1 Samuel 14:26

_AND WHEN THE PEOPLE WERE COME INTO THE WOOD, BEHOLD, THE HONEY DROPPED; BUT NO MAN PUT HIS HAND TO HIS MOUTH: FOR THE PEOPLE FEARED THE OATH._ No JFB commentary on this verse....

24-35 Saul's severe order was very unwise; if it gained time, it lost strength for the pursuit. Such is the nature of our bodies, that daily work cannot be done without daily bread, which therefore our Father in heaven graciously gives. Saul was turning aside from God, and now he begins to build altars, being then most zealous, as many are, for the form of godliness when he was denying the power of it....

Verse 1 Samuel 14:26. _THE HONEY DROPPED_] It seems to have dropped from the _trees_ on the ground. _Honey dews_, as they are called, are not uncommon in most countries; and this appears to have been something of this kind. I have seen _honey_ in considerable quantity on the _trees_ and long _grass_ in the fields, and have often eaten of it....

THE HONEY DROPPED - Rather, “Behold a stream of honey.” The same thing may be seen in Spain, where in woody and rocky ground copious streams of honey are often found....

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 WHEN THE PEOPLE CAME INTO THE WOOD, BEHOLD, THE HONEY DROPPED,.... Either from trees, which produced it; so Diodorus Siculus t speaks of trees in some countries which produce honey; or from the sugar canes, as Jarchi; or rather from the honeycombs which were framed in trees by bees; so Hesiod u speaks of bees making their nests or combs in trees. Ben Gersom thinks that bee hives were placed here in rows by the wayside, from whence the honey flowed; or "went" w, or there was a going of it; perhaps the combs being pressed by the Philistines as they fled: the land of Canaan was a land flowing with milk and honey: BUT NO MAN PUT HIS HAND TO HIS MOUTH; that is, took not any of the honey and ate it, though it was so near at hand, and there was plenty of it: FOR THE PEOPLE FEARED THE OATH: Saul adjured them by, or the imprecation he made on the person that should eat any food that day. t...

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

In order to propitiate Yahweh and secure His continued assistance, Saul had laid a solemn taboo upon the people, forbidding them to take food till nightfall. Then there was honeycomb upon the ground, and the people came to the honeycomb, and behold the bees had gone away, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people were afraid. Jonathan, however, knowing nothing about the taboo, tasted a little honey, and was much refreshed. When he was told of it, he treated the matter lightly. 1 SAMUEL 14:25 F. Here we have followed the reconstruction of the text in SBOT, partly based on the LXX. The words for forest and honeycomb are the same in Hebrew....

BEHOLD. Figure of speech _Asterismos._...

Jonathan's breach of Saul's rash oath 24. _were distressed that day: for Saul_, &c. Render, AND THE MEN OF ISRAEL WERE DISTRESSED THAT DAY. AND SAUL CAUSED THE PEOPLE TO SWEAR, &c. Seeing the fatigued condition of the army, and fearing lest they should relinquish the pursuit to get food, Saul rashly exacted from them an oath, which led to three evil results. (1) It hindered instead of facilitating the pursuit of the enemy. (2) It involved Jonathan in an involuntary trespass. (3) It indirectly occasioned the sin of the people (1 Samuel 14:32). The Sept. however appears to have had a different text as follows: "And all the people that were with Saul were about ten thousand men. And the battle was scattered throughout the whole wood [_city_is a mistranslation of the Heb. word for _wood_in...