Jonathan Defeats the Philistines
1 One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.”But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave at Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3 including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lordin Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.
1. Why would Jonathan take it upon himself to venture into Philistine territory and eventually attacks an overwhelmingly greater military force?
Armed with trust in God and courage Jonathan ventured out to destroy Israel’s enemy in obedience to God’s command to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan. He would have made a good king of Israel. Saul remained in Gibeah, evidently on the defensive. His comfortable position under a fruit tree in secure Gibeah, surrounded by his soldiers, contrasts with Jonathan’s vulnerable and difficult position with only the support of his armor bearer. Jonathan was launching out in faith to obey God, but Saul was resting comfortably and failing to do God’s will. CN
Jonathan’s act of trust in God in this chapter is sandwiched between two instances of Saul’s disobedience in chs. 13 and 15. The narrator thus clearly contrasts Saul and Jonathan before dealing with Saul and David. ESVN
Saul and the Israelite army seem to be at a standoff with the Philistines. Chapter 14 begins with Jonathan and his armor bearer leaving the safety of their fellow warriors and heading out into Philistine territory. Jonathan takes the initiative to wage some kind of attack on the Philistine outpost with only his armor bearer to accompany him. It seems fairly clear that the author wants his readers to appreciate the stark contrast between Saul, who should have been leading his troops in battle, and Jonathan.. In the Presence of My Enemies Study By: Bob Deffinbaugh
The Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves. Deut 11:23 (ESV)
Jonathan took this seriously while his father wanted to coexist with the Philistines and not cause problems.
4 Within the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. 6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” 7 And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul.” 8 Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show 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 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’then we will go up, for the Lordhas given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us.”
2. What kind of military strategy is this?
This is a very clever and effective tactic. Attack your enemy at his weakest and least protected point. The British General Allenby read this chapter of 1 Samuel the night before he made his successful attack upon the Turks in World War I. Confront your enemy if possible in a an area where the topography does not allow him to bring all his forces into play. The 300 Spartan did this in the Battle of at Thermopylae, a mountain pass in eastern Greece, where the Greeks, although greatly outnumbered, were able to hold off the massive Persian army. In Israel’s case, this strategy certainly worked to their advantage since Israel was hopelessly out-numbered and almost unarmed.
3. Ultimately how is Jonathan going to decide when to attack?
“if they say, ‘Come up to us,’then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us.”
He is depending on God to show him a sign. If the enemy invites him up, which would be very unusual, that is a sign from God. The enemy mistakenly believed Jonathan and his side-kick were deserters who were trying to join the Philistines. It was implausible to believe that two guys would scale up the side of a narrow rocky canyon and attack an army of thousands.
Henry Blackaby in his book Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God talks about how we can determine the will of God by paying attention to circumstances around us. Look for how things are developing and especially out of the ordinary changes.
4. Why would Jonathan think that he and his armor bearer would be able to succeed in this attack?
“for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few ”In spite of what things looked like, Jonathan believed that if God was with them the odds were then on their side. This was the same kind of faith that David had, who ran to meet the giant Goliath. Jonathan and David became close friends based on their shared faith in The Almighty one. In our present PC society with all the “it takes a village” type of thinking, the concept of the “Power of One” is lost. Most of the changes in history were the result of one person.
If God is for us, who is against us? Romans 8:31
11 So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.”12 And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.”And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.” 13 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him. 14 And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land. 15 And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic.
5. How could these two guys cause such a panic?
The sight of bodies strewn all over this half acre of land as a result of Jonathan and his armor-bearer caused the Philistines to panic. Fear is contagious in battle. The fog of war is powerful and has turned the tide of battle many times in history. The literal language seems to imply that God caused the panic and the quaking. During Desert Storm the Iraqi soldiers were so terrified of the American Military that they could not surrender fast enough. It became a problem because our forces did not know what to do with all of the POW’s.
16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was dispersing here and there. 17 Then Saul said to the people who were with him,“Count and see who has gone from us.” And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. 18 So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.”For the ark of God went at that time with the people of Israel. 19 Now while Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, every Philistine’s sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. 21 Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise, when all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle. 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day. And the battle passed beyond Beth-aven.
6. So what is Saul doing while Jonathan is out attacking the enemy?
Meanwhile, his father Saul is sitting in the shade of the pomegranate tree on the outskirts of Gibeah along with about 600 Israelite soldiers. It seems fairly clear that the author wants his readers to appreciate the stark contrast between Saul, who should have been leading his troops in battle, and Jonathan. Saul is sitting under the shade of “the” pomegranate tree. He’s sipping his iced tea, waiting for an opportune moment to go to war. Jonathan is not a“shade tree” kind of soldier, and thus he and his armor bearer set out for the Philistine outpost, where they will engage the Philistines.
I suspect that Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing because Saul was not really that interested in fighting, and he probably would have forbidden him. Jonathan and his armor bearer scaled the steep cliff to engage the Philistines. Jonathan’s words to his armor bearer reveal that he is truly a man “after God’s heart” just as David is. Bob Deffinbaugh
7. How does the battle progress?
Saul realizes that Jonathan and his armor-bearing are missing, he get reports of what sounds like fighting, he decides to take his forces and enter into the fight, the Philistines are confused and begin killing each other, the men of Ephraim crawl out of the caves where they were hiding and join the battle and even Hebrews who had sided with the Philistines also turn on the enemies of Israel.
