1Sa 14:1-46 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 1Sam 14:1-52: 14:1-52 Saul’s behavior in this chapter further justifies his dismissal as king (13:8-14 ; see also ch 15 ). Saul was alienated from both Samuel and his heroic son Jonathan. Chapter 14 anticipates the significant role that Jonathan played in the transition from Saul’s kingship to David’s. Summary for 1Sam 14:1-15: 14:1-15 Jonathan again fought in his father’s battles (see also 13:2-4 ; ch 31 ). 14:1 armor bearer: See study note on 16:21. • Jonathan did not tell his father because he knew that Saul would not grant permission for the dangerous plan. But he also knew that Saul wanted no one—not even his own son

Summary for 1Sam 14:1-52: 14:1-52 ^a Saul’s behavior in this chapter further justifies his dismissal as king (13:8-14 ^b; see also ch 15 ^c). Saul was alienated from both Samuel and his heroic son Jonathan. Chapter 14 ^d anticipates the significant role that Jonathan played in the transition from Saul’s kingship to David’s.
Summary for 1Sam 14:1-15: 14:1-15 ^e Jonathan again fought in his father’s battles (see also 13:2-4 ^f; ch 31 ^g). 14:1 ^h armor bearer: See study note on 16:21.

• Jonathan did not tell his father because he knew that Saul would not grant permission for the dangerous plan. But he also knew that Saul wanted no one—not even his own son—to upstage him.
14:2 ⁱ camped: Saul’s inactivity contrasts with Jonathan’s initiative (see also 22:6 ^j).
14:3 ^k Ahijah the priest was an adviser who could give Saul divine guidance through the ephod (14:18-19 ^l; see also 2:18 ^m and corresponding study note; 23:9-10 ⁿ).

• son of Eli: Saul, the rejected king (13:13-14 ^o), kept in his company a priest from the rejected priesthood (2:27-36 ^p).

• Ichabod: See 4:21 ^q.
Summary for 1Sam 14:4-5: 14:4-5 ^r The Philistines had already secured this area (13:23 ^s), so Jonathan and his armor bearer had to move carefully.
14:6 ^t pagans (literally uncircumcised): A disdainful term for enemies of Israel (see also 17:36 ^u; 31:4 ^v).

• Perhaps: Jonathan had no guarantee of survival, but he was certain that God could grant them victory despite the odds. Victory was in God’s hands; Jonathan offered himself as an instrument God could use.

• many warriors or only a few: Jonathan knew what Gideon had learned many years earlier (see Judg 7:2-8 ^w).
14:11 ^x Hebrews: See study note on 13:3.

• crawling out of their holes: See 13:6 ^y.
14:15 ^z panic broke out: This parallel with the Gideon story depicts Jonathan as a judge-like figure (cp. Judg 7:19-22 ^aa). God had not anointed or expressly gifted Jonathan to be leader, yet God used him to rescue his people.

• raiding parties: See study note on 1 Sam 13:17-18.
14:18 ^ab Bring ... Israelites: See NLT textual note; the Greek text is likely original. The Ark remained at Kiriath-jearim for twenty years (7:2 ^ac), and it was never used for getting information about the future, as the ephod was (see study note on 2:18).
Summary for 1Sam 14:21-22: 14:21-22 ^ad Previously, a large group of Israelites had gone into hiding out of fear (13:6-7 ^ae). Others might have joined the Philistine army. However, the statement that they revolted when the opportunity arose suggests they might have been taken as prisoners of war and forced into the Philistines’ service.
14:23 ^af It was God, not Saul, who saved Israel; Jonathan was just a willing instrument in the Lord’s hands.

• Beth-aven was due west of Micmash (see 13:5 ^ag). The Israelites forced the Philistines to retreat all the way to Aijalon that day (see 14:31 ^ah).
14:24 ^ai With his oath, Saul forced abstinence from food on men who were already hungry and exhausted from battle. This oath was probably a pagan-like attempt to manipulate God into giving them a favorable result (cp. notes on Exod 23:26; 25:22; 32:4).

• That Saul said my enemies rather than “our enemies” reflects his self-centered pride.
14:29 ^aj made trouble: Joshua had used this verb in speaking with Achan (Josh 7:25 ^ak), and Jephthah had used it with his innocent daughter (Judg 11:35 ^al). Saul’s foolish oath limited Israel’s victory (1 Sam 14:30 ^am) and put his son’s life at risk (see also Josh 6:18 ^an; 1 Chr 2:7 ^ao).
14:31 ^ap Aijalon: If the Philistines fled along the likely route through Beth-horon, then the Israelites kept up the pursuit for close to twenty miles.
Summary for 1Sam 14:32-34: 14:32-34 ^aq The men were famished, so they ate meat without draining the blood. This act violated God’s law (see Lev 17:10-14 ^ar) and thus constituted sinning against the Lord. To prevent more sin, Saul used a large rock as a field altar so that the animals’ blood could be properly drained. The incident would never have occurred had it not been for Saul’s foolish oath.
14:35 ^as first of the altars: This altar is the only one mentioned. David later built an altar that would become the site of God’s Temple (2 Sam 24:18-25 ^at).
Summary for 1Sam 14:37-38: 14:37-38 ^au God made no reply: Neither the “no” lot nor the “yes” lot of the Urim and Thummim appeared.
14:41 ^av Casting sacred lots involved the Urim and Thummim (Exod 28:30 ^aw; Lev 8:8 ^ax), which David also used when soliciting God’s guidance (1 Sam 23:2 ^ay; 30:8 ^az; 2 Sam 2:1 ^ba). The Urim and Thummim were two small objects (perhaps flat stones, sticks, or arrows) that may have been cast like dice. They would provide a positive answer, a neutral response, or a negative answer.
14:45 ^bb The people, aware of God’s blessing on the real hero of the day, were wiser than their king.