Discovery Box1 Samuel 14:1--15:35 
Context14:1 Then one day Jonathan son of Saul said to his armor bearer, 1 “Come on, let’s go over to the Philistine garrison that is opposite us.” But he did not let his father know.
14:2 Now Saul was sitting under a pomegranate tree in Migron, on the outskirts of Gibeah. The army that was with him numbered about six hundred men. 14:3 Now Ahijah was carrying 2 an ephod. He was the son of Ahitub, who was the brother of Ichabod and a son of Phineas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh. The army was unaware that Jonathan had left.
14:4 Now there was a steep cliff on each side of the pass through which Jonathan intended to go to reach the Philistine garrison. One cliff was named Bozez, the other Seneh. 14:5 The cliff to the north was closer to Micmash, the one to the south closer to Geba.
14:6 Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will intervene 3 for us. Nothing can prevent the Lord from delivering, whether by many or by a few.” 14:7 His armor bearer said to him, “Do everything that is on your mind. 4 Do as you’re inclined. I’m with you all the way!” 5
14:8 Jonathan replied, “All right! 6 We’ll go over to these men and fight them. 14:9 If they say to us, ‘Stay put until we approach you,’ we will stay 7 right there and not go up to them. 14:10 But if they say, ‘Come up against us,’ we will go up. For in that case the Lord has given them into our hand – it will be a sign to us.”
14:11 When they 8 made themselves known to the Philistine garrison, the Philistines said, “Look! The Hebrews are coming out of the holes in which they hid themselves.” 14:12 Then the men of the garrison said to Jonathan and his armor bearer, “Come on up to us so we can teach you a thing or two!” 9 Then Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come up behind me, for the Lord has given 10 them into the hand of Israel!”
14:13 Jonathan crawled up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer following behind him. Jonathan struck down the Philistines, 11 while his armor bearer came along behind him and killed them. 12 14:14 In this initial skirmish Jonathan and his armor bearer struck down about twenty men in an area that measured half an acre.
14:15 Then fear overwhelmed 13 those who were in the camp, those who were in the field, all the army in the garrison, and the raiding bands. They trembled and the ground shook. This fear was caused by God. 14
14:16 Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin 15 looked on 16 as the crowd of soldiers seemed to melt away first in one direction and then in another. 17 14:17 So Saul said to the army that was with him, “Muster the troops and see who is no longer with us.” When they mustered the troops, 18 Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. 14:18 So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring near the ephod,” 19 for he was at that time wearing the ephod. 20 14:19 While 21 Saul spoke to the priest, the panic in the Philistines’ camp was becoming greater and greater. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand!”
14:20 Saul and all the army that was with him assembled and marched into battle, where they found 22 the Philistines in total panic killing one another with their swords. 23 14:21 The Hebrews who had earlier gone over to the Philistine side 24 joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 14:22 When all the Israelites who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, they too pursued them in battle. 14:23 So the Lord delivered Israel that day, and the battle shifted over to Beth Aven. 25
14:24 Now the men of Israel were hard pressed that day, for Saul had made the army agree to this oath: “Cursed be the man who eats food before evening! I will get my vengeance on my enemies!” So no one in the army ate anything.
14:25 Now the whole army 26 entered the forest and there was honey on the ground. 27 14:26 When the army entered the forest, they saw 28 the honey flowing, but no one ate any of it, 29 for the army was afraid of the oath. 14:27 But Jonathan had not heard about the oath his father had made the army take. He extended the end of his staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb. When he ate it, 30 his eyes gleamed. 31 14:28 Then someone from the army informed him, “Your father put the army under a strict oath 32 saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food today!’ That is why the army is tired.” 14:29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has caused trouble for the land. See how my eyes gleamed 33 when I tasted just a little of this honey. 14:30 Certainly if the army had eaten some of the enemies’ provisions that they came across today, would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?”
14:31 On that day the army struck down the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon, and they became very tired. 14:32 So the army rushed greedily on 34 the 35 plunder, confiscating sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them right on the ground, and the army ate them blood and all.
