CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
1 Samuel 14
Chapter 14 of 31
Chapter Overview
What happens in 1 Samuel 14
Jonathan and his armor-bearer bravely attack a Philistine outpost with just the two of them, trusting that God can save with few or many. God sends confusion among the Philistines, and Israel wins a great victory. But Saul's foolish oath nearly costs Jonathan his life.
Scripture
1 Samuel 14
Jonathan's Bold Plan
Study note
Without telling his father, Jonathan took his armor-bearer and set out to attack the Philistine outpost. He had to climb between two steep rocky cliffs named Bozez and Seneh to reach the enemy. Jonathan's faith was remarkable: he said, 'Nothing can stop the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.' He proposed a test: if the Philistines told them to come up, it would be God's sign that he would give them victory. The Philistines mocked them and told them to come up, so Jonathan and his armor-bearer climbed up and killed about twenty men in their first attack.
1 One day, Jonathan turned to the young man who carried his armor and said, "Come on, let us sneak over to the Philistine outpost on the other side of this pass." He did not breathe a word about it to his father. 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 At the time, Saul was camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, sitting under a pomegranate tree at a place called Migron. About six hundred men were with him. 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 One of them was Ahijah the priest, who wore the priestly ephod. He was the son of Ahitub, who was the brother of Ichabod, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord's former priest at Shiloh. Nobody had any idea that Jonathan had slipped away. 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 The pass Jonathan planned to use to reach the Philistine outpost had a steep rocky cliff on each side. One was called Bozez and the other was called Seneh. 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 One cliff faced northward toward Michmash, and the other faced southward toward Geba. The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
6 Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Let us cross over to the outpost of these men who do not know God. Maybe the Lord will fight for us. After all, nothing can stop the Lord from winning a victory, whether he uses a mighty army or just a couple of people." 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 His armor-bearer said, "Go for it. Whatever you decide, I am right behind you all the way." 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 Jonathan laid out the plan: "All right, here is what we are going to do. We will walk out into the open where the Philistines can see us." Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.
9 "If they tell us, 'Stay there and wait for us to come down to you,' then we will stay put and not go up." 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, 'Come on up here,' then we will climb up. That will be the Lord's signal that he has handed them over to us." 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 So the two of them stepped out where the Philistine outpost could see them. The Philistines laughed and said, "Look at that! The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they have been hiding in!" 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 The soldiers at the outpost yelled down to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, "Come on up here! We will teach you a lesson or two!" Jonathan turned to his armor-bearer with excitement: "Follow me up! The Lord has given them to Israel!" 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 Jonathan scrambled up the cliff on his hands and knees. His armor-bearer was right on his heels. Philistine soldiers went down in front of Jonathan, and his armor-bearer came behind, finishing them off. 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 In that first burst of fighting, Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed about twenty men. This happened in a space about half an acre in size. 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.
God Sends Panic Among the Philistines
Study note
After Jonathan's attack, God sent a great earthquake and panic throughout the entire Philistine army. The Philistine soldiers were so confused that they began fighting each other. Saul's watchmen noticed the Philistine camp falling apart. After a quick roll call, Saul discovered Jonathan and his armor-bearer were missing. As the chaos grew, even the Israelites who had been hiding or had joined the Philistines came back to fight. God saved Israel that day.
15 Sheer terror ripped through the entire Philistine army: the soldiers in the camp, the troops in the field, the men at the outpost, and even the raiding parties. On top of that, the ground itself started shaking. It was a panic sent straight from God. 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 Saul's lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin watched as the Philistine army fell apart. The soldiers scattered in every direction. 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 Saul said to his soldiers, "Do a head count. Find out who left our camp." They checked and discovered that Jonathan and his armor-bearer were gone. 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 Saul told Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God over here." The ark of God was with the Israelites at that time. 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 But while Saul was still talking to the priest, the roar coming from the Philistine camp kept growing louder and louder. Saul finally told the priest, "Forget it. Put your hand down. There is no time." 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 Saul and his soldiers rushed to the battle. When they arrived, they found complete chaos. The Philistines were so confused they were swinging their swords at each other. 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 Even the Israelites who had earlier switched sides and joined the Philistines changed their minds. They came back and rejoined Saul and Jonathan. 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 On top of that, the Israelite men who had been hiding in the hills of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run. They came pouring out and joined the chase, attacking the fleeing enemy. 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 The Lord rescued Israel that day, and the battle pushed past Beth-aven. So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven.
Saul's Foolish Oath
Study note
Saul had made his soldiers swear an oath not to eat any food until evening, wanting to press the attack against the Philistines. This weakened his army. Jonathan had not heard the oath, so when he found honey in the forest, he ate some and felt refreshed. When told about his father's oath, Jonathan criticized the decision, saying the victory would have been even greater if the soldiers had been allowed to eat. That evening, the starving soldiers slaughtered animals and ate the meat with the blood still in it, which was against God's law. Saul had to set up a proper slaughtering stone to prevent further sin.
24 The Israelite soldiers were running on empty that day. Saul had forced them to swear an oath, saying, "No one eats a single bite of food before evening, not until I have taken full revenge on my enemies." So none of the soldiers had eaten anything. And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.
