1 Samuel 14

This chapter is part of the narrative of King Saul's reign in 1 Samuel. In 1 Samuel 13, Saul was rebuked for offering a sacrifice himself at Gilgal instead of waiting for Samuel, and Israel, lacking even proper weapons, faced the Philistines encamped at Michmash. Chapter 14 picks up from that standoff.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 Without telling his father, Jonathan prepares to cross over to the Philistine garrison with his armor-bearer. Saul remains in Migron, on the outskirts of Gibeah, with about six hundred men; with him is the priest Ahiah, who wears the ephod. At the crossing stand two sharp crags named Bozez and Seneh.
• Verses 6–15 Jonathan declares that if the Philistines say, "Come up unto us," he will take it as a sign. When this happens, the two climb up and kill about twenty men; a great trembling seizes the Philistine camp, and the earth quakes.
• Verses 16–23 Saul numbers his men and discovers that Jonathan is missing. Amid the confusion, as the Philistines strike one another with the sword, they are joined in the fight by the Hebrews who had sided with the Philistines and by the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim. The battle passes over to Bethaven.
• Verses 24–30 Saul binds the people with an oath that anyone who eats food before evening will be cursed. Jonathan, who had not heard the oath, tastes some honey and says that his father has troubled the people.
• Verses 31–35 The exhausted people eat the captured animals with the blood. Saul has a large stone brought so that the animals can be slaughtered on it, and he builds an altar to the LORD, the first he had built.
• Verses 36–46 When God does not answer Saul's inquiry, Saul has lots cast, and Jonathan is taken. Saul declares that Jonathan must die, but the people rescue Jonathan so that he does not die. Saul then abandons the pursuit.
• Verses 47–52 The chapter records Saul's wars against Moab, Ammon, Edom, Zobah, the Philistines, and the Amalekites, along with his sons and daughters, his wife, Abner the captain of his army, and his family line.

Key Verses

• 1 Samuel 14:6 "For there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few." These words express Jonathan's faith and are the most frequently quoted in the chapter.
• 1 Samuel 14:45 "For he hath wrought with God this day." In this scene the people defy the king's oath and save Jonathan.

Characters and Places

• Jonathan: Saul's son, who leads the victory in this chapter.
• Saul: The first king of Israel.
• Ahiah: A priest who wears the ephod. He is the son of Ahitub, the grandson of Phinehas, and the great-grandson of Eli.
• Philistines: A coastal people opposed to Israel.
• Michal: Saul's younger daughter; his elder daughter is Merab.
• Abner: The son of Saul's uncle Ner and the captain of Saul's army.
• Michmash and Geba: Places on either side of the ravine separating the Philistine camp from the Israelite side. The Philistines are driven back as far as Aijalon.

Points for Reflection

• Jonathan's bold faith stands in contrast to Saul's rash oath. Many interpreters read this chapter as part of the process by which Saul's kingship begins to falter, and they read it together with the following chapter, 1 Samuel 15.
• In verse 18, where the Hebrew reads "the ark of God," the Septuagint is known to read "ephod." In verse 41 as well, the Septuagint has a longer text that mentions the Urim and Thummim. These passages are frequently discussed as examples of differences between the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint.
• Verses 32–34, which treat eating meat with the blood as a sin, connect with the regulations of Leviticus 17; in the New Testament, Acts 15:28–29 instructs believers to abstain from blood.

In the Korean Church

Verse 6 is often quoted in sermons on faith and courage, emphasizing that even a few can prevail when they rely on God.