Commentaria in I Regum (I Samuelis)
Chapter 14. Synopsis of the Chapter
Jonathas alone with his armor-bearer attacks the camp of the Philistines: God casts terror and confusion upon them; whence they slay one another with mutual slaughter. Saul hears their tumult, verse 19, and commands that no one eat till evening, until the fleeing enemies are pursued and finished. Jonathas, ignorant of the edict, eats honey found in the wood. The soldiers, wearied and hungry, verse 32, eat flesh with blood against the law. Whence Saul, a stone being set up, commands that they pour out the blood upon it. Presently, verse 36, Saul, about to burst into the camp of the enemy by night, consults the Lord; but the Lord does not answer. Wherefore Saul casts lots to inquire by whose fault God is angry. The lot marks out Jonathas, verse 42; he confesses that he ate honey. Wherefore he is condemned to death by his father, but the people deliver him. Thence, verse 47, Saul subdues the Ammonites, Moabites, Idumeans and the other enemies round about. Finally, verse 49, the sons of Saul are enumerated.
1. Now it happened one day that Jonathas the son of Saul said to the young man his armourbearer: Come, and let us go over to the garrison of the Philistines, that is on the other side of the place. But he told not this to his father. 2. And Saul abode in the uttermost part of Gabaa under a pomegranate tree, which is in Magron: and the people with him were about six hundred men. 3. And Achias the son of Achitob the brother of Ichabod the son of Phinees, who was born of Heli the priest of the Lord in Silo, bore the ephod. And the people knew not whither Jonathas was gone. 4. Now there were between the ascents, by which Jonathas sought to pass over to the garrison of the Philistines, two rocks standing out on each side, like teeth, with steep crags on this side and that, the name of the one was Boses, and the name of the other Sene; 5. one rock standing out toward the north over against Machmas, and the other toward the south over against Gabaa. 6. And Jonathas said to the young man his armourbearer: Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised, it may be that the Lord will do for us; for it is no hard matter for the Lord to save, either by many or by few.
7. And his armourbearer said to him: Do all that seemeth good to thy mind: go whither thou wilt, and I will be with thee wheresoever thou shalt desire. 8. Then Jonathas said: Behold we will pass over to these men. And when they shall see us, 9. If they speak thus to us: Stay until we come to you: let us stand still in our place, and not go up to them. 10. But if they say: Come up to us: let us go up, because the Lord hath delivered them into our hands: this shall be a sign to us. 11. So both of them appeared to the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said: Behold the Hebrews are coming forth out of the caves wherein they were hid. 12. And the men of the garrison spoke to Jonathas and to his armourbearer, and said: Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathas said to his armourbearer: Let us go up, follow me; for the Lord hath delivered them into the hands of Israel. 13. And Jonathas climbed up, creeping on his hands and feet, and his armourbearer after him. So some fell before Jonathas, and others the armourbearer slew as he followed him.
14. And the first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was of about twenty men, in half the space of an acre, which a yoke of oxen is wont to plough in a day. 15. And a miracle happened in the camp, through the fields: yea, and all the people of their watch that were gone out to plunder, were astonished, and the land was troubled, and it happened as a miracle from God. 16. And the watchmen of Saul, who were in Gabaa of Benjamin, looked, and behold a multitude cast down, and flying hither and thither. 17. And Saul said to the people that were with him: Inquire, and see who is gone from us. And when they inquired, it was found that Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there. 18. And Saul said to Achias: Bring hither the ark of God (for the ark of God was there at that day with the children of Israel). 19. And while Saul was talking to the priest, there was a great tumult in the camp of the Philistines: and it increased by little and little, and made a louder noise. And Saul said to the priest: Withdraw thy hand.
20. Then Saul and all the people that were with him shouted, and came to the place of the battle: and behold every man’s sword was turned upon his neighbour, and there was a very great slaughter. 21. Moreover the Hebrews that had been with the Philistines yesterday and the day before, and had gone up with them into the camp, returned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. 22. And all the Israelites that had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, hearing that the Philistines were fled, joined themselves with their countrymen in the battle: and there were with Saul about ten thousand men. 23. And the Lord saved Israel that day. And the fight reached as far as Bethaven. 24. And the men of Israel were joined together that day: and Saul adjured the people, saying: Cursed be the man that shall eat food till evening, till I be revenged of my enemies. And all the people did not taste food. 25. And all the people of the country came into the forest, where there was honey upon the face of the ground.
26. And the people entered into the forest, and behold the honey dropped, and none put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27. But Jonathan had not heard when his father adjured the people: and he put forth the end of the rod which he had in his hand, and dipped it in a honeycomb: and he carried his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened. 28. And one of the people answering, said: Thy father bound the people with an oath, saying: Cursed be the man that shall eat food this day (now the people were faint). 29. And Jonathan said: My father hath troubled the land, you yourselves have seen that my eyes are enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey: 30. How much more if the people had eaten of the spoil of their enemies which they found? had not a greater slaughter been made among the Philistines? 31. They slew therefore on that day the Philistines from Machmas to Aialon. And the people were exceeding weary: 32. And turning to the spoil, they took sheep and oxen and calves, and killed them on the ground: and the people ate with the blood.
33. And they told Saul that the people had sinned against the Lord, eating with the blood. And he said: You have transgressed: roll here to me a great stone. 34. And Saul said: Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them to bring me every one his ox and his ram, and kill them upon this stone, and eat, and you shall not sin against the Lord, eating with the blood. Then all the people brought every man his ox in his hand till night: and they killed them there. 35. And Saul built an altar to the Lord: and then first he began to build an altar to the Lord. 36. And Saul said: Let us go down upon the Philistines by night, and waste them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And the people said: Do all that seemeth good in thy eyes. And the priest said: Let us draw near hither unto God. 37. And Saul consulted the Lord: Shall I pursue after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hands of Israel? And he answered him not that day. 38. And Saul said: Bring hither all the corners of the people: and know and see by whom this sin has happened today.
39. As the Lord liveth, the saviour of Israel, if it be done by Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. At which none of all the people contradicted him. 40. And he said to all Israel: Separate you on one side, and I with Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people answered Saul: Do what seemeth good in thy eyes. 41. And Saul said to the Lord the God of Israel: O Lord God of Israel, give judgment; why hast thou not answered thy servant today? If this iniquity be in me, or in Jonathan my son, give a sign; or if this iniquity be in thy people, give holiness. And Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the people went out. 42. And Saul said: Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. 43. And Saul said to Jonathan: Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said: I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod which was in my hand, and behold I must die. 44. And Saul said: May God do so and so to me, and add still more, for dying thou shalt die, Jonathan.