Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 14:16
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down [one another].
16 23. The rout of the Philistines
16. in Gibeah of Benjamin ] If Tuleil-el-Fl is the true site of the town of Gibeah, we must either suppose that Gibeah is here used of the surrounding district, or read Geba for Gibeah, since according to Lieut. Conder, Michmash is not visible from Tuleil-el-Fl. See note on 1Sa 10:5.
they went on beating down one another ] It is doubtful if this or any other meaning can be extracted from the present Heb. text The Sept. gives a good sense: “And behold, the camp was in confusion on every side.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Multitude – The word is in 1Sa 14:19 (margin) rendered tumult. It must have the same meaning here. The sentence is obscure and probably corrupt; perhaps it means, and behold the tumult! and it went on (increased) melting away and beating down.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 16. The watchmen of Saul] Those who were sent out as scouts to observe the motions of the army.
Melted away] There was no order in the Philistine camp, and the people were dispersing in all directions. The Vulgate has, Et ecce multitudo prostrata, “And behold the multitude were prostrate;” many lay dead upon the field, partly by the sword of Jonathan and his armour-bearer, and partly by the swords of each other, 1Sa 14:20.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
In Gibeah, or, in the hill, as the very same word is rendered, 1Sa 13:16, and that was the fittest place for watchmen.
The multitude, to wit, of that numerous host of the Philistines.
Melted away, i.e. were strangely and suddenly dispersed, and put to flight.
Beating down one another; either,
1. Accidentally, through hasty flight; or,
2. With design to destroy one another, as the authors or abettors of the present calamity. Possibly God blinded their eyes or their minds, that they could not distinguish friends from foes. Compare Jdg 7:22; 2Ki 6:18, &c.; 2Ch 20:23.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. the watchmen of Saul . . .lookedThe wild disorder in the enemies’ camp was described andthe noise of dismay heard on the heights of Gibeah.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked,…. The city of Gibeah was built on an hill, from where it had its name; and these watchmen or sentinels of Saul were set by him no doubt in the highest part of it, whereby they could overlook the army of the Philistines as they lay encamped, and could observe their motions, and give notice accordingly; and it being now broad day light, could see the condition they were in:
and, behold, the multitude melted away; like snow gradually, and yet apace; they could discern their numbers lessening more and more, through the slaughter of many made among them by one another, and the flight of others; and they went on beating down one another; they could perceive they fled with great precipitation, throwing one another down in running, tumbling over one another, and trampling on each other which were in their way.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Flight and defeat of the Philistines. – 1Sa 14:16. The spies of Saul at Gibeah saw how the multitude (in the camp of the Philistines) melted away and was beaten more and more. The words are obscure. The Rabbins are unanimous in adopting the explanation magis magisque frangebatur , and have therefore probably taken as an inf. absol. , and interpreted according to Jdg 5:26. This was also the case with the Chaldee; and Gesenius ( Thes. p. 383) has adopted the same rendering, except that he has taken in the sense of dissolutus , dissipatus est. Others take as adverbial (“ and thither ”), and supply the correlate (hither), so as to bring out the meaning “ hither and thither.” Thus the lxx render it , but they have not translated at all.
1Sa 14:17 Saul conjectured at once that the excitement in the camp of the Philistines was occasioned by an attack made by Israelitish warriors, and therefore commanded the people: , “ Muster (number) now, and see who has gone away from us;” and “ Jonathan and his armour-bearer were not there,” i.e., they were missing.
1Sa 14:18 Saul therefore resolved to ask God, through the priest Ahiah, what he should do; whether he should go out with his army against the Philistines or no. But whilst he was talking with the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines became greater and greater, so that he saw from that what ought to be done under the circumstances, and stopped the priest’s inquiring of God, and set out with his people without delay. We are struck, however, with the expression in 1Sa 14:18, “ Bring hither the ark of God,” and the explanation which follows, “ for the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel,” inasmuch as the ark was then deposited at Kirjath-jearim, and it is a very improbable thing that it should have been in the little camp of Saul. Moreover, in other cases where the high priest is spoken of as inquiring the will of God, there is no mention made of the ark, but only of the ephod, the high priest’s shoulder-dress, upon which there were fastened the Urim and Thummim, through which inquiry was made of God. And in addition to this, the verb is not really applicable to the ark, which was not an object that could be carried about at will; whereas this verb is the current expression used to signify the fetching of the ephod (vid., 1Sa 23:9; 1Sa 30:7). All these circumstances render the correctness of the Masoretic text extremely doubtful, notwithstanding the fact that the Chaldee, the Syriac, and Arabic, and the Vulgate support it, and recommend rather the reading adopted by the lxx, , which would give as the Hebrew text, . In any case, ‘ @ at the end of the verse should be read or , since gives no sense at all.
