Then said Jonathan, behold, we will pass over to these men ,.... Over the precipices to them, as steep and as cragged as they are: and we will discover ourselves to them ; present themselves to them at daylight, and let them know plainly who they were, that they were Hebrews. read more
If they say thus unto us ,.... By this and what follows he gives his man a sign by which both might know how they should conduct themselves in this expedition, and what would be the issue, whether they should succeed or not: should they say, tarry until we come to you ; this, as it would express boldness in the men of the garrison, and show that they were ready to come out and fight, would portend evil, and then what they had to do was to be upon the defensive: then we will stand... read more
But if they say unto us, come up unto us ,.... Which however spoken in contempt of them, yet would discover some fear, that they did not care to come out of their hold to them, and expose themselves to any danger; and besides being bid to come up, though it might be in a sneering ironical way, as supposing it impracticable for them; yet this would lead them on to make the attempt; and while the men were careless and secure, they might obtain their point: then we will go up : the... read more
And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines ,.... They passed over the valley that lay between Michmash and Gibeah, and presented themselves at the bottom of the hill or rock on which the garrison was, to the open view of it; and who might easily discern who they were, that they were Hebrews, as they did, as follows: and the Philistines said, behold, the Hebrews came forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves , being in want of provisions, and... read more
If they say thus unto us - Jonathan had no doubt asked this as a sign from God; exactly as Eliezer the servant of Abraham did, Genesis 24:12 . read more
Inspiration in Christian enterprise The facts are— 1 . Jonathan, on his own responsibility, and without his father's knowledge: resolves on an attack upon the Philistine garrison. 2 . He expresses to his armour bearer his hope that God will help, and also the ground of that hope. 3 . He proposes to regard the first encouragement from the enemy to ascend the cliff as a sign of coming success. 4 . The sign appearing, Jonathan advances in confidence of victory. The recent... read more
Tarry . Hebrew, "be still," "stand still," the word used by Joshua of the sun ( Joshua 10:12 , Joshua 10:13 ); but not the word rendered stand still just below, where the Hebrew has, "We will stand under us," i.e. we will stop just where we were. read more
A sign. The waiting of the garrison for Jonathan and his armour bearer to mount up to them would be a sign of great indifference and supineness on their part; but what he rather meant was that they were to regard it as an omen. Kim'hi has a long digression in his commentary on this place to show that there was nothing superstitous in their looking for a prognostic to encourage them in their hazardous undertaking. God, he says, bade Gideon go to the camp of the Midianites to obtain such a... read more
Both of them discovered themselves. They had crept up the precipice unseen, but at some convenient spot near the top they so placed themselves that the garrison must see them, and waited there till their presence was observed. Behold, the Hebrews. There is no article in the Hebrew. What the Philistines say is, See! Hebrews come out of the holes wherein they had hid themselves. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 14:1-15
We must here take notice, I. Of the goodness of God in restraining the Philistines, who had a vast army of valiant men in the field, from falling upon that little handful of timorous trembling people that Saul had with him, whom they would easily have swallowed up at once. It is an invisible power that sets bounds to the malice of the church's enemies, and suffers them not to do that which we should think there is nothing to hinder them from. II. Of the weakness of Saul, who seems here to have... read more