25 The army marched into a forest, and there was honey all over the ground. And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground.
26 When the soldiers entered the forest and saw the honey oozing everywhere, not one person dared to taste it. They were too afraid of the oath. And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath.
27 Jonathan, however, had not heard his father make the army take that oath. He dipped the tip of his walking staff into a honeycomb and tasted it. Immediately, his eyes lit up with fresh energy. But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.
28 One of the soldiers spoke up and told him, "Your father made the whole army swear a solemn oath today, saying, 'Cursed is anyone who eats food today.' Therefore everyone is so exhausted." Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint.
29 Jonathan shook his head and said, "My father has made things worse for all of us. Look at how much energy I got from just a small taste of honey." Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
30 "Imagine if the soldiers had been able to eat freely from the food they captured from the enemy today. The victory over the Philistines would have been even bigger." How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?
31 That day Israel chased the Philistines all the way from Michmash to Aijalon. By then, the soldiers were completely worn out. And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint.
32 The starving troops threw themselves at the plunder. They grabbed sheep, cattle, and calves, and slaughtered them there on the ground. They ate the meat without properly draining the blood first. And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.
33 Someone ran and told Saul, "The people are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it!" Saul responded, "They have broken the law! Quick, roll a big stone over to me right now." Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day.
34 Then Saul gave orders: "Go out among the troops and tell every person to bring their cattle and sheep right here. They are to butcher the animals properly on this stone and eat them the right way. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood in it." So that night, everyone brought their animals and slaughtered them there. And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.
35 Saul built an altar to the Lord. It was the very first altar he had ever built for the Lord. And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: the same was the first altar that he built unto the LORD.
Jonathan Nearly Put to Death
Study note
That night when Saul tried to get guidance from God about pursuing the Philistines, God did not answer. Saul assumed someone had sinned and cast lots to find the guilty person. The lot fell on Jonathan, who admitted he had tasted a little honey. Saul declared that Jonathan must die, but the soldiers refused to allow it. They rescued Jonathan, pointing out that God had used him to win the great victory that day. This incident further showed Saul's poor judgment as a leader.
36 Saul said, "Let us go after the Philistines tonight! We can raid them until daybreak and wipe them out completely." His soldiers said, "Whatever you think is best." But the priest spoke up: "We should ask God first." And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God.
37 So Saul asked God, "Should I go after the Philistines? Will you hand them over to Israel?" But God gave him no answer that day. And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.
38 Saul said, "Every leader, come over here. We need to figure out what sin was committed today." And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.
39 "I swear by the living Lord who saves Israel: even if the guilty person turns out to be my own son Jonathan, he will have to die for it." Not a single person in the crowd said a word. For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
40 Saul said to all the Israelites, "All of you stand on one side. Jonathan and I will stand on the other side." The people replied, "Do whatever seems right to you." Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee.
41 Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, "Give us a clear answer." The lot fell on Saul and Jonathan, and the rest of the people were cleared. Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.
42 Saul said, "Now cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan." The lot fell on Jonathan. And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
43 Saul demanded, "Tell me what you did." Jonathan confessed, "All I did was dip the tip of my staff into some honey and taste a little bit. And now I have to die for that?" Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.
44 Saul declared, "May God strike me dead if you do not die for this, Jonathan." And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
45 And the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he did not die. And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
46 After that, Saul stopped chasing the Philistines. The Philistines went back to their own land. Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place.
Summary of Saul's Reign and Family
Study note
This section summarizes Saul's military campaigns against enemies on all sides, including Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, the Philistines, and the Amalekites. It also lists his family: his sons Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-shua; his daughters Merab and Michal; his wife Ahinoam; and his army commander Abner, his cousin. The chapter ends noting the constant warfare with the Philistines throughout Saul's reign and his habit of recruiting any strong or brave man he found.
47 Once Saul was firmly in place as king of Israel, he fought enemies on every side. He fought Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. No matter which way he turned, he won. So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.
48 He fought bravely and beat the Amalekites. He saved Israel from everyone who had been attacking them. And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them.
49 Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-shua. He had two daughters: Merab, the older one, and Michal, the younger one. Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchi-shua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:
50 Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. His army commander was Abner, the son of Ner, who was Saul's uncle. And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.
51 Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were both sons of the same man, Abiel. And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
52 The war with the Philistines dragged on fiercely for as long as Saul lived. Whenever Saul came across a strong or brave man, he drafted him into his army. And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.
Key Themes
Themes in 1 Samuel 14
Bold faith trusting God can save with few or manyThe contrast between jonathan's faith and saul's foolishnessRash vows creating unnecessary burdensGod's deliverance coming through unexpected means
Apply This Today
Living 1 Samuel 14
Jonathan's declaration 'Nothing can stop the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few' is one of the great faith statements in Scripture. His bold initiative contrasts sharply with Saul's rash oath that nearly cost Jonathan his life. True faith takes risks for God; foolish religion creates burdens. Our role is to trust God and act courageously, not to try to control outcomes through rigid rules.
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