1 Samuel 14:31

31 They killed Philistines that day all the way from Micmash to Aijalon, but the soldiers ended up totally exhausted.

1 Samuel 14:31 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 14:31

And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to
Aijalon
Michmash was the place where the camp of the Philistines was when Jonathan first attacked them, and from whence they fled, and they were pursued by the Israelites that day as far as Aijalon. There was a city of this name in the tribe of Dan, famous for the moon standing still in a valley adjoining to it, in the time of Joshua, ( Joshua 10:12 ) ( 19:42 ) and another in the tribe of Zebulun, ( Judges 12:12 ) , but they both seem to be at too great a distance to be the place here meant, which rather seems to be Aijalon in the tribe of Judah, ( 2 Chronicles 11:10 ) according to Bunting F26, it was twelve miles from Michmash:

and the people were very faint;
as they might well be, with pursuing the enemy so many miles, and doing so much execution among them, without eating any food.


FOOTNOTES:

F26 Travels of the Patriarchs p. 127.

1 Samuel 14:31 In-Context

29 Jonathan said, "My father has imperiled the country. Just look how quickly my energy has returned since I ate a little of this honey!
30 It would have been a lot better, believe me, if the soldiers had eaten their fill of whatever they took from the enemy. Who knows how much worse we could have whipped them!"
31 They killed Philistines that day all the way from Micmash to Aijalon, but the soldiers ended up totally exhausted.
32 Then they started plundering. They grabbed anything in sight - sheep, cattle, calves - and butchered it where they found it. Then they glutted themselves - meat, blood, the works.
33 Saul was told, "Do something! The soldiers are sinning against God. They're eating meat with the blood still in it!"
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.