1Sa 14:19 “ It increased more and more;” lit. increasing and becoming greater. The subject is placed absolutely at the head, so that the verb brev eh is appended in the form of an apodosis. , “ draw thy hand in ” (back); i.e., leave off now.
1Sa 14:20 “ And (i.e., in consequence of the increasing tumult in the enemy’s camp) Saul had himself, and all the people with him, called,” i.e., called together for battle; and when they came to the war, i.e., to the place of conflict, “ behold, there was the sword of the one against the other, a very great confusion,” in consequence partly of terror, and partly of the circumstance alluded to in 1Sa 14:21.
1Sa 14:21-22 “ And the Hebrews were with the Philistines as before (yesterday and the day before yesterday), who had come along with them in the camp round about; they also came over to Israel, which was with Saul and Jonathan.” means distributed round about among the Philistines. Those Israelites whom the Philistines had incorporated into their army are called Hebrews, according to the name which was current among foreigners, whilst those who were with Saul are called Israel, according to the sacred name of the nation. The difficulty which many expositors have found in the word has been very correctly solved, so far as the sense is concerned, by the earlier translators, by the interpolation of “ they returned:” (Chald.), (lxx), reversi sunt ( Vulg.), and similarly the Syriac and Arabic. We are not at liberty, however, to amend the Hebrew text in this manner, as nothing more is omitted than the finite verb before the infinitive (for this construction, see Gesenius, Gramm. 132, 3, Anm. 1), and this might easily be left out here, since it stands at the beginning of the verse in the main clause. The literal rendering would be, they were to be with Israel, i.e., they came over to Israel. The fact that the Hebrews who were serving in the army of the Philistines came over to Saul and his host, and turned their weapons against their oppressors, naturally heightened the confusion in the camp of the Philistines, and accelerated their defeat; and this was still further increased by the fact that the Israelites who had concealed themselves on the mountains of Ephraim also joined the Israelitish army, as soon as they heard of the flight of the Philistines (1Sa 14:22).
1Sa 14:23 “ Thus the Lord helped Israel that day, and the conflict went out beyond Bethaven.” Bethaven was on the east of Michmash, and, according to 1Sa 14:31, the Philistines fled westwards from Michmash to Ajalon. But if we bear in mind that the camp of the Philistines was on the eastern side of Michmash before Bethaven, according to 1Sa 13:5, and that the Israelites forced their way into it from the south, we shall see that the battle might easily have spread out beyond Bethaven, and that eventually the main body of the enemy might have fled as far as Ajalon, and have been pursued to that point by the victorious Israelites.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Philistines Destroyed. | B. C. 1067. |
16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another. 17 Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there. 18 And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel. 19 And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand. 20 And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture. 21 Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. 23 So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven.
We have here the prosecution and improvement of the wonderful advantages which Jonathan and his armour-bearer gained against the Philistines.
I. The Philistines were, by the power of God, set against one another. They melted away like snow before the sun, and went on beating down one another (v. 16), for (v. 20) every man’s sword was against his fellow. When they fled for fear, instead of turning back upon those that chased them, they reckoned those only their enemies that stood in their way, and treated them accordingly. The Philistines were very secure, because all the swords and spears were in their hands. Israel had none except what Saul and Jonathan had. But now God showed them the folly of that confidence, by making their own swords and spears the instruments of their own destruction, and more fatal in their own hands than if they had been in the hands of Israel. See the like done, Jdg 7:22; 2Ch 20:23.
II. The Israelites were hereby animated against them.
1. Notice was soon taken of it by the watchmen of Saul, those that stood sentinel at Gibeah, v. 16. They were aware that the host of the enemy was in great confusion, and that a great slaughter was made among them, and yet, upon search, they found none of their own forces absent, but only Jonathan and his servant (v. 17), which no doubt greatly animated them, and assured them that it could be no other than the Lord’s doing, when there was no more of man’s doing than what those two could do against a great host.
