1 Samuel 14:51

47-52 Here is a general account of Saul's court and camp. He had little reason to be proud of his royal dignity, nor had any of his neighbours cause to envy him, for he had but little enjoyment after he took the kingdom. And often men's earthly glory makes a blaze just before the dark night of disgrace and woe comes on them....

Read, “And Kish the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner, were the sons of Abiel.” Ner was Saul’s uncle....

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 KISH WAS THE FATHER OF SAUL,.... See 1 Samuel 9:1 AND NER THE FATHER OF ABNER WAS THE SON OF ABIEL; this Abiel was the father both of Kish and Ner, and the grandfather of Saul, see 1 Samuel 9:1....

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 this section the editor gives a concluding summary concerning Saul as king, before narrating his deposition in the next chapter. In the editor's eyes, Saul ceased to be king _de jure,_ when Samuel anointed David to supersede him. But, according to the older documents, David himself did not take this view (1 Samuel 24:6; 1 Samuel 26:11). Saul fought successfully against a number of the neighbouring tribes: Moab; Ammon; Edom; Zobah, a Syrian state to the NE. of Palestine; Philistines; Amalekites. Next, a list of Saul's children; here Ishvi is for Ishyo, a contraction of Ish-Yahweh, Man of Yahweh, the same as Ishbaal. In early times Baal was used quite innocently as a title of Yahweh (_cf._ Hosea 2:16). In 2 Samuel 23, et

KISH WAS THE FATHER OF SAUL. For the difficulties of this genealogy, see note on 1 Chronicles 8:33....

Summary account of Saul's wars and family 47. _So Saul took the kingdom_ The various wars undertaken by Saul whom the people elected king "to go out before them and fight their battles" are here summarily noticed. (1) Against Moab. See note on 1 Samuel 11:1. (2) Against the children of Ammon, as recorded in ch. 11, and perhaps upon other occasions. (3) Against the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, surnamed Edom (Genesis 25:30), who occupied Edom or Idumaea, previously called Mount Seir (_rugged_), the mountainous district stretching from the Dead Sea to the head of the Gulf of Elath. The Edomites were conquered by David (2 Samuel 8:14), and remained subject to Judah till the reign of Jehoram ...

_Saul's Other Battles and His Family._ 1 Samuel 14:47-52 47 So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself he vexed _them._ 48 And he gathered a host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them. 49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchi-shua: and the names of his two daughters _were these;_ the name of the first-born Merab, and the name of the younger Michal: 50 And the name of Saul's wife _was_ Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host _was_ Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. 51 And Kish _was_ the father of Saul; and Ner the fathe

14:51 Abiel. (d-16) Or 'And Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner ... was the son of Abiel.'...