14:33 Now it was reported to Saul, “Look, the army is sinning against the Lord by eating even the blood.” He said, “All of you have broken the covenant! 36 Roll a large stone over here to me.” 14:34 Then Saul said, “Scatter out among the army and say to them, ‘Each of you bring to me your ox and sheep and slaughter them in this spot and eat. But don’t sin against the Lord by eating the blood.” So that night each one brought his ox and slaughtered it there. 37 14:35 Then Saul built an altar for the Lord; it was the first time he had built an altar for the Lord.
14:36 Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines at night; we will rout 38 them until the break of day. 39 We won’t leave any of them alive!” 40 They replied, “Do whatever seems best to you.” 41 But the priest said, “Let’s approach God here.” 14:37 So Saul asked God, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day.
14:38 Then Saul said, “All you leaders of the army come here. Find out 42 how this sin occurred today. 14:39 For as surely as the Lord, the deliverer of Israel, lives, even if it turns out to be my own son Jonathan, he will certainly die!” But no one from the army said anything. 43
14:40 Then he said to all Israel, “You will be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side.” The army replied to Saul, “Do whatever you think is best.”
14:41 Then Saul said, “O Lord God of Israel! If this sin has been committed by me or by my son Jonathan, then, O Lord God of Israel, respond with Urim. But if this sin has been committed by your people Israel, respond with Thummim.” 44 Then Jonathan and Saul were indicated by lot, while the army was exonerated. 45 14:42 Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan!” 46 Jonathan was indicated by lot.
14:43 So Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” Jonathan told him, “I used the end of the staff that was in my hand to taste a little honey. I must die!” 47 14:44 Saul said, “God will punish me severely if Jonathan doesn’t die!” 48
14:45 But the army said to Saul, “Should Jonathan, who won this great victory in Israel, die? May it never be! As surely as the Lord lives, not a single hair of his head will fall to the ground! For it is with the help of God that he has acted today.” So the army rescued Jonathan from death. 49
14:46 Then Saul stopped chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines went back home. 50 14:47 After Saul had secured his royal position over Israel, he fought against all their 51 enemies on all sides – the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. In every direction that he turned he was victorious. 52 14:48 He fought bravely, striking down the Amalekites and delivering Israel from the hand of its enemies. 53
14:49 The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-Shua. 54 He had two daughters; the older one was named Merab and the younger Michal. 14:50 The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the general in command of his army was Abner son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. 55 14:51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son 56 of Abiel.
14:52 There was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. So whenever Saul saw anyone who was a warrior or a brave individual, he would conscript him.
15:1 Then Samuel said to Saul, “I was the one the Lord sent to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now listen to what the Lord says. 57 15:2 Here is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘I carefully observed how the Amalekites opposed 58 Israel along the way when Israel 59 came up from Egypt. 15:3 So go now and strike down the Amalekites. Destroy everything that they have. Don’t spare 60 them. Put them to death – man, woman, child, infant, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey alike.’”
15:4 So Saul assembled 61 the army 62 and mustered them at Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. 15:5 Saul proceeded to the city 63 of Amalek, where he set an ambush 64 in the wadi. 65 15:6 Saul said to the Kenites, “Go on and leave! Go down from among the Amalekites! Otherwise I will sweep you away 66 with them! After all, you were kind to all the Israelites when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites.
15:7 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to 67 Shur, which is next to Egypt. 15:8 He captured King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he executed all Agag’s people 68 with the sword. 15:9 However, Saul and the army spared Agag, along with the best of the flock, the cattle, the fatlings, 69 and the lambs, as well as everything else that was of value. 70 They were not willing to slaughter them. But they did slaughter everything that was despised 71 and worthless.
15:10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 15:11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from me and has not done what I told him to do.” Samuel became angry and he cried out to the Lord all that night.
15:12 Then Samuel got up early to meet Saul the next morning. But Samuel was informed, “Saul has gone to Carmel where 72 he is setting up a monument for himself. Then Samuel left 73 and went down to Gilgal.” 74 15:13 When Samuel came to him, 75 Saul said to him, “May the Lord bless you! I have done what the Lord said.”
