1 Samuel 14:17

17 Then Saul spoke to the men who were with him. He said, "Bring the troops together. See who has left our camp." When they did, they discovered that Jonathan and the young man who was carrying his armor weren't there.

1 Samuel 14:17 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 14:17

Then said Saul unto the people that were with him
To some of the officers, particularly the muster master;

number now, and see who is gone from us:
for he concluded that this agitation and confusion in the host of the Philistines were occasioned by an enterprise of some of his men, who by some stratagem or another had thrown them into this disorder:

and when they had numbered:
which was soon done, being but six hundred men in all:

behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there;
from whence it might be inferred, that this commotion the Philistines were in was occasioned by an onset of theirs on the outer guards or sentinels of their garrison or army, which had alarmed them.

1 Samuel 14:17 In-Context

15 Then panic struck the whole Philistine army. It struck those who were in the camp and the field. It struck those who were at the edge of the camp. It also struck those who were in the groups that had been sent out to attack Israel. The ground shook. It was a panic that God had sent.

16 Saul's lookouts at Gibeah in the land of Benjamin saw what was happening. They saw the Philistine army melting away in all directions.

17 Then Saul spoke to the men who were with him. He said, "Bring the troops together. See who has left our camp." When they did, they discovered that Jonathan and the young man who was carrying his armor weren't there.

18 Saul said to the priest Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God." At that time it was with the people of Israel.

19 While Saul was talking to the priest, the noise in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to him, "Stop what you are doing."