1 Samuel 14:24-46
14:24 a 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 b made trouble: Joshua had used this verb in speaking with Achan (Josh 7:25 c), and Jephthah had used it with his innocent daughter (Judg 11:35 d). Saul’s foolish oath limited Israel’s victory (1 Sam 14:30 e) and put his son’s life at risk (see also Josh 6:18 f; 1 Chr 2:7 g).
14:31 h 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 i The men were famished, so they ate meat without draining the blood. This act violated God’s law (see Lev 17:10-14 j) 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 k 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 l).
Summary for 1Sam 14:37-38: 14:37-38 m God made no reply: Neither the “no” lot nor the “yes” lot of the Urim and Thummim appeared.
14:41 n Casting sacred lots involved the Urim and Thummim (Exod 28:30 o; Lev 8:8 p), which David also used when soliciting God’s guidance (1 Sam 23:2 q; 30:8 r; 2 Sam 2:1 s). 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 t The people, aware of God’s blessing on the real hero of the day, were wiser than their king.
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