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1 Samuel 14:1-52 — Jonathan Attacks the Philistines

1Sam.14.1-52

¹One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man who was his armor-bearer, “Come, let us cross over to the Philistines' outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. ²Saul was staying at the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree at Migron, and the people with him were about six hundred men. ³And Ahijah son of Ahitub, brother of Ichabod, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of Yahweh at Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. ⁴Now between the passes by which Jonathan sought to cross over to the Philistines' outpost, there was a rocky crag on one side and a rocky crag on the other. The name of one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. ⁵One crag stood to the north opposite Michmash, and the other to the south opposite Geba. ⁶Jonathan said to the young man who was his armor-bearer, “Come, let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps Yahweh will act for us, because nothing can keep Yahweh from saving by many or by few.” ⁷His armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” ⁸Then Jonathan said, "Look, we will cross over to the men and show ourselves to them. ⁹If they say this to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stay where we are and not go up to them. ¹⁰But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, because Yahweh has given them into our hand. This will be the sign for us." ¹¹So both of them showed themselves to the Philistines' outpost, and the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they had hidden themselves.” ¹²And the men of the outpost called to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us, and we will show you something.” Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, because Yahweh has given them into the hand of Israel.” ¹³Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer kept killing them after him. ¹⁴That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made was about twenty men within about half an acre of field. ¹⁵Then there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The outpost and the raiders also trembled, and the earth quaked; it became a terror from God. ¹⁶Saul's watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was melting away and surging this way and that. ¹⁷Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Take count now and see who has gone from us.” And when they counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. ¹⁸Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here,” for the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel. ¹⁹But while Saul was speaking to the priest, the commotion in the camp of the Philistines kept growing louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” ²⁰Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went to the battle, and behold, every man's sword was against his fellow in very great confusion. ²¹Now the Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them into the camp all around also turned to be with Israel, who were with Saul and Jonathan. ²²And all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, and they too joined the battle in close pursuit. ²³So Yahweh saved Israel that day, and the battle passed beyond Beth-aven. ²⁴And the men of Israel were hard-pressed that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. ²⁵And all the people came into the forest, and there was honey on the surface of the ground. ²⁶When the people came into the forest, behold, there was honey flowing, but no one put his hand to his mouth, because the people feared the oath. ²⁷But Jonathan had not heard when his father made the people swear the oath, so he stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb . Then he put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. ²⁸Then one of the people answered and said, “Your father strictly made the people swear, saying, 'Cursed is the man who eats food today.'” And the people were faint. ²⁹Then Jonathan said, "My father has brought trouble on the land. Look how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. ³⁰How much greater the slaughter of the Philistines would have been if the people had eaten freely today from the spoil of their enemies that they found!" ³¹That day they struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people were very faint. ³²So the people swooped on the spoil and took sheep and cattle and calves. They slaughtered them on the ground, and the people ate them with the blood. ³³Then they told Saul, “Look, the people are sinning against Yahweh by eating with the blood.” And he said, “You have acted faithlessly. Roll a large stone over to me today.” ³⁴And Saul said, “Disperse among the people and tell them, 'Each man must bring me his ox and his sheep, and slaughter them here and eat. Do not sin against Yahweh by eating with the blood.'” So all the people brought each his ox in his hand that night and slaughtered them there. ³⁵Then Saul built an altar to Yahweh; this was the first altar he built to Yahweh. ³⁶And Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the light of morning, and let us not leave a man among them.” They said, “Do whatever seems good in your eyes.” But the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” ³⁷So 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. ³⁸Then Saul said, "Come here, all you chiefs of the people, and learn and see how this sin has arisen today. ³⁹For as Yahweh lives, who saves Israel, even if it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But not one of all the people answered him. ⁴⁰Then he said to all Israel, “You stand on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will stand on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good in your eyes.” ⁴¹So Saul said to Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Give a true decision .” And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped. ⁴²Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken. ⁴³Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him and said, “I did indeed taste a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I must die.” ⁴⁴Saul said, “May God do so, and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan.” ⁴⁵But the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, the one who has brought about this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As Yahweh lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die. ⁴⁶Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place. ⁴⁷When 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 defeated them. ⁴⁸He acted valiantly and struck Amalek, and he delivered Israel from the hand of those who plundered them. ⁴⁹Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn was Merab, and the name of the younger was Michal. ⁵⁰The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner son of Ner, Saul's uncle. ⁵¹Kish the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner, were sons of Abiel. ⁵²And the war against the Philistines was fierce throughout Saul's reign. Whenever Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he took him into his service.

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4/11/2026

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