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13 Jonathan crawled up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer following behind him. Jonathan struck down the Philistines,[a] while his armor-bearer came along behind him and killed them.[b] 14 In this initial skirmish Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about twenty men in an area that measured half an acre.

15 Then fear overwhelmed[c] 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.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 14:13 tn Heb “and they fell before Jonathan.”
  2. 1 Samuel 14:13 tn Heb “and the one carrying his equipment was killing after him.”
  3. 1 Samuel 14:15 tn Heb “fell upon.”
  4. 1 Samuel 14:15 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.

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

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 14:15 Or a terrible panic