1 Samuel 14:31

31 Now they had driven back the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. So the people were very faint.

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 But Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey.
30 How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?"
31 Now they had driven back the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. So the people were very faint.
32 And the people rushed on the spoil, and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood.
33 Then they told Saul, saying, "Look, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating with the blood!" So he said, "You have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone to me this day."
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.