Discovery Box1 Samuel 14:16-20 
Context14:16 Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin 1 looked on 2 as the crowd of soldiers seemed to melt away first in one direction and then in another. 3 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, 4 Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. 14:18 So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring near the ephod,” 5 for he was at that time wearing the ephod. 6 14:19 While 7 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 8 the Philistines in total panic killing one another with their swords. 9
1 tn Heb “at Gibeah of Benjamin.” The words “in the territory” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “saw, and look!”
3 tn Heb “the crowd melted and went, even here.”
4 tn Heb “and they mustered the troops, and look!”
5 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
6 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.
7 tn Or perhaps “until.”
8 tn Heb “and look, there was”
9 tn Heb “the sword of a man against his companion, a very great panic.”