15:14 Samuel replied, “If that is the case, 76 then what is this sound of sheep in my ears and the sound of cattle that I hear?” 15:15 Saul said, “They were brought 77 from the Amalekites; the army spared the best of the flocks and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord our God. But everything else we slaughtered.”
15:16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait a minute! 78 Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” Saul 79 said to him, “Tell me.” 15:17 Samuel said, “Is it not true that when you were insignificant in your own eyes, you became head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord chose 80 you as king over Israel. 15:18 The Lord sent you on a campaign 81 saying, ‘Go and exterminate those sinful Amalekites! Fight against them until you 82 have destroyed them.’ 15:19 Why haven’t you obeyed 83 the Lord? Instead you have greedily rushed upon the plunder! You have done what is wrong in the Lord’s estimation.” 84
15:20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed 85 the Lord! I went on the campaign 86 the Lord sent me on. I brought back King Agag of the Amalekites after exterminating the Amalekites. 15:21 But the army took from the plunder some of the sheep and cattle – the best of what was to be slaughtered – to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
15:22 Then Samuel said,
“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as he does in obedience? 87
Certainly, 88 obedience 89 is better than sacrifice;
paying attention is better than 90 the fat of rams.
15:23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and presumption is like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as 91 king.”
15:24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have disobeyed what the Lord commanded 92 and what you said as well. 93 For I was afraid of the army, and I followed their wishes. 94 15:25 Now please forgive my sin! Go back with me so I can worship 95 the Lord.”
15:26 Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel!”
15:27 When Samuel turned to leave, Saul 96 grabbed the edge of his robe and it tore. 15:28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to one of your colleagues who is better than you! 15:29 The Preeminent One 97 of Israel does not go back on his word 98 or change his mind, for he is not a human being who changes his mind.” 99 15:30 Saul 100 again replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel. Go back with me so I may worship the Lord your God.” 15:31 So Samuel followed Saul back, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
15:32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me King Agag of the Amalekites.” So Agag came to him trembling, 101 thinking to himself, 102 “Surely death is bitter!” 103 15:33 Samuel said, “Just as your sword left women childless, so your mother will be the most bereaved among women!” Then Samuel hacked Agag to pieces there in Gilgal before the Lord.
15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, while Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 15:35 Until the day he 104 died Samuel did not see Saul again. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul, but the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
1 tn Or “the servant who was carrying his military equipment” (likewise in vv. 6, 7, 12, 13, 14).
2 tn Heb “bearing.” Many English versions understand this verb to mean “wearing” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT).
3 tn Heb “act.”
4 tn Heb “in your heart.”
5 tn Heb “Look, I am with you, according to your heart.” See the note at 13:14.
6 tn Heb “Look!”
7 tn Heb “stand.”
8 tn Heb “the two of them.”
9 tn Heb “a thing.”
10 tn The perfect verbal form is used rhetorically here to express Jonathan’s certitude. As far as he is concerned, the victory is as good as won and can be described as such.
11 tn Heb “and they fell before Jonathan.”
12 tn Heb “and the one carrying his equipment was killing after him.”
13 tn Heb “fell upon.”
14 tn Heb “and it was by the fear of God.” The translation understands this to mean that God was the source or cause of the fear experienced by the Philistines. This seems to be the most straightforward reading of the sentence. It is possible, however, that the word “God” functions here simply to intensify the accompanying word “fear,” in which one might translate “a very great fear” (cf. NAB, NRSV). It is clear that on some occasions that the divine name carries such a superlative nuance. For examples see Joüon 2:525 §141.n.
15 tn Heb “at Gibeah of Benjamin.” The words “in the territory” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
16 tn Heb “saw, and look!”
17 tn Heb “the crowd melted and went, even here.”
18 tn Heb “and they mustered the troops, and look!”
19 tc Heb “the ark of God.” It seems unlikely that Saul would call for the ark, which was several miles away in Kiriath-jearim (see 1 Sam 7:2). The LXX and an Old Latin
20 tc Heb “for the ark of God was in that day, and the sons of Israel.” The translation follows the text of some Greek manuscripts. See the previous note.
