left.
4There were sharp columns # Lit There was a tooth of rock on both sides of the pass # 1Sm 13:23 that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine garrison. One was named Bozez and the other Seneh; 5one stood to the north in front of Michmash and the other to the south in front of Geba. 6Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. # 1Sm 17:26,36; Jr 9:25-26 Perhaps the Lord will help us. Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” # Jdg 7:4-7
7His armor-bearer responded, “Do what is in your heart. You choose. I’m right here with you whatever you decide.”
8“All right,” Jonathan replied, “we’ll cross over to the men and then let them see us. 9If they say, ‘Wait until we reach you,’ then we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10But if they say, ‘Come on up,’ then we’ll go up, because the Lord has handed them over to us — that will be our sign.”
11They let themselves be seen by the Philistine garrison, and the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they’ve been hiding! ” 12The men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armor-bearer. “Come on up, and we’ll teach you a lesson! ” they said.
“Follow me,” Jonathan told his armor-bearer, “for the Lord has handed them over to Israel.” # 2Sm 5:24 13Jonathan climbed up using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. Jonathan cut them down, and his armor-bearer followed and finished them off. 14In that first assault Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about 20 men in a half-acre field.
A Defeat for the Philistines
15Terror spread through the Philistine camp and the open fields to all the troops. Even the garrison and the raiding parties # 1Sm 13:17-18 were terrified. The earth shook, # 1Sm 7:10 and terror spread from God. # Or and a great terror spread # 2Kg 7:6 16When Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, they saw the panicking troops scattering in every direction. 17So Saul said to the troops with him, “Call the roll and determine who has left us.” They called the roll and saw that Jonathan and his armor-bearer were gone.
18Saul told Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God,” for it was with the Israelites # LXX reads “Bring the ephod.” For he wore the ephod before Israel at that time. 19While Saul spoke to the priest, # Nm 27:21 the panic in the Philistine camp increased in intensity. So Saul said to the priest, “Stop what you’re doing.” # Lit Withdraw your hand
20Saul and all the troops with him assembled and marched to the battle, and there, the Philistines were fighting against each other in great confusion! # Jdg 7:22; 2Ch 20:23 21There were Hebrews from the area who had gone earlier into the camp to join the Philistines, but even they joined the Israelites # 1Sm 29:4 who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22When all the Israelite men who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim # 1Sm 13:6 heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also joined Saul and Jonathan in the battle. 23So the Lord saved Israel that day. # Ex 14:30
Saul’s Rash Oath
The battle extended beyond Beth-aven, 24and the men of Israel were worn out that day, for Saul had # LXX adds committed a great act of ignorance and placed the troops under an oath: # Jos 6:26 “The man who eats food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies is cursed.” So none of the troops tasted any food.
25Everyone # Lit All the land went into the forest, and there was honey on the ground. 26When the troops entered the forest, they saw the flow of honey, but none of them ate any of it # Lit but there was none who raised his hand to his mouth because they feared the oath. 27However, Jonathan had not heard his father make the troops swear the oath. He reached out with the end of the staff he was carrying and dipped it into the honeycomb. # 1Sm 14:43 When he ate the honey, # Lit he returned his hand to his mouth he had renewed energy. # 1Sm 30:12 28Then, one of the troops said, “Your father made the troops solemnly swear, ‘The man who eats food today is cursed,’ and the troops are exhausted.”
29Jonathan replied, “My father has brought trouble to the land. # 1Kg 18:17-18 Just look at how I have renewed energy because I tasted a little honey. 30How much better if the troops had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from their enemies! Then the slaughter of the Philistines would have been much greater.”
31The Israelites struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash # 1Sm 14:5 all the way to Aijalon. # Jos 10:12 Since the Israelites were completely exhausted, 32they rushed to the plunder, # 1Sm 15:19 took sheep, cattle, and calves, slaughtered them on the ground, and ate meat with the blood still in it. 33Some reported to Saul: “Look, the troops are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with the blood still in it.” # Gn 9:4; Lv 17:10-12
Saul said, “You have been unfaithful. Roll a large stone over here at once.” 34He then said, “Go among the troops and say to them, ‘Each man must bring me his ox or his sheep. Do the slaughtering here and then you can eat. Don’t sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood in it.’ ” So every one of the troops brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there. 35Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first time he had built an altar to the Lord. # 1Sm 7:12,17
36Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines tonight and plunder them until morning. Don’t let even one remain! ”
“Do whatever you want,” # Lit Do what is good in your eyes the troops replied.
But the priest # 1Sm 14:3,18-19 said, “We must consult God here.” # Jdg 18:5-6
37So Saul inquired of God, # 1Sm 10:22 “Should I go after the Philistines? Will You hand them over to Israel? ” But God did not answer him that day. # 1Sm 28:6
38Saul said, “All you leaders of the troops, come here. Let us investigate how this sin has occurred today. 39As surely as the Lord lives who saves Israel, even if it is because of my son Jonathan, he must die! ” Not one of the troops answered him.
40So he said to all Israel, “You will be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side.”
And the troops replied, “Do whatever you want.” # Lit Do what is good in your eyes
41So Saul said to the Lord, “God of Israel, give us the right decision.” # LXX reads Israel, why have You not answered Your servant today? If the unrighteousness is in me or in my son Jonathan, Lord God of Israel, give Urim; but if the guilt is in Your people Israel, give Thummim.” # Ac 1:24 Jonathan and Saul were selected, and the troops were cleared of the charge.
42Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan,” and Jonathan was selected. 43Saul commanded him, “Tell me what you did.” # Jos 7:19
Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey # 1Sm 14:27 with the end of the staff I was carrying. I am ready to die! ”
44Saul declared to him, “May God punish me and do so severely # 1Sm 25:22 if you do not die, Jonathan! ”
45But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die, who accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel? No, as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, # 2Sm 14:11; 1Kg 1:52; Ac 27:34 for he worked with God’s help today.” # Jn 3:21 So the people redeemed Jonathan, and he did not die. 46Then Saul gave up the pursuit of the Philistines, and the Philistines returned to their own territory.
Summary of Saul’s Kingship
47When Saul assumed the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies in every direction: against Moab, the Ammonites, # 1Sm 11:1-13 Edom, the kings of Zobah, # 2Sm 8:3-10 and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he caused havoc. # LXX reads he was victorious 48He fought bravely, defeated the Amalekites, # 1Sm 15:3,7 and delivered Israel from the hand of those who plundered them.
49Saul’s sons # 1Sm 31:2; 1Ch 10:2 were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. The names of his two daughters were: Merab, # 1Sm 18:17-19 his firstborn, and Michal, # 1Sm 18:20,27; 19:12; 2Sm 6:20-23 the younger. 50The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner son of Saul’s uncle Ner. # 2Sm 2:8 51Saul’s father was Kish. # 1Sm 9:1,21 Abner’s father was Ner son of Abiel.
52The conflict with the Philistines was fierce all of Saul’s days, so whenever Saul noticed any strong or brave man, he enlisted him. # 1Sm 8:11
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