1 Samuel 14:20

_AND SAUL AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE WITH HIM ASSEMBLED THEMSELVES, AND THEY CAME TO THE BATTLE: AND, BEHOLD, EVERY MAN'S SWORD WAS AGAINST HIS FELLOW, AND THERE WAS A VERY GREAT DISCOMFITURE._ Saul and all the people. The whole warriors in the garrison of Gibeah, the Israelite deserters in the camp of the Philistines, and the fugitives among the mountains of Ephraim, now all rushed to the pursuit, which was hot and sanguinary....

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....

ASSEMBLED THEMSELVES - See marg. Many versions give the sense “shouted,” which is far preferable, and only requires a different punctuation....

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....

AND SAUL, AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE WITH HIM, ASSEMBLED THEMSELVES,.... The six hundred men that were with him, unless we can suppose the 1000 that had been with Jonathan in Gibeah were here still, see 1 Samuel 13:2 AND THEY CAME TO THE BATTLE; to the field of battle, the place where the army of the Philistines had lain encamped: AND, BEHOLD, EVERY MAN'S SWORD WAS AGAINST HIS FELLOW; taking one another for Hebrews, or treacherous and disaffected persons; so that, though the Israelites had neither swords nor spears, they needed none, for the Philistines destroyed one another with their own swords; and there was a VERY GREAT DISCOMFITURE; noise, tumult, confusion, slaughter, and destruction....

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.)...

ASSEMBLED THEMSELVES. were assembled (by proclamation). EVERY MAN'S. Hebrew. _'ish._ App-14....

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....

_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