2. Saul began to enquire of God, but soon desisted. His spirit had not come down so far as to allow him to consult Samuel, though, it is probable, he was near him; for we read (ch. xiii. 15) that he had come to Gibeah of Benjamin; but he called for the ark (v. 18), desiring to know whether it would be safe for him to attack the Philistines, upon the disorder they perceived them to be in. Many will consult God about their safety that would never consult him about their duty. But, perceiving by his scouts that the noise in the enemy’s camp increased, he commanded the priest that officiated to break off abruptly: “Withdraw thy hand (v. 19), consult no more, wait no longer for an answer.” He was very unwise indeed if (as some think) he forbade him to lift up his hands in prayer; for when Joshua was actually engaged with Amalek Moses continued still to lift up his hands. It is rather a prohibition to his enquiring of the Lord, either, (1.) Because now he thought he did not need an answer, the case was plain enough. And yet the more evident it was that God did all the more reason he had to enquire whether he would give him leave to do any thing. Or, (2.) Because now he would not stay for it; he was in such haste to fight a falling enemy that he would not stay to make and end of his devotions, nor hear what answer God would give him. A little thing will divert a vain and carnal mind from religious exercises. He that believeth will not make haste, such haste as this, nor reckon any business so urgent as not to allow time to take God along with him.
3. He, and all the little force he had, made a vigorous attack upon the enemy; and all the people were cried together (so the word is, v. 20), for want of the silver trumpets wherewith God appointed them to sound an alarm in the day of battle, Num. x. 9. They summoned them together by shouting, and their number was not so great but that they might soon be got together. And now they seem bold and brave when the work is done to their hands. Our Lord Jesus had conquered our spiritual enemies, routed and dispersed them, so that we are cowards indeed if we will not stand to our arms when it is only to pursue the victory and to divide the spoil.
4. Every Hebrew, even those from whom one would least have expected it, now turned his hand against the Philistines. (1.) Those that had deserted and gone over to the enemy, and were among them, now fought against them, v. 21. Some think, they were such as had been taken prisoners by them, and now they were goads in their sides. It rather seems that they went in to them voluntarily, but, now that they saw them falling, recovered the hearts of Israelites, and did valiantly for their country. (2.) Those that had fled their colours, and hid themselves in the mountains, returned to their posts, and joined in with the pursuers (v. 22), hoping by their great zeal and officiousness, now that the danger was over and the victory sure, to atone for their former cowardice. It was not much to their praise to appear now, but it would have been more their reproach if they had not appeared. Those that are remiss and faint-hearted indeed that will not act in the cause of God when they see it victorious, as well as righteous. Thus all hands were at work against the Philistines, and every Israelite slew as many as he could, without sword or spear; yet it is said (v. 23), it was the Lord that saved Israel that day. He did it by them, for without him they could do nothing. Salvation is of the Lord.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Israelite Victory, vs. 16-23
From the account it does not appear that the earthquake extended to the camp of Israel. It was the noise of the pandemonium broken out in the Philistine camp which aroused the watchmen of Israel. Looking up to the mountain pass, through which they had seen the Philistines amassing for an attack, they now saw, seemingly, the great enemy army melting away as they beat one another down. Saul himself became apprehensive and supposed some of the Israelites had attacked. He had a muster of the men under his command and found that only his son Jonathan and Jonathan’s armourbearer were missing.
Obviously, even to Saul, the Lord was disrupting the Philistines. He had sent for the ark and brought it to his camp, disregarding the dire results of carrying it into battle with the Philistines in the time of Eli (1Sa 4:10-11 and context). Now Saul called on Ahiah, the greatgrandson of Eli, who had been rejected from the priesthood by the Lord (1Sa 2:27-36), to consult at the ark for the will of God in this matter, but he got no answer. Saul was apt to lose his opportunity to participate in the rout of the Philistines, if he delayed longer, so he had Ahiah to cease.
Saul cuts a ridiculous figure in this incident. This stalwart, manly king was too hesitant to lead out in the battle to throw off the yoke of the Philistines, so that his much more spiritually able son did it instead. Then, when it was obvious that the Lord was giving Israel a victory over the enemy, he hesitated still longer seeking the will of God (when it was apparent before his very eyes) from a priest whom the Lord had ejected from the office.
The Philistines were defeating themselves. The earthquake had so disoriented and terrorized them that they were slaying one another. Only the Israelites seemed to have their faculties about them. The turncoats, who had left the camp of Israel and gone over to the Philistines, now turned once again to the Israelites. Also those who were hiding in the forests of Ephraim came out of hiding and took up the chase, with Saul and Jonathan, of the fleeing Philistines. The Philistines turned to their own cities, and the Lord saved Israel out of their hands that day.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(16) And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked . . .The distance between the outposts of the little Israelite army and the vast Philistine host was only about two miles, but a deep ravine or chasm lay between them. The watchmen of Saul were well able to see the scene of dire confusion in the outposts, a confusion which they could discern was rapidly spreading through the more distant camp of the main body.
