1 Samuel 14:26

26 When the troops came upon the honeycomb, the honey was dripping out; but they did not put their hands to their mouths, for they feared the oath.

1 Samuel 14:26 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 14:26

And when the people came into the wood, behold, the honey
dropped
Either from trees, which produced it; so Diodorus Siculus

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 speaks of trees in some countries which produce honey; or from the sugar canes, as Jarchi; or rather from the honeycombs which were framed in trees by bees; so Hesiod ^F21 speaks of bees making their nests or combs in trees. Ben Gersom thinks that bee hives were placed here in rows by the wayside, from whence the honey flowed; or "went" ^F23, or there was a going of it; perhaps the combs being pressed by the Philistines as they fled: the land of Canaan was a land flowing with milk and honey:

but no man put his hand to his mouth;
that is, took not any of the honey and ate it, though it was so near at hand, and there was plenty of it:

for the people feared the oath:
Saul adjured them by, or the imprecation he made on the person that should eat any food that day.

F20 Bibliothec. l. 17. p. 548.
F21 Hesiod, Theogon. ver. 230. Vid. Diodor. Sic. ut supra. (Bibliothec. l. 17. p. 548.)
F23 (vbd Klh) "ambulatio mellis", Montanus; "itio mellis", Drusius; so in Ovid. Metamorph. l. 1. fab. 3. "----jam flumina nectaris ibant".

1 Samuel 14:26 In-Context

24 Now Saul committed a very rash act on that day. He had laid an oath on the troops, saying, "Cursed be anyone who eats food before it is evening and I have been avenged on my enemies." So none of the troops tasted food.

25 All the troops came upon a honeycomb; and there was honey on the ground.

26 When the troops came upon the honeycomb, the honey was dripping out; but they did not put their hands to their mouths, for they feared the oath.

27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the troops with the oath; so he extended the staff that was in his hand, and dipped the tip of it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened.

28 Then one of the soldiers said, "Your father strictly charged the troops with an oath, saying, "Cursed be anyone who eats food this day.' And so the troops are faint."