1 Samuel 14:29

_THEN ANSWERED ONE OF THE PEOPLE, AND SAID, THY FATHER STRAITLY CHARGED THE PEOPLE WITH AN OATH, SAYING, CURSED BE THE MAN THAT EATETH ANY FOOD THIS DAY. AND THE PEOPLE WERE FAINT._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

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....

HATH TROUBLED - The same word as was applied to Achan Joshua 7:25, and gave its name to the valley of Achor. This additional reference to Joshua is remarkable (compare 1 Samuel 14:24)....

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 JONATHAN, MY FATHER HATH TROUBLED THE LAND,.... The people of the land, as the Targum, the soldiers in his army; afflicted and distressed them, and made them uneasy in their minds, like troubled waters; the Arabic version is, "my father hath sinned against the people;'' hath done them injury by forbidding them to eat. This was not wisely said by Jonathan; how much soever his father was to be blamed, it did not become him as a son thus to reflect upon him, and it might have tended to mutiny and sedition: SEE, I PRAY YOU, HOW MINE EYES HAVE BEEN ENLIGHTENED, BECAUSE I TASTED A LITTLE OF THIS HONEY; the benefit he received by it was very visible; it might easily be discerned that he was greatly refreshed with it, and his spirits invigorated by it; it was to be seen in the cheerfulness of his countenance, and the briskness of his eyes: and he suggests it would have had the same...

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....

LAND. people. Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Subject), App-6....

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...

SEE—HOW MINE EYES HAVE BEEN ENLIGHTENED, BECAUSE I TASTED— _See—how my eyes have_ {_sparkled_ / _shone_} _since I tasted._ Waterland....