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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - 1 Samuel 14:1 - 14:23
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The Philistines Defeated
v. 1. Now it came to pass upon a day, a certain day came along, that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said unto the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, the advanced post which was to guard against surprise attacks on the part of the Israelites, 1Sa_13:23, that is on the other side. But he told not his father, who probably would have forbidden the undertaking as too dangerous.
v. 2. And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah, at the extreme northern edge of the city, under a pomegranate-tree which is in Migron, the place which he had chosen being apparently well adapted for military purposes, since it was on the edge of a precipice; and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;
v. 3. and Ahiah, the son of Ahitus, Ichabod's brother, 1Sa_4:21, the son of Phinehas, the son of Ell, the Lord's priest in Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was still standing, although the ark was near Kirjath-jearim, wearing an ephod, performing the functions of the high priest. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone, it was a secret expedition on his part.
v. 4. And between the passages, the various passes which were made possible by several side valleys at that point, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, a pillar like rock with steep sides, and a sharp rock on the other side; and the name of the one was Bozez and the name of the other Seneh, and these columns guarded the pass.
v. 5. The forefront, the highest crag, of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
v. 6. And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised, the name which the Jews usually applied to the heathen that were their enemies; it may be that the Lord will work for us, in helping them overcome their enemies; for there is no restraint to the Lord, He is at perfect liberty, to save by many or by few. Jonathan's resolution was based upon the firm conviction that Israel was the people of God and that Jehovah was its almighty Lord, who would not refuse His children His assistance against the enemies of His kingdom if only they would place their trust firmly in Him.
v. 7. And his armor-bearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart, cheerfully and courageously carrying out his intention. Turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
v. 8. Then said Jonathan, proposing a sign by which he could tell whether the Lord approved of his undertaking or not, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them, purposely letting the Philistines see them as they advanced.
v. 9. If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you, this showing that they had plenty of courage for attacking; then we will stand still in our place and will not go up unto them.
v. 10. But if they say thus, Come up unto us, this showing that they did not have the courage to abandon their position, no matter how boastfully they talked, then we will go up, for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand; and this shall be a sign unto us.
v. 11. And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines, boldly showed themselves as they advanced; and the Philistines said, voicing their scornful contempt for the Israelites in general, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves, 1Sa_13:6.
v. 12. And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing, their very scornful overconfidence making them unfit for battle. And Jonathan said unto his armor-bearer, Come up after me; for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
v. 13. And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, scaling the steep cliff, and his armor-bearer after him; and they, the enemies, fell before Jonathan, he struck them down as he went along; and his armor-bearer slew after him, finishing the task left uncompleted by Jonathan.
v. 14. And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow, literally, "in about a half-furrow of a yoke of land," the ground plowed by a yoke of oxen in half a day. The twenty men, fleeing before Jonathan, were killed and lay in a row of that length along the ridge.
v. 15. And there was trembling in the host, in the main camp, in the field, and among all the people, in the entire army; the garrison, the men of the outposts, and the spoilers, the companies of plunderers, they also trembled, the panic of fright spreading by quick contagion, and the earth quaked, under the confused uproar of the Philistines; so it was a very great trembling, a terror of God, sent upon the Philistines for their destruction.
v. 16. And the watchmen of Saul, the sentinels, in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, thrown into confusion by Jonathan's attack, they dispersed hither and thither, they were disorganized and broken up, and they went on beating down one another, they were tossed to and fro and continued to be slain.
v. 17. Then said Saul, whose attention had been called to the confusion in the enemy's camp, unto the people that were with him, Number now, call the roll, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.
v. 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; it was often taken along to war, as being a symbol of God's presence.
v. 19. And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, in the effort to get some statement of God, that the noise, the confused tumult, that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased; and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand; there was no need of a special Revelation the course which he ought to take was obvious.
v. 20. And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, raised the battle-cry, and they came to the battle, advancing against the enemy; and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture, a headless confusion.
v. 21. Moreover, the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, either prisoners or levies serving in their army, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, they went over to Israel and turned their arms against their oppressors, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.
v. 22. Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in Mount Ephraim, whose ranges extended down to this neighborhood, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in battle.
v. 23. So the Lord saved Israel that day, it was an obvious display of His power; and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven, it continued, at least for a large part of the army, in a northeasterly direction. If in the battles which the Church of the Lord must wage only a few men take the lead with a courageous stand, others will follow, and even the weak and those of little faith are inspired to stand on the Lord's side.