8. What’s this about the Ark being brought up to the battle?
The LXX reads “ephod” instead of “ark,” and this seems more likely since the ark was at Kiriath-jearim and the language of 14:19 better fits the ephod (v. 3) than the ark.
14:19 Withdraw your hand. Saul, in a hurry, ordered the priest to stop the inquiry into the will of the Lord. MSBN
This goes back to the book of Exodus where the ephod that the high priest wore had a pocket which contained two stones. The high priest would ask a yes or no answer of God and then pull out one of the stones. Whichever one happened to be picked was God’s answer.
Saul tells the priest to stop the inquiry because the answer is obvious.
Saul’s Rash Vow
24 And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies.” So none of the people had tasted food. 25 Now when all the people came to the forest, behold, there was honey on the ground. 26 And when the people entered the forest, behold, the honey was dropping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, so he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright. 28 Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food this day.’” And the people were faint. 29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great.”31 They struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint. 32 The people pounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul,“Behold, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating with the blood.” And he said, “You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here.”34 And Saul said,“Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Let every man bring his ox or his sheep and slaughter them here and eat, and do not sin against theLord by eating with the blood.’”So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night and they slaughtered them there. 35 And Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord. 36 Then Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” But the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” 37 And Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day. 38 And Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today. 39 For as the Lord lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, “You shall 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 Therefore Saul said, “O Lord God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant this day? If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, OLord, God of Israel, give Urim. But if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim.”And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped. 42 Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.”And Jonathan was taken. 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan,
“Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die.” 44 And Saul said, “God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan.” 45 Then the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the Lordlives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die. 46 Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.
9. What just happened here?
It is becoming very obvious that Saul is not the brightest bulb on the tree. He never seems to pray or consult God until things fall apart.
It is at this point that Saul issues a foolish order. He puts all of his men under an oath that they will not eat until they have given Saul vengeance on his enemies.5Neither Jonathan nor his armor bearer were aware of such an oath, and thus when he came upon a honeycomb in the forest, he ate and was greatly strengthened. Saul’s men came upon the honey, but none of them dared to eat of it. The end result was that Saul’s men lacked the strength to press on in the battle. When someone informed Jonathan of the oath Saul had imposed on his men, his son saw the folly of his father’s actions.
Worse yet, when the weary soldiers came upon the spoils of war – sheep and cattle –they were so famished that they slaughtered and ate them, blood and all.
10 ‘ And any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. 11 ~’For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’ 12 Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘No person among you may eat blood, nor may any alien who sojourns among you eat blood.’ 13 So when any man from the sons of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, in hunting catches a beast or a bird which may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. 14 ” For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.’ Lev 17:10-14 (NASB)
This was breaking the covenant on a large scale, and thus Saul was forced to build an altar (a first for Saul).
Finally, Saul was ready to do battle again, but the priest urged him to consult God. So they did, but God did not respond. Saul concluded that this was due to sin, and so the lot was cast and Jonathan was indicated. Somehow I don’t get the impression that Saul was surprised.Saul seems a bit too eager to put his son to death; at least there is no indication of reluctance.
Saul said, “God will punish me severely if Jonathan doesn’t die!” (1 Samuel 14:44)
Saul is an extremely insecure and jealous man. His animosity toward his own son is very similar toward how he reacted to David’s success.
And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” 8 And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 And Saul eyed David from that day on. 10 The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house. 1 Sam 18:7-10 (ESV)
Saul’s men were not about to allow this to happen to Jonathan. They recognized that their victory over the Philistines was due to Jonathan’s leadership, and not Saul’s:
But the army said to Saul, “Should Jonathan, who won this great victory in Israel, die? May it never be!As surely as the Lord lives, not a single hair of his head will fall to the ground! For it is with the help of God that he has acted today.” So the army rescuedJonathan from death (1 Samuel 14:45).
Jonathan was spared, and the Israelites gave up their pursuit of the Philistines. One has to wonder if the confrontation with the Philistines and their champion, Goliath, would have been necessary if it had not been for Saul’s folly.
Saul Fights Israel’s Enemies
47 When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned he routed them. 48 And he did valiantly and struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them. 49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn was Merab, and the name of the younger Michal. 50 And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. 51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. 52 There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he attached him to himself.
10. What can we conclude from this recap of “all the days of Saul’?
In spite of all of Saul’s stupidity, impulsiveness, and lack of spiritual maturity, God still used his for His purposes.
· ESVN………….ESV Study Bible Notes
· MSBN…….MacArthur NASB Study Notes
· NIVSN…..NIV Study Notes.
· JVM ….J Vernon McGee,
· ACC …. Adam Clarke’s Commentary
· BN …..Barnes Notes
· WBC…… Wycliffe Bible Commentary
· CN ……Constables Notes
· IC……….Ironside Commentary
· NET………Net Bible Study Notes.
· JFB…………..Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary
· VWS……………..Vincent Word Studies
· CMM………….Commentary on Matthew and Mark
· BDB…………..Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
· Darby………..John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT
· Johnson………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament.
· NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary: Matthew and Mark.
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