1 Samuel 14

1 Samuel 14

Meyer - 1 Samuel 14:27 His eyes were enlightened. The Philistines were in full flight. The Israelites followed hard at their heels through the wood. It was there that the honey dropped in rich abundance on the ground, and there Jonathan tasted a little, dipping the end of his rod into it. It made all the difference to him, warding off the excessive exhaustion which paralyzed the rest of the army. The Word of God is sweeter than the honeycomb.— Luscious to the sanctified taste; enlightening to the dimming eyes; strength-giving to the weary. It drops in abundance to the ground, as though inviting the hand of the Christian warrior or wayfarer to take it freely. If there is no taste for the written Word, it may be assumed that the living Word has not been enthroned in the heart; for where He reigns supreme, there is a longing for the food which alone can fit us for the Christian life. Where we cannot take much, let us take some.— There was not time for Jonathan to sit down and take his fill. He could only catch up some as he hastily passed through the forest-glade; but that little made all the difference to him. So, in the early morning, or at midday, if we cannot fill our hearts with Scripture, we may catch up a morsel, which will minister untold refreshment, and clear our spiritual vision. We specially need to do this when flushed with success.— Too often, when we have had success in the battles of the Lord—a good time in preaching or teaching— we are apt to congratulate ourselves, and suppose that we can live on the emotions excited. But, probably, there is no time when we need more absolutely to turn to the Word of God. In victory, as in defeat, we must be fed and nourished. 1 Samuel 14:28 Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly put the people under oath, saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats food today.' " And the people were weary. Cursed: 1Sa 14:24,43 1 Samuel 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JONATHAN MADE AWARE OF SAUL'S CURSE Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly put the people under oath, saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats food today.' " - How did this person know Jonathan had sampled honey