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Jonathan Surprises and Routs the Philistines

23 Now a garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass of Michmash. 14 One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree that is at Migron; the troops who were with him were about six hundred men,(A) along with Ahijah son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, son of Phinehas son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, carrying an ephod. Now the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.(B) In the pass[a] by which Jonathan tried to go over to the Philistine garrison there was a rocky crag on one side and a rocky crag on the other; the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other was Seneh.(C) One crag rose on the north in front of Michmash and the other on the south in front of Geba.

Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will act for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.”(D) His armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that your mind inclines to.[b] I am with you; as your mind is, so is mine.”[c] Then Jonathan said, “Now we will cross over to those men and will show ourselves to them. If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hand. That will be the sign for us.”(E) 11 So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, and the Philistines said, “Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.”(F) 12 The men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer, saying, “Come up to us, and we will show you something.” Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”(G) 13 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer following after him. The Philistines[d] fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer coming after him killed them. 14 In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed about twenty men within an area about half a furrow long in an acre[e] of land. 15 There was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison and even the raiders trembled; the earth quaked; and it became a very great panic.(H)

16 Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin were watching as the multitude was surging back and forth.[f](I) 17 Then Saul said to the troops who were with him, “Call the roll and see who has gone from us.” When they called the roll, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. 18 Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For at that time the ark of God went with the Israelites. 19 While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more, and Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”(J) 20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle, and every sword was against the other, so that there was very great confusion.(K) 21 Now the Hebrews who previously had been with the Philistines and had gone up with them into the camp turned and joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise, when all the Israelites who had gone into hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also followed closely after them in the battle.(L) 23 So the Lord gave Israel the victory that day.

The battle passed beyond Beth-aven, and the troops with Saul numbered altogether about ten thousand men.[g] The battle spread out over the hill country of Ephraim.(M)

Footnotes

  1. 14.4 Heb Between the passes
  2. 14.7 Gk: Heb Do all that is in your mind. Turn
  3. 14.7 Gk: Heb lacks so is mine
  4. 14.13 Heb They
  5. 14.14 Heb yoke
  6. 14.16 Gk: Heb they went and there
  7. 14.23 Gk OL: Heb lacks and the troops . . . Ephraim

23 Now the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Micmash.

Jonathan Leads the Counterattack

14 One day[a] Jonathan the son of Saul said to his armor bearer,[b] “Come and let us go over to the garrison of the Philistines which is over there.” But he did not tell his father. Now Saul was staying at the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree that was in Migron, and the troops that were with him were about six hundred men. Now Ahijah, the son of Ahitub (the brother of Ichabod), the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli the priest of Yahweh at Shiloh, was carrying an ephod. The troops did not know that Jonathan had gone. Now between the passes where Jonathan sought to go over to the garrison of the Philistines there was a crag of rock on one side[c] and a crag of rock on the other.[d] The name of the one was Bozez and the name of the other was Seneh. The one crag on the north was opposite Micmash and the other on the south was opposite Geba. So Jonathan said to his armor bearer,[e] “Come, let us go over to the garrisons of these uncircumcised; perhaps Yahweh will act for us, for there is no hindrance for Yahweh to save by many or by few.” And his armor bearer[f] said, “Do all that is in your heart that you are inclined to do.[g] I am with you all of the way![h] Then Jonathan said, “Look, we are about to go over to the men; and we will show ourselves to them. If they say to us: ‘Wait until we reach you,’ then we will stand as we are[i] and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for Yahweh has given them into our hand, and this will be the sign for us.” 11 So the two of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, and the Philistines said, “The Hebrews are coming out from the holes in which they have hidden themselves.” 12 Then the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer,[j] “Come up to us and we will show you something!” Then Jonathan said to his armor bearer,[k] “Come up after me, for Yahweh has given them into the hand of Israel!” 13 So Jonathan went up on his hands and his feet, with his armor bearer[l] after him. They fell before Jonathan and then his armor bearer[m] would kill them after him. 14 So was the first attack in which Jonathan and his armor bearer[n] killed about twenty men within about half of a furrow in an acre of an open field. 15 Then there was terror[o] in the camp, in the open field, and among all the army of the garrison. Even the raiders[p] trembled. The earth shook, and it became a very great panic.[q]

16 And the lookouts of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin saw that[r] the multitude surged back and forth.[s] 17 Saul said to the troops that were with him, “Please call the roll and see who has gone from us.” So they called the roll and found that[t] Jonathan and his armor bearer[u] were not present. 18 Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring near the ark of God”[v] (for the ark of God was at that time[w] with the Israelites).[x] 19 While[y] Saul was still speaking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more,[z] so Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand!” 20 Then Saul and all the troops who were with him were assembled on command and came up to the battle, and look! Each Philistine’s sword was against his friend; and there was a very great confusion. 21 The Hebrews who had been for the Philistines previously,[aa] who had gone up with them into the camp all around, even they joined the Israelites[ab] who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 All the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, so even they pursued them closely in the battle. 23 So on that day Yahweh delivered Israel, and the battle shifted to Beth Aven.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 14:1 Literally “And it happened the day”
  2. 1 Samuel 14:1 Literally “the young man carrying his weapons”
  3. 1 Samuel 14:4 Literally “from the beyond from this”
  4. 1 Samuel 14:4 Literally “from the beyond from this”
  5. 1 Samuel 14:6 Literally “the young man carrying his weapons”
  6. 1 Samuel 14:7 Literally “the one carrying his weapons”
  7. 1 Samuel 14:7 Literally “turn/incline for yourself”
  8. 1 Samuel 14:7 Literally “Behold, I am with you according to your heart”
  9. 1 Samuel 14:9 Literally “and we will stand under us”
  10. 1 Samuel 14:12 Literally “the one carrying his weapons”
  11. 1 Samuel 14:12 Literally “the one carrying his weapons”
  12. 1 Samuel 14:13 Literally “the one carrying his weapons”
  13. 1 Samuel 14:13 Literally “the one carrying his weapons”
  14. 1 Samuel 14:14 Literally “the one carrying his weapons”
  15. 1 Samuel 14:15 Or “panic”
  16. 1 Samuel 14:15 Literally “destroyers”
  17. 1 Samuel 14:15 Literally “like the panic/terror of God”; some interpreters understand this to be a panic caused by God, while others understand the expression merely as a superlative (“a very great panic”)
  18. 1 Samuel 14:16 Literally “and look”
  19. 1 Samuel 14:16 Literally “waved, going here and there”
  20. 1 Samuel 14:17 Literally “and look”
  21. 1 Samuel 14:17 Literally “the one carrying his weapons”
  22. 1 Samuel 14:18 LXX reads “bring near the ephod”
  23. 1 Samuel 14:18 Literally “on that day”
  24. 1 Samuel 14:18 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  25. 1 Samuel 14:19 Hebrew “And”
  26. 1 Samuel 14:19 Literally “and it went, going and increasing”
  27. 1 Samuel 14:21 Literally “as yesterday three days ago”
  28. 1 Samuel 14:21 Literally “were with Israel”