1 Samuel 14:17

17 Then said Sha'ul to the people who were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. When they had numbered, behold, Yonatan and his armor bearer were not 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 There was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled; and the eretz quaked: so there was an exceeding great trembling.

16 The watchmen of Sha'ul in Gevah of Binyamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went [here] and there.

17 Then said Sha'ul to the people who were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. When they had numbered, behold, Yonatan and his armor bearer were not there.

18 Sha'ul said to Achiyah, Bring here the ark of God. For the ark of God was [there] at that time with the children of Yisra'el.

19 It happened, while Sha'ul talked to the Kohen, that the tumult that was in the camp of the Pelishtim went on and increased: and Sha'ul said to the Kohen, Withdraw your hand.