1 Samuel 14:43-52

43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” So Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now I must die!”

44 Saul said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan.”

45 But the men said to Saul, “Should Jonathan die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help.” So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.

46 Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land.

47 After Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings^[a] of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them.^[b]

48 He fought valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, delivering Israel from the hands of those who had plundered them.

Saul’s Family

49 Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-Shua. The name of his older daughter was Merab, and that of the younger was Michal.

50 His wife’s name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of Saul’s army was Abner son of Ner, and Ner was Saul’s uncle.

51 Saul’s father Kish and Abner’s father Ner were sons of Abiel.

52 All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service.

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1 Samuel 14:43-52 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 14

This chapter gives an account of an adventure of Jonathan and his armourbearer smiting a garrison of the Philistines, 1Sa 14:1-14, which with other circumstances struck terror into the whole army; which being observed by Saul's spies, he and his men went out against them, and being joined by others, pursued them, and obtained a complete victory, 1Sa 14:15-23, but what sullied the glory of the day was a rash oath of Saul's, adjuring the people not to eat any food till evening which Jonathan not hearing of ignorantly broke, 1Sa 14:24-31 and which long fasting made the people so ravenous, that they slew their cattle, and ate them with the blood, contrary to the law of God, for which they were reproved by Saul, 1Sa 14:32-34, upon which he built an altar, and inquired of the Lord whether he should pursue the Philistines all that night till morning, but had no answer; which made him conclude sin was committed, and which he inquired after, declaring that if it was his own son Jonathan that had committed it he should surely die, 1Sa 14:35-39, the people being silent, he cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonathan; who had it not been for the resolution of the people that rescued him out of his hands, because of the great salvation he had wrought, must have died, 1Sa 14:40-46 and the chapter is cited with an account of Saul's battles with the neighbouring nations in general, and of his family, 1Sa 14:47-52.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 17

1. S Joshua 7:19
2. S ver 27
3. S Ruth 1:17
4. ver 39
5. 1 Kings 1:52; S Matthew 10:30; Luke 21:18; Acts 27:34
6. 2 Samuel 14:11
7. S Genesis 19:37
8. S Genesis 19:38; 2 Samuel 12:31; 1 Samuel 11:1-13
9. 1 Samuel 21:7
10. ver 52; 2 Samuel 8:3; 2 Samuel 10:6; 2 Samuel 23:36
11. S Genesis 36:12; Numbers 13:29; Judges 3:13; 1 Samuel 15:2,7; 1 Samuel 27:8; 1 Samuel 28:18; 1 Samuel 30:13; 2 Samuel 1:13; 1 Chronicles 4:43
12. 1 Samuel 31:2; 1 Chronicles 8:33
13. S Genesis 29:26; 1 Samuel 18:17-20
14. 2 Samuel 2:8; 2 Samuel 3:6; 1 Kings 2:5
15. 1 Samuel 10:14
16. S 1 Samuel 9:1
17. 1 Samuel 8:11

Footnotes 2

[a]. Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint "king"
[b]. Hebrew; Septuagint "he was victorious"