21 tn Or perhaps “until.”
22 tn Heb “and look, there was”
23 tn Heb “the sword of a man against his companion, a very great panic.”
24 tn Heb “and the Hebrews were to the Philistines formerly, who went up with them in the camp all around.”
25 tc The LXX includes the following words: “And all the people were with Saul, about ten thousand men. And the battle extended to the entire city on mount Ephraim.”
26 tn Heb “all the land.”
27 tn Heb “the surface of the field.”
28 tn Heb “and the army entered the forest, and look!”
29 tn Heb “and there was no one putting his hand to his mouth.”
30 tn Heb “and he returned his hand to his mouth.”
31 tc The translation follows the Qere and several medieval Hebrew
32 tn Heb “your father surely put the army under an oath.” The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb to emphasize the solemn nature of the oath.
33 tc The LXX reads “saw.” See v. 27.
34 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
35 tc The translation reads with the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
36 tn Heb “You have acted deceptively.” In this context the verb refers to violating an agreement, in this case the dietary and sacrificial regulations of the Mosaic law. The verb form is second masculine plural; apparently Saul here addresses those who are eating the animals.
37 tn Heb “and all the army brought near, each his ox by his hand, and they slaughtered there.”
38 tn Heb “plunder.”
39 tn Heb “until the light of the morning.”
40 tn Heb “and there will not be left among them a man.”
41 tn Heb “all that is good in your eyes.” So also in v. 40.
42 tn Heb “know and see.”
43 tn Heb “and there was no one answering from all the army.”
44 tc Heb “to the
sn The Urim and Thummim were used for lot casting in ancient Israel. Their exact identity is uncertain; they may have been specially marked stones drawn from a bag. See Exod 28:30; Lev 8:8, and Deut 33:8, as well as the discussion in R. W. Klein, 1 Samuel (WBC), 140.
45 tn Heb “went out.”
46 tc The LXX includes the following words: “Whomever the Lord will indicate by the lot, let him die! And the people said to Saul, ‘It is not this word.’ But Saul prevailed over the people, and they cast lots between him and between Jonathan his son.”
47 tn Heb “Look, I, I will die.” Apparently Jonathan is acquiescing to his anticipated fate of death. However, the words may be taken as sarcastic (“Here I am about to die!”) or as a question, “Must I now die?” (cf. NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT).
48 tn Heb “So God will do and so he will add, surely you will certainly die, Jonathan.”
49 tn Heb “and he did not die.”
50 tn Heb “to their place.”
51 tn Heb “his,” which could refer to Israel or to Saul.
52 tc The translation follows the LXX (“he was delivered”), rather than the MT, which reads, “he acted wickedly.”
53 tn Heb “plunderers.”
54 sn The list differs from others. In 1 Sam 31:2 (= 1 Chr 10:2), Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua are listed as Saul’s sons, while 1 Chr 8:33 and 9:39 list Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal.
55 sn The word “uncle” can modify either Abner or Ner. See the note on the word “son” in v. 51 for further discussion.
56 tn 1 Chr 9:35-36 indicates that Jeiel (= Abiel?) had two sons (among others) named Ner and Kish (see also 1 Sam 9:1 and 1 Chr 8:30, where some Greek manuscripts include the name Ner, though it is absent in the Hebrew text). If this Kish was the father of Saul and Ner was the father of Abner, then Saul and Abner were cousins. However, according to 1 Chr 8:33 and 9:39, Ner, not Abiel, was the father of Kish. In this case, Kish and Abner were brothers and Abner was Saul’s uncle. The simplest solution to the problem is to see two men named Kish in the genealogy: Abiel (Jeiel) was the father of Ner and Kish I. Ner was the father of Abner and Kish II. Kish II was the father of Saul. The Kish mentioned in 1 Sam 9:1 was the father of Saul (v.2) and must be identified as Kish II. In this case the genealogy is “gapped,” with Ner being omitted. Abiel was the grandfather of Kish II.
57 tn Heb “to the voice of the words of the
58 tn Heb “what Amalek did to Israel, how he placed against him.”
