1 Samuel 14:17

17 Saul said to the troops with him, "Take a count and see who is missing." So they counted, and Jonathan and his armor-bearer were gone.

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 Panic broke out in the camp, in the field, and among all the troops. Even those in the fort and the raiders shook with fear. The very ground shook! It was a terror from God.

16 Now Saul's lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the Philistine camp running all over the place.

17 Saul said to the troops with him, "Take a count and see who is missing." So they counted, and Jonathan and his armor-bearer were gone.

18 Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the priestly vest!" because at that time, Ahijah wore the priestly vest in Israel's presence.

19 As Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp continued to grow. Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."