15 Then Samuel left Gilgal[a] and went up to Gibeah(A) in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.(B)

Israel Without Weapons

16 Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah[b](C) in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. 17 Raiding(D) parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah(E) in the vicinity of Shual, 18 another toward Beth Horon,(F) and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim(G) facing the wilderness.

19 Not a blacksmith(H) could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!(I) 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles[c] sharpened. 21 The price was two-thirds of a shekel[d] for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel[e] for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.

22 So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan(J) had a sword or spear(K) in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.

Jonathan Attacks the Philistines

23 Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass(L) at Mikmash.(M) 14 One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.

Saul was staying(N) on the outskirts of Gibeah(O) under a pomegranate tree(P) in Migron.(Q) With him were about six hundred men, among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s(R) brother Ahitub(S) son of Phinehas, the son of Eli,(T) the Lord’s priest in Shiloh.(U) No one was aware that Jonathan had left.

On each side of the pass(V) that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. One cliff stood to the north toward Mikmash, the other to the south toward Geba.(W)

Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised(X) men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing(Y) can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many(Z) or by few.(AA)

“Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign(AB) that the Lord has given them into our hands.(AC)

11 So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews(AD) are crawling out of the holes they were hiding(AE) in.” 12 The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.(AF)

So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand(AG) of Israel.”

13 Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. 14 In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.

Israel Routs the Philistines

15 Then panic(AH) struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding(AI) parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.[f]

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:15 Hebrew; Septuagint Gilgal and went his way; the rest of the people went after Saul to meet the army, and they went out of Gilgal
  2. 1 Samuel 13:16 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts Geba, a variant of Gibeah
  3. 1 Samuel 13:20 Septuagint; Hebrew plow points
  4. 1 Samuel 13:21 That is, about 1/4 ounce or about 8 grams
  5. 1 Samuel 13:21 That is, about 1/8 ounce or about 4 grams
  6. 1 Samuel 14:15 Or a terrible panic

15 And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.

16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.

17 And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:

18 And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.

21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.

22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.

23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.

14 Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.

And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;

And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.

And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.

And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.

Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.

If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.

10 But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.

11 And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.

12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.

13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.

14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.

15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.