1 Samuel 14:27

_BUT JONATHAN HEARD NOT WHEN HIS FATHER CHARGED THE PEOPLE WITH THE OATH: WHEREFORE HE PUT FORTH THE END OF THE ROD THAT WAS IN HIS HAND, AND DIPPED IT IN AN HONEYCOMB, AND PUT HIS HAND TO HIS MOUTH; AND HIS EYES WERE ENLIGHTENED._ Jonathan ... put forth the end of the rod ... and dipped it in an honey-comb, х_ BªYA`ªRAT_ (H3295) _ HADªBAASH_ (H1706)] - not, properly, the "honey-comb," i:e., the cells in which the honey is contained, but the dropping of the honey comb; i:e., liquid honey (cf. Psalms 19:2) (Gesenius)....

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 14:27. _HIS EYES WERE ENLIGHTENED._] Hunger and fatigue affect and dim the sight; on taking food, this affection is immediately removed. This most people know to be a fact....

WERE ENLIGHTENED - i. e., he was refreshed, when he was faint....

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....

BUT JONATHAN HEARD NOT WHEN HIS FATHER CHARGED THE PEOPLE WITH THE OATH,.... Which charge was given, either before he came from Gibeah, before he came to Jonathan, or while pursuing, when Jonathan was with another party either fighting or pursuing: WHEREFORE HE PUT FORTH THE END OF THE ROD THAT WAS IN HIS HAND: the staff with which he walked, or rather the spear which he carried in his hand, and fought his enemies with: AND DIPPED IT IN AN HONEYCOMB; or sugar cane, as Jarchi; or in wood honey, as the margin of our Bibles; but best, in the honeycomb, as the word is rendered, Song of Solomon 5:1 and so the Targum, into the nest of honey x: AND HE PUT HIS HAND TO HIS MOUTH; first he took the honey off of the top of his rod, and then put it to his mouth and ate it; AND HIS EYES WERE ENLIGHTENED: which bef

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....

AN HONEYCOMB. The Hebrew _ya'ar_ never means honeycomb, but "a wood". It is rendered "forest" thirty-eight times, "wood" nineteen times, "honey-comb" only here and Song of Solomon 5:15...

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...