1Sa 14:3 | NET2full | STEP | 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 .

‏ 1 Samuel 14:3

3 Now Ahijah was carrying ^{▼▼tn Heb “bearing.” Many English versions understand this verb to mean “wearing” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT). The ephod could be used for consulting the Lord’s will (1 Sam 23:9-10; 30:7-8) and is not always worn (1 Sam 23:6). The significance in this context is probably not that Ahijah was dressed for sacrificial duties or to appear before God at the tabernacle, but rather that the ephod was available for consulting God, given the people’s ignorance about Jonathan’s activities. (Cf. the note at 1 Sam 2:28.)} 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.