The Hebrew words, vayleh vahlom, in the last clause of the verse, have been variously rendered; the Rabbinical interpretation is the best: magis magisque pangebaturwere more and more broken up. This takes hlom as an infinitive absolute. The LXX. considers this word an adverb, and translates enthen hai enthen, hither and thither, and does not attempt to give any rendering for vayleh.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. The watchmen of Saul Who were stationed where they could observe all the movements of the Philistine army.
In Gibeah We are not to suppose that all the watchmen here referred to were stationed in one spot, but that they were placed on different heights north and northeast of Gibeah; and, being sent out from Saul’s headquarters, they there made their reports. So we need not alter the reading Gibeah.
The multitude melted away Dissolved, and perished by killing one another. Their swords were turned against each other, (1Sa 14:20,) for Jehovah interposed as in the days of Gideon, (Jdg 7:22,) and set his seal to the faith of the youthful hero Jonathan.
They went on beating down one another This, probably, gives the best sense of the Hebrew, , and it (that is, the multitude) went and smote. Gesenius renders: “ They went on and were scattered, that is, dispersed themselves more and more.” Others, with the Septuagint, take as an adverb, hither, and, supplying its correlate, render, went hither and thither.
(16) And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another. (17) Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.
Probably, the watchmen upon the walls were enabled by somewhat more than mere outward discovery, to discern the hand of the Lord in this. The history of Israel furnished out instances of divine interposition, for the delivery of his people. Watchmen upon the walls of Zion, like the ministers of the gospel of Jesus, are supposed, by prayer, to keep up communication with heaven. Isa 62:6-7 .
1Sa 14:16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down [one another].
Ver. 16. And they went on beating down one another. ] As any one was in their way, they knocked him down: being smitten with such a scotama or acridis, a giddiness of brain, or blindness of judgment, that they knew not their friends from their foes in that distemper and hurrycomb. Josephus saith, that when Jonathan first showed himself, a cloud suddenly arose, which so darkened the air, that they knew neither him, nor one another. But God, where he pleaseth, can easily trouble the fantasy, and make men to mistake; as we see daily in melancholy persons, who looking through a black cloud, as it were, see all things black, dark, cross and harmful.
and they went on beating down, &c. Hebrew hither and thither. A supposed Ellipsis is unnecessarily supplied. Read “melted away hither and thither”, with Septuagint and Syriac.
Victory Shadowed by Sauls Errors
1Sa 14:16-35
Sauls unwise prohibition had a terrible sequel: first, in the exhaustion of his troops; and, second, in the rushing of the hungry upon the spoil without the proper separation of blood. Then, as the day closed in, the divine oracle was dumb. Evidently some sin had interposed its dark shadow between the king and the Eternal Light. See 1Sa 14:37. Saul knew this, but he refused to look for the sin in his own heart, even when he and Jonathan stood alone. See 1Sa 14:42.
The cause of the discomfiture and silence was not in Jonathan. Saul was alone to blame. In that the good sense of the people decided rigidly. Not only had the king marred and missed the greatest opportunity of his life, but he was already enwrapping his soul in that jealousy, moroseness of temper and impetuosity of judgment which ruined his after-career. In Pauls expressive phrase, he became a castaway, and was flung from the mighty hand which longed to make Him a vessel unto honor, meet for every noble work. See 1Co 9:27; 2Ti 2:21.
melted away: Psa 58:7, Psa 68:2
beating down: 1Sa 14:20, Jdg 7:22, 2Ch 20:22-25, Isa 19:2
Reciprocal: Exo 15:15 – melt Lev 26:37 – they shall Jos 2:9 – faint Jer 13:14 – I will dash Jer 51:46 – ruler against Hag 2:22 – every
1Sa 14:16-17. Behold the multitude melted away Were discomfited and scattered; so that fewer and fewer were seen in a company together. They went on beating down one another Not being able in this confusion to distinguish their friends from their enemies. Then said Saul, Number now, &c. Saul, upon the report of the watchmen concerning the seeming confusion in the army of the Philistines, concluded that some of his people had gone out unknown, and attacked them. He therefore ordered them to be numbered, to see who were missing.
1Sa 14:16-23. The Israelites observe the confusion among the Philistines, and find that Jonathan and his armour-bearer are missing. Saul proposes to obtain an oracle by means of the ephod. (Thus with LXX; the references to the Ark have been introduced by an editor.) But, seeing the growing panic amongst the enemy, the king cuts short the priest in his ritual, and leads the people in pursuit. They are joined by their fellow-countrymen who were serving with the Philistines, and by Israelite refugees. The pursuit is carried beyond Beth-horon. (So probably, instead of Beth-aven, which, however, some would retain and understand as Beth-el.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible