1 Samuel 14:2

2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave[a] at 1Migron. The people who were with him were about 2six hundred men,

1 Samuel 14:2 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 14:2

And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah
Not daring to go out against the Philistines, but remained in the furthest part of Gibeah, at the greatest distance from the camp of the Philistines, in the strongest part of the city, or deeply entrenched in the outer, part of it in the field:

under a pomegranate tree;
where were his headquarters; his tent or pavilion was erected under a large spreading pomegranate, which protected him from the heat of the sun: or

under Rimmon;
the rock Rimmon; under the shelter of that, and in the caverns of it; where a like number of Benjaminites he now had with him formerly hid themselves, ( Judges 20:47 )

which is in Migron;
a part of Gibeah, or rather of the field of Gibeah, so called; for near it it certainly was; and is also mentioned along with Michmash, and as lying in the way of the march of Sennacherib king of Assyria, to Jerusalem, ( Isaiah 10:28 )

and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;
which is observed to show that no addition was made to his little army; it was the same it was when he came thither, the people did not flock to his assistance, being in fear of the army of the Philistines, which was so powerful; see ( 1 Samuel 13:15 ) .

1 Samuel 14:2 In-Context

1 One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, "Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side." But he did not tell his father.
2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave at Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men,
3 including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the LORD in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.
4 Within the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
5 The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.

Cross References 2

  • 1. [See 1 Samuel 13:23 above]
  • 2. 1 Samuel 13:15

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Or under the pomegranate [tree]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.