59 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
60 tn Or perhaps “don’t take pity on” (cf. CEV).
61 tn Heb “caused the people to hear.”
62 tn Heb “people.”
63 tc The LXX has the plural here, “cities.”
64 tc The translation follows the LXX and Vulgate which assume a reading וַיָּאָרֶב (vayya’arev, “and he set an ambush,” from the root ארב [’rv] with quiescence of alef) rather than the MT, which has וַיָּרֶב (vayyareb, “and he contended,” from the root ריב [ryv]).
65 tn That is, “the dry stream bed.”
66 tc The translation follows the Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate which assume a reading אֶסִפְךָ (’esfÿka, “I sweep you away,” from the root ספה [sfh]) rather than the MT אֹסִפְךָ (’osifÿka, “I am gathering you,” from the root אסף[’sf]).
67 tn Heb “[as] you enter.”
68 tn Heb “all the people.” For clarity “Agag’s” has been supplied in the translation.
69 tn The Hebrew text is difficult here. We should probably read וְהַמַּשְׂמַנִּים (vÿhammasmannim, “the fat ones”) rather than the MT וְהַמִּשְׂנִים (vÿhammisnim, “the second ones”). However, if the MT is retained, the sense may be as the Jewish commentator Kimchi supposed: the second-born young, thought to be better than the firstlings. (For discussion see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 123-24.)
70 tn Heb “good.”
71 tc The MT has here the very odd form נְמִבְזָה (nÿmivzah), but this is apparently due to a scribal error. The translation follows instead the Niphal participle נִבְזָה (nivzah).
72 tn Heb “and look.”
73 tn Heb “and he turned and crossed over.”
74 tc At the end of v. 12 the LXX and one Old Latin
75 tn Heb “to Saul.”
76 tn The words “if that is the case” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
77 tn Heb “they brought them.”
78 tn Or perhaps “be quiet.”
79 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
80 tn Heb “anointed.”
81 tn Heb “journey.”
82 tc The translation follows the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum in reading the second person singular suffix (“you”) rather than the third person plural suffix of the MT (“they”).
83 tn Heb “listened to the voice of the
84 tn Heb “you have done what is evil in the eyes of the
85 tn Heb “listened to the voice of the
86 tn Heb “journey.”
87 tn Heb “as [in] listening to the voice of the
88 tn Heb “look.”
89 tn Heb “listening.”
90 tn The expression “is better” is understood here by ellipsis (see the immediately preceding statement).
91 tn Or “from [being].”
92 tn Heb “the mouth of the
93 tn Heb “and your words.”
94 tn Heb “and I listened to their voice.”
95 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
96 tn Heb “he,” but Saul is clearly the referent. A Qumran
97 tn Heb “splendor,” used here by metonymy as a title for the
98 tn Or perhaps “does not lie.”
99 sn This observation marks the preceding statement (v. 28) as an unconditional, unalterable decree. When God makes such a decree he will not alter it or change his mind. This does not mean that God never deviates from his stated intentions or changes his mind. On the contrary, several passages describe him as changing his mind. In fact, his willingness to do so is one of his fundamental divine attributes (see Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2). For a fuller discussion see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “Does God Change His Mind?” BSac 152 (1995): 387-99.
100 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
101 tn The MT reading מַעֲדַנֹּת (ma’adannot, literally, “bonds,” used here adverbially, “in bonds”) is difficult. The word is found only here and in Job 38:31. Part of the problem lies in determining the root of the word. Some scholars have taken it to be from the root ענד (’nd, “to bind around”), but this assumes a metathesis of two of the letters of the root. Others take it from the root עדן (’dn) with the meaning “voluptuously,” but this does not seem to fit the context. It seems better to understand the word to be from the root מעד (m’d, “to totter” or “shake”). In that case it describes the fear that Agag experienced in realizing the mortal danger that he faced as he approached Samuel. This is the way that the LXX translators understood the word, rendering it by the Greek participle τρέμον (tremon, “trembling”).
102 tn Heb “and Agag said.”
103 tc The text is difficult here. With the LXX, two Old Latin
104 tn That is, Samuel.
