1 Samuel 14:30

30 How much better it would have been today if our people had eaten the food they took when they defeated the enemy. Just think how many more Philistines they would have killed!"

1 Samuel 14:30 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 14:30

How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely today of
the spoil of their enemies which they found?
&c.] That is, had they been, allowed eat freely of the provisions, of bread, wine they found in the enemy's camp, they would have been much more refreshed and strengthened than it could be supposed he was with eating a little honey; if that had had such an effect upon him, of what service would a full meal have been to the people?

for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the
Philistines?
the people would have had more strength to smite them, and would have pursued them with greater ardour and swiftness, and so have made a greater slaughter among them than they had; he intimates that Saul's end would have been better answered by suffering the people to eat, than by forbidding them.

1 Samuel 14:30 In-Context

28 But one of the men told him, "We are all weak from hunger, but your father threatened us and said, "A curse be on anyone who eats any food today.' "

29 Jonathan answered, "What a terrible thing my father has done to our people! See how much better I feel because I ate some honey!

30 How much better it would have been today if our people had eaten the food they took when they defeated the enemy. Just think how many more Philistines they would have killed!"

31 That day the Israelites defeated the Philistines, fighting all the way from Michmash to Aijalon. By this time the Israelites were very weak from hunger,

32 and so they rushed over to what they had captured from the enemy, took sheep and cattle, slaughtered them on the spot, and ate the meat with the blood still in it.