Shmuel Alef 14:20

20 And Sha’ul and kol HaAm that were with him assembled themselves, and they went to the milchamah; and, hinei, every cherev ish was against his fellow, and there was mehumah gedolah me’od (a very great confusion).

Shmuel Alef 14:20 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 14:20

And Saul, and all the people that were with him, assembled
themselves
The six hundred men that were with him, unless we can suppose the 1000 that had been with Jonathan in Gibeah were here still, see ( 1 Samuel 13:2 )

and they came to the battle;
to the field of battle, the place where the army of the Philistines had lain encamped:

and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow;
taking one another for Hebrews, or treacherous and disaffected persons; so that, though the Israelites had neither swords nor spears, they needed none, for the Philistines destroyed one another with their own swords; and there was a

very great discomfiture;
noise, tumult, confusion, slaughter, and destruction.

Shmuel Alef 14:20 In-Context

18 And Sha’ul said unto Achiyah, Bring here the Aron HaElohim. For the Aron HaElohim was at that time with the Bnei Yisroel there.
19 And it came to pass, while Sha’ul talked to the kohen [i.e., Achiyah], that the tumult that was in the machaneh Pelishtim went on and increased; and Sha’ul said unto the kohen, Withdraw thine yad [i.e., let’s go].
20 And Sha’ul and kol HaAm that were with him assembled themselves, and they went to the milchamah; and, hinei, every cherev ish was against his fellow, and there was mehumah gedolah me’od (a very great confusion).
21 Moreover the Ivrim (Hebrews) that were with the Pelishtim (Philistines) before that time, which went up with them into the machaneh from the country round about, even they also turned to be with them of Yisroel that were with Sha’ul and Yonatan.
22 Likewise all the Ish Yisroel which had hid themselves in Har Ephrayim, when they heard that the Pelishtim fled, even they also followed hard after them in the milchamah (battle).
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.