[[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[1 Samuel Overview]] | [[1 Samuel 13]] | [[1 Samuel 15]] # 1 Samuel 14 📖 > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts]] [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) [[#Verse 01.]] Then one day Jonathan son of Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to the Philistine garrison that is opposite us.” But he did not let his father know. [[#Verse 02.]] Now Saul was sitting under a pomegranate tree in Migron, on the outskirts of Gibeah. The army that was with him numbered about 600 men.  [[#Verse 03.]] Now Ahijah was carrying an ephod. He was the son of Ahitub, who was the brother of Ichabod and a son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh. The army was unaware that Jonathan had left. [[#Verse 04.]] Now there was a steep cliff on each side of the pass through which Jonathan intended to go to reach the Philistine garrison. One cliff was named Bozez, the other Seneh.  [[#Verse 05.]] The cliff to the north was closer to Micmash, the one to the south closer to Geba. [[#Verse 06.]] Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will intervene for us. Nothing can prevent the Lord from delivering, whether by many or by a few.”  [[#Verse 07.]] His armor-bearer said to him, “Do everything that is on your mind. Do as you’re inclined. I’m with you all the way!” [[#Verse 08.]] Jonathan replied, “All right. We’ll go over to these men and fight them.  [[#Verse 09.]] If they say to us, ‘Stay put until we approach you,’ we will stay right there and not go up to them.  [[#Verse 10.]] But if they say, ‘Come up against us,’ we will go up. For in that case the Lord has given them into our hand—it will be a sign to us.” [[#Verse 11.]] When they made themselves known to the Philistine garrison, the Philistines said, “Look! The Hebrews are coming out of the holes in which they hid themselves.” [[#Verse 12.]] Then the men of the garrison said to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come on up to us so we can teach you a thing or two!” Then Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up behind me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel!” [[#Verse 13.]] Jonathan crawled up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer following behind him. Jonathan struck down the Philistines, while his armor-bearer came along behind him and killed them.  [[#Verse 14.]] In this initial skirmish Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about twenty men in an area that measured half an acre. [[#Verse 15.]] Then fear overwhelmed those who were in the camp, those who were in the field, all the army in the garrison, and the raiding bands. They trembled and the ground shook. This fear was caused by God. [[#Verse 16.]] Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin looked on as the crowd of soldiers seemed to melt away first in one direction and then in another.  [[#Verse 17.]] So Saul said to the army that was with him, “Muster the troops and see who is no longer with us.” When they mustered the troops, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.  [[#Verse 18.]] So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring near the ephod,” for he was at that time wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites. [[#Verse 19.]] While Saul spoke to the priest, the panic in the Philistines’ camp was becoming greater and greater. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” [[#Verse 20.]] Saul and all the army assembled and marched into battle, where they found the Philistines in total panic killing one another with their swords.  [[#Verse 21.]] The Hebrews who had earlier gone over to the Philistine side joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.  [[#Verse 22.]] When all the Israelites who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, they too pursued them in battle.  [[#Verse 23.]] So the Lord delivered Israel that day, and the battle shifted over to Beth Aven. ### Jonathan Violates Saul’s Oath [[#Verse 24.]] Now the men of Israel were hard pressed that day, for Saul had made the army agree to this oath: “Cursed be the man who eats food before evening. I will get my vengeance on my enemies!” So no one in the army ate anything. [[#Verse 25.]] Now the whole army entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground.  [[#Verse 26.]] When the army entered the forest, they saw the honey flowing, but no one ate any of it, for the army was afraid of the oath. [[#Verse 27.]] But Jonathan had not heard about the oath his father had made the army take. He extended the end of his staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb. When he ate it, his eyes gleamed.  [[#Verse 28.]] Then someone from the army informed him, “Your father put the army under a strict oath saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food today.’ That is why the army is tired.”  [[#Verse 29.]] Then Jonathan said, “My father has caused trouble for the land. See how my eyes gleamed when I tasted just a little of this honey.  [[#Verse 30.]] Certainly if the army had eaten some of the enemies’ provisions that they came across today, would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?” [[#Verse 31.]] On that day the army struck down the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon, and they became very tired.  [[#Verse 32.]] So the army rushed greedily on the plunder, confiscating sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them right on the ground, and the army ate them, blood and all. [[#Verse 33.]] Now it was reported to Saul, “Look, the army is sinning against the Lord by eating even the blood.” He said, “All of you have broken the covenant! Roll a large stone over here to me.”  [[#Verse 34.]] Then Saul said, “Scatter out among the army and say to them, ‘Each of you bring to me your ox and sheep and slaughter them in this spot and eat. But don’t sin against the Lord by eating the blood.” So that night each one brought his ox and slaughtered it there.  [[#Verse 35.]] Then Saul built an altar for the Lord; it was the first time he had built an altar for the Lord. [[#Verse 36.]] Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines at night; we will rout them until the break of day. We won’t leave any of them alive!” They replied, “Do whatever seems best to you.” But the priest said, “Let’s approach God here.”  [[#Verse 37.]] So Saul asked God, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day. [[#Verse 38.]] Then Saul said, “All you leaders of the army come here. Find out how this sin occurred today. [[#Verse 39.]] For as surely as the Lord, the deliverer of Israel, lives, even if it turns out to be my own son Jonathan, he will certainly die!” But no one from the army said anything. [[#Verse 40.]] Then he said to all Israel, “You will be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side.” The army replied to Saul, “Do whatever you think is best.” [[#Verse 41.]] Then Saul said, “O Lord God of Israel! If this sin has been committed by me or by my son Jonathan, then, O Lord God of Israel, respond with Urim. But if this sin has been committed by your people Israel, respond with Thummim.” Then Jonathan and Saul were indicated by lot, while the army was exonerated. [[#Verse 42.]] Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan!” Jonathan was indicated by lot. [[#Verse 43.]] So Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” Jonathan told him, “I used the end of the staff that was in my hand to taste a little honey. I must die!”  [[#Verse 44.]] Saul said, “God will punish me severely if Jonathan doesn’t die!” [[#Verse 45.]] 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 rescued Jonathan from death. [[#Verse 46.]] Then Saul stopped chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines went back home.  [[#Verse 47.]] After Saul had secured his royal position over Israel, he fought against all their enemies on all sides—the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. In every direction that he turned, he was victorious. [[#Verse 48.]] He fought bravely, striking down the Amalekites and delivering Israel from the hand of its enemies. ### Members of Saul’s Family [[#Verse 49.]] The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-Shua. He had two daughters; the older one was named Merab and the younger Michal.  [[#Verse 50.]] The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the general in command of his army was Abner son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.  [[#Verse 51.]] Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. [[#Verse 52.]] There was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. So whenever Saul saw anyone who was a warrior or a brave individual, he would conscript him. ## ==📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary== ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ###### Verse 19. ###### Verse 20. ###### Verse 21. ###### Verse 22. ###### Verse 23. ###### Verse 24. ###### Verse 25. ###### Verse 26. ###### Verse 27. ###### Verse 28. ###### Verse 29. ###### Verse 30. ###### Verse 31. ###### Verse 32. ###### Verse 33. ###### Verse 34. ###### Verse 35. ###### Verse 36. ###### Verse 37. ###### Verse 38. ###### Verse 39. ###### Verse 40. ###### Verse 41. ###### Verse 42. ###### Verse 43. ###### Verse 44. ###### Verse 45. ###### Verse 46. ###### Verse 47. ###### Verse 48. ###### Verse 49. ###### Verse 50. ###### Verse 51. ###### Verse 52. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) Write down things that are not straight from commentary but interesting facts that ground the text in history. %% ## 🧠 Chapter Summary - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) Write a short paragraph (3–5 sentences) summarizing what happens in this chapter. - What is the main event or teaching? - How does this chapter fit the book’s overall story? - What stands out immediately? Anything Apologetic to point out? %% ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) - 📌 Observation 1 - 📌 Observation 2 - 📌 Observation 3 - (Add more as needed.) %% %% #### Today, I can apply this chapter by: - ✅ Application 1 - ✅ Application 2 Make these very practical: - "Trust God's timing in an uncertain situation." - "Speak truth even when it’s unpopular." Think: - What do we learn about God here? - What do we learn about people? - Are there promises, commands, or warnings? %% ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) - 📖 [Verse Reference] – "Quote of important verse." - 📖 [Verse Reference] – "Quote of another important verse." (You can link to deeper notes if you want later.) %% ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 coming soon. - 🔗 coming soon. %% Examples: - John 1:1 and Genesis 1 - Romans 5 and Genesis 3 %% ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) Write 3–6 sentences reflecting on: - How this chapter encourages your faith, - Convicts your heart, - Reveals God's character. Optional format: "In light of this chapter, I am challenged to..." or "I am comforted by..." %% ##### 📂 Internal Links/Personal Notes