1 Samuel 14:1-11

1 Now it fell on a day, that Yonatan the son of Sha'ul said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the Pelishtim' garrison, that is on yonder side. But he didn't tell his father.

2 Sha'ul abode in the uttermost part of Gevah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people who were with him were about six hundred men;

3 and Achiyah, the son of Achituv, Ikhavod's brother, the son of Pinechas, the son of `Eli, the Kohen of the LORD in Shiloh, wearing an efod. The people didn't know that Yonatan was gone.

4 Between the passes, by which Yonatan sought to go over to the Pelishtim' garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side: and the name of the one was Botzetz, and the name of the other Senneh.

5 The one crag rose up on the north in front of Mikhmash, and the other on the south in front of Geva.

6 Yonatan said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us; for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.

7 His armor bearer said to him, Do all that is in your heart: turn you, behold, I am with you according to your heart.

8 Then said Yonatan, Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will disclose ourselves to them.

9 If they say thus to us, Wait until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up to them.

10 But if they say thus, Come up to us; then we will go up; for the LORD has delivered them into our hand: and this shall be the sign to us.

11 Both of them disclosed themselves to the garrison of the Pelishtim: and the Pelishtim said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.

1 Samuel 14:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 14

This chapter gives an account of an adventure of Jonathan and his armourbearer smiting a garrison of the Philistines, 1Sa 14:1-14, which with other circumstances struck terror into the whole army; which being observed by Saul's spies, he and his men went out against them, and being joined by others, pursued them, and obtained a complete victory, 1Sa 14:15-23, but what sullied the glory of the day was a rash oath of Saul's, adjuring the people not to eat any food till evening which Jonathan not hearing of ignorantly broke, 1Sa 14:24-31 and which long fasting made the people so ravenous, that they slew their cattle, and ate them with the blood, contrary to the law of God, for which they were reproved by Saul, 1Sa 14:32-34, upon which he built an altar, and inquired of the Lord whether he should pursue the Philistines all that night till morning, but had no answer; which made him conclude sin was committed, and which he inquired after, declaring that if it was his own son Jonathan that had committed it he should surely die, 1Sa 14:35-39, the people being silent, he cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonathan; who had it not been for the resolution of the people that rescued him out of his hands, because of the great salvation he had wrought, must have died, 1Sa 14:40-46 and the chapter is cited with an account of Saul's battles with the neighbouring nations in general, and of his family, 1Sa 14:47-52.