1 SAMUEL 14



Jonathan Defeats the Philistines



1 A day came that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man that

bore his armor, "Come, and let us cross over to the Philistine garrison

which is on the other side." But he did not tell his father.

2 (1Sa 13:15-16) Now Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah

under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people

that were with him were about six hundred men.

3 (1Sa 2:28; 4:21) And Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother,

the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh,

was wearing the ephod. But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

4 (1Sa 13:23) Between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over

to the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side,

and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of the one was Bozez,

and the name of the other Seneh.

5 The crag of the one rose north opposite Mikmash,

and the other faced southward opposite Geba.

6 (1Sa 17:26; 17:36) Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor,

"Come, and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised.

Perhaps the Lord will work for us. For the Lord is not limited

to save by many or by few."

7 His armor bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart.

Turn yourself, and I will be with you according to your heart."

8 (Jdg 7:9-14) Then Jonathan said, "Now we will cross over to these men,

and we will reveal ourselves to them.

9 If they say to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still

in our place, and we will not go up to them.

10 (Ge 24:14) But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up,

for the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us."

11 (1Sa 13:6; 14:22) So the two of them revealed themselves to the garrison

of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, "Look, the Hebrews are coming

out of the caves where they have hidden themselves."

12 (1Sa 17:43-44; 2Sa 5:24) The men of the garrison answered Jonathan

and his armor bearer, and said,

"Come up to us, and we will teach you something."

So Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come up after me.

For the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel."

13 Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet with his armor

bearer behind him. And they fell before Jonathan. And his armor bearer

was dealing death blows after him.

14 That first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer made,

was about twenty men within about a half-acre field.

15 (1Sa 13:17; Ge 35:5) There was trembling in the camp, in the field,

and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled,

and the ground quaked. It was the fear of God.

16 The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold,

the multitude melted away, and they went even here and there.

17 Then Saul said to the people that were with him,

"Number now, and see who has gone from us."

And when they had numbered, Jonathan nor his armor bearer were there.

18 Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring here the ark of God." For the ark of God was

at that time with the children of Israel.

19 (Nu 27:21) It came to pass, while Saul talked to the priest,

that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines went on

and increased. So Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."

20 (Jdg 7:22; 2Ch 20:23) Saul and all the people who were

with him assembled, and they went to the battle. And every man's sword

was against his fellow, so that there was very great confusion.

21 (1Sa 29:4) Even the Hebrews who were with the Philistines the days

before, who went up with them into the camp from the country round

about, even they also turned to be with the children of Israel that were

with Saul and Jonathan.

22 (1Sa 13:6) Also all of Israel's fighting men, who had hidden themselves

in mountains of Ephraim, heard that the Philistines fled, and even they

followed hard after them in the battle.

23 (Ex 14:30; 1Sa 13:5) So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle

passed beyond Beth Aven.



[1] Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto

the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the

Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his

father.

[2] And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate

tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six

hundred men;

[3] And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, I-chabod's brother, the son of Phinehas,

the son of Eli, the LORD's priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the

people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

[4] And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the

Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side and a sharp

rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of

the other Seneh.

[5] The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash,

and the other southward over against Gibeah.

[6] And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let

us go over unto 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] And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn

thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.

[8] Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we

will discover ourselves unto them.

[9] If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand

still in our place, and will not go up unto them.

[10] But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD

hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.

[11] And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the

Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of

the holes where they had hid themselves.

[12] And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and

said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto

his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into

the hand of Israel.

[13] And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his

armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer

slew after him.

[14] And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was

about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of

oxen might plow.

[15] And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the

people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth

quaked: so it was a very great trembling.

[16] And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the

multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

[17] Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see

who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his

armourbearer were not there.

[18] And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of

God was at that time with the children of Israel.

[19] And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise

that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said

unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.

[20] And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves,

and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his

fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

[21] Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time,

which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even

they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.

[22] Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount

Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed

hard after them in the battle.

[23] So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto

Beth-aven.



Saul's Rash Oath



24 (Jos 6:26) Now Israel's fighting men were distressed that day.

For Saul had placed the people under a curse, saying,

"Cursed is the man that eats any food before it is evening,

and I have been avenged on my enemies."

So none of the people tasted any food.

25 All the people of the land came to the forest, and there was honey

on the ground.

26 When the people came into the forest there was flowing honey.

But no man put his hand to his mouth, because the people feared the oath.

27 (1Sa 30:12; 14:43) But Jonathan had not heard when his father made

the people swear. Therefore he put forward the end of the rod that was

in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb. Then he put his hand to his

mouth, and his eyes were brightened.

28 Then one of the people answered, and said, "Your father surely made

the people swear, saying, 'Cursed is the man that eats any food this day.' "

And the people were weary.

29 (1Ki 18:18) Then said Jonathan, "My father has troubled the land.

See how my eyes have brightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.

30 How much more, if the people had surely eaten freely today of the spoil

of their enemies which they found? But now the defeat of the Philistines

has not been great."

31 (Jos 10:12) And they struck the Philistines that day from Mikmash

to Aijalon, and the people were very weary.

32 (Lev 3:17; 1Sa 15:19) The people rushed upon the spoil;

they took sheep, oxen, and calves and slew them on the ground.

And the people ate them with the blood.

33 Then they reported to Saul, saying, "Look, the people are sinning against

the Lord by eating the blood."

And he said, "You have dealt faithlessly. Roll a great stone to me this day."

34 Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them,

'Bring to me here every man his ox or sheep. And slaughter them here,

and eat. But you shall not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.' '

And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night,

and slew them there.

35 (1Sa 7:17) And Saul built an altar to the Lord. It was the first altar

that he built to the Lord.

36 Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night

and plunder them until the morning light. And let us not leave a man of them."

And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you."

Then the priest said, "Let us draw near here to God."

37 (1Sa 28:6) Saul asked of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines?

Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But He did not answer him

that day.

38 (1Sa 10:19-20) Saul said, "Come here, all you leaders of the people,

and observe and see how this sin has come about this day.

39 (1Sa 14:44; 2Sa 12:5) For, as the Lord lives, who saves Israel,

even if it is in Jonathan my son, he will surely die."

But there was not one who answered him from among all the people.

40 Then he said to all Israel, "You will be on one side, and I and Jonathan

my son will be on the other side."

And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you."

41 (Ac 1:24; Jos 7:16-18) Therefore Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel,

“Give a perfect lot.” And Saul and Jonathan were taken,

but the people escaped.

42 Saul said, "Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son."

And Jonathan was taken.

43 (Jos 7:19; 1Sa 14:27) Then Saul said to Jonathan,

"Tell me what you have done."

And Jonathan told him, and said,

"I indeed tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was

in my hand. Here I am. I must die."

44 (Ru 1:17; 1Sa 14:39) Saul said, "May God do so to me and more also,

for you will surely die, Jonathan."

45 (2Sa 14:11; 1Ki 1:52) The people said to Saul, "Will Jonathan die, who has

worked this great salvation in Israel? God forbid. As the Lord lives,

there will not one hair of his head fall to the ground.

For he has worked with God this day." So the people rescued Jonathan,

and he did not die.

46 Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines

went to their own place.

47 (2Sa 10:6) So Saul took the kingdom over Israel and fought against

all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the Ammonites,

against Edom and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines.

Whatever place he turned himself, he defeated them.

48 He gathered an army, and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel

out of the hand of its plunderers.