1 Samuel 14:17

_THEN SAID SAUL UNTO THE PEOPLE THAT WERE WITH HIM, NUMBER NOW, AND SEE WHO IS GONE FROM US. AND WHEN THEY HAD NUMBERED, BEHOLD, JONATHAN AND HIS ARMOURBEARER WERE NOT THERE._ Said Saul ... Number now, and see who is gone from us. The idea occurred to him that it might be some daring adventurer belonging to his own little troop, and it would be easy to discover him....

16-23 The Philistines were, by the power of God, set against one another. The more evident it was that God did all, the more reason Saul had to inquire whether God would give him leave to do any thing. But he was in such haste to fight a fallen enemy, that he would not stay to end his devotions, nor hear what answer God would give him. He that believeth, will not make such haste, nor reckon any business so urgent, as not to allow time to take God with him....

Verse 1 Samuel 14:17. _NUMBER NOW_] Saul perceived that the Philistines were routed, but could not tell by what means; supposing that it must be by some of his own troops, he called a muster to see who and how many were absent....

EXPOSITION JONATHAN SMITES THE PHILISTINE GAR-BISON (1 Samuel 14:1). 1 SAMUEL 14:1 NOW IT CAME TO PASS UPON A DAY. Literally, "And there was a day, and Jonathan," etc.; or, as we should say, And it happened one day that Jonathan. The phrase means that Jonathan's brave feat took place not many days after the garrison had occupied the cliff, probably only two or three, but without definitely stating how many. HE TOLD NOT HIS FATHER. Not only because Saul would have forbidden so rash an enterprise, but because secrecy was essential to any chance of success: probably too the purpose came upon him as an inspiration from above....

THEN SAID SAUL UNTO THE PEOPLE THAT WERE WITH HIM,.... To some of the officers, particularly the muster master; NUMBER NOW, AND SEE WHO IS GONE FROM US: for he concluded that this agitation and confusion in the host of the Philistines were occasioned by an enterprise of some of his men, who by some stratagem or another had thrown them into this disorder: AND WHEN THEY HAD NUMBERED: which was soon done, being but six hundred men in all: BEHOLD, JONATHAN AND HIS ARMOURBEARER WERE NOT THERE; from whence it might be inferred, that this commotion the Philistines were in was occasioned by an onset of theirs on the outer guards or sentinels of their garrison or army, which had alarmed them....

7. JONATHAN'S HEROIC DEED OF FAITH CHAPTER 14 _ 1. Jonathan's victory (1 Samuel 14:1)_ 2. Saul's adjuration and Jonathan's deed (1 Samuel 14:24) 3. Saul's first altar and unanswered inquiry (1 Samuel 14:33) 4. Jonathan condemned and saved (1 Samuel 14:38) 5. Saul's battle and success (1 Samuel 14:46) 6. Saul's family (1 Samuel 14:49) Jonathan, one of the most beautiful characters

1 Samuel 14:16. The Israelites observe the confusion among the Philistines, and find that Jonathan and his armour-bearer are missing. Saul proposes to obtain an oracle by means of the ephod. (Thus with LXX; the references to the Ark have been introduced by an editor.) But, seeing the growing panic amongst the enemy, the king cuts short the priest in his ritual, and leads the people in pursuit. They are joined by their fellow-countrymen who were serving with the Philistines, and by Israelite refugees. The pursuit is carried beyond Beth-horon. (So probably, instead of Beth-aven, which, however, some would retain and understand as Beth-el.)...

The rout of the Philistines 16. _in Gibeah of Benjamin_ If _Tuleil-el-Fûl_is the true site of the town of Gibeah, we must either suppose that Gibeah is here used of the surrounding district, or read _Geba_for Gibeah, since according to Lieut. Conder, Michmash is not visible from _Tuleil-el-Fûl_. See note on 1 Samuel 10:5. _they went on beating down one another_ It is doubtful if this or any other meaning can be extracted from the present Heb. text The Sept. gives a good sense: "And behold, the camp was in confusion on every side....

THEN SAID SAUL—NUMBER NOW, &C.— Though, Saul must easily have missed Jonathan, he could not suppose that he would fall upon the Philistines without a number of resolute persons to assist him. But when he found that his armour-bearer alone attended him, desirous to enquire into the reason of the matter, he consults with the high-priest, (1 Samuel 14:18.) ordering him to _bring the ark of God_ (or, rather as the LXX have it, _the ephod,_ which appears to be the true reading; see Houbigant's note). But while he was doing so, the tumult increasing, and it being evident that the Philistines were routed, Saul found it necessary to lose no longer time, but hasted immediately to make the best of this wonderful victory, 1 Samuel 14:20. Josephus assures us, that Saul did not attempt any thing upon

_Jonathan's Surprise Attack on the Philistines._ 1 Samuel 14:1-23 Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines-' garrison, that _is_ on the other side. But he told not his father. 2 And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which _is_ in Migron: and the people that _were_ with him _were_ about six hundred men; 3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son _of_ Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. 4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines-' garrison, _there was_ a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was