Jonathan Defeats the Philistines

1 Samuel 14

1 Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who 1 bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the Philistines' garrison that is on the other side." But he did not tell his father. 2 And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of a Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men. 3 b Ahijah the son of Ahitub, c Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD's priest in Shiloh, was d wearing an ephod. But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4 Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over e to the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The front of one faced northward opposite Michmash, and the other southward opposite Gibeah.

6 Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these f uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us. For nothing restrains the LORD g from saving by many or by few." 7 So his armorbearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart." 8 Then Jonathan said, "Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9 "If they say thus to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. 10 "But if they say thus, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up. For the LORD has delivered them into our hand, and h this will be a sign to us." 11 So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, "Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have i hidden." 12 Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will 2 show you something." Jonathan said to his armorbearer, "Come up after me, for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel." 13 And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armorbearer after him; and they j fell before Jonathan. And as he came after him, his armorbearer killed them. 14 That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within about 3 half an acre of land. 15 And k there was 4 trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and l the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was m a very great trembling.

16 Now the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and there was the multitude, melting away; and they n went here and there. 17 Then Saul said to the people who were with him, "Now call the roll and see who has gone from us." And when they had called the roll, surprisingly, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there. 18 And Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the 5 ark of God here" (for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel). 19 Now it happened, while Saul o talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase; so Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand." 20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed p every man's sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion. 21 Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country, they also joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise all the men of Israel who q had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in the battle. 23 r So the LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle shifted s to Beth Aven.

  1. Cross References
    1 Samuel 14:1
    Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the Philistines' garrison that is on the other side." But he did not tell his father.
    1 Samuel 14:4
    Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
  2. Cross References
    1 Samuel 13:15
    Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people present with him, about six hundred men.
    1 Samuel 13:16
    Saul, Jonathan his son, and the people present with them remained in Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
  3. Cross References
    1 Samuel 22:9
    Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, "I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
    1 Samuel 22:11
    So the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were in Nob. And they all came to the king.
    1 Samuel 22:20
    Now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
  4. Cross References
    1 Samuel 4:21
    Then she named the child Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel!" because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
  5. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:28
    Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?
  6. Cross References
    1 Samuel 13:23
    And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
  7. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:26
    Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
    1 Samuel 17:36
    "Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God."
    Jeremiah 9:25
    Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "that I will punish all who are circumcised with the uncircumcised -
    Jeremiah 9:26
    "Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and all who are in the farthest corners, who dwell in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart."
  8. Cross References
    Judges 7:4
    But the LORD said to Gideon, "The people are st...
    Judges 7:7
    Then the LORD said to Gideon, "By the three hun...
    1 Samuel 17:46
    This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand...
    1 Samuel 17:47
    "Then all this assembly shall know that the LOR...
    2 Chronicles 14:11
    And Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said...
    Psalms 115:3
    But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He p...
    Psalms 135:6
    Whatever the LORD pleases He does, In heaven an...
    Zechariah 4:6
    So he answered and said to me: "This is the wor...
    Matthew 19:26
    But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "Wit...
    Romans 8:31
    What then shall we say to these things? If God ...
  9. Cross References
    Genesis 24:14
    "Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink' - let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master."
    Judges 6:36 - 40
    So Gideon said to God, "If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said -
  10. Cross References
    1 Samuel 13:6
    When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits.
    1 Samuel 14:22
    Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in the battle.
  11. Cross References
    Leviticus 26:8
    Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.
    Joshua 23:10
    One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you.
  12. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 28:7
    The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
    2 Kings 7:6
    For the LORD had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses - the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!
    2 Kings 7:7
    Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact - their tents, their horses, and their donkeys - and they fled for their lives.
    Job 18:11
    Terrors frighten him on every side, And drive him to his feet.
  13. Cross References
    1 Samuel 13:17
    Then raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned onto the road to Ophrah, to the land of Shual.
  14. Cross References
    Genesis 35:5
    And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
  15. Cross References
    1 Samuel 14:20
    Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed every man's sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion.
  16. Cross References
    Numbers 27:21
    "He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him - all the congregation."
  17. Cross References
    Judges 7:22
    When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the LORD set every man's sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.
    2 Chronicles 20:23
    For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
  18. Cross References
    1 Samuel 13:6
    When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits.
  19. Cross References
    Exodus 14:30
    So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.
    2 Chronicles 32:22
    Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.
    Hosea 1:7
    Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, Will save them by the LORD their God, And will not save them by bow, Nor by sword or battle, By horses or horsemen.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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