1 Samuel 14:2-12

2 Sha'ul was waiting at the far edge of Giv'ah under the pomegranate tree in Migron; the force with him numbered about 600 men.

3 Achiyah the son of Achituv, I-Khavod's brother, the son of Pinchas the son of 'Eli, the cohen of ADONAI in Shiloh, was carrying a ritual vest. No one knew that Y'honatan had gone.

4 Between the passes by which Y'honatan was trying to cross to the garrison of the P'lishtim, there was a rocky spur on one side and another rocky spur on the other side; the name of the one was Botzetz, and of the other, Seneh.

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

6 Y'honatan said to his armor-bearer, "Come on, let's go across to the garrison of these uncircumcised people. Maybe ADONAI will do something for us, since ADONAI can rescue with a few people as easily as with many."

7 His armor-bearer replied, "Do everything you think you should; I'm with you, whatever you decide."

8 Y'honatan said, "Here, we'll cross over to those men and let them know we're there.

9 If they say, 'Wait till we come to you,' we'll stand still where we are and not go up to them.

10 But if they say,'Come up to us,' we'll go on up; and that will be the sign that ADONAI has given us victory over them."

11 So both of them let their presence be known to the garrison of the P'lishtim; and the P'lishtim said, "Look, some Hebrews coming out of the holes they've been hiding in!"

12 Then the men of the garrison said to Y'honatan and his armor-bearer, "Come up to us; we want to show you something." Y'honatan told his armor-bearer, "Come on up after me, for ADONAI has handed them over to Isra'el."

1 Samuel 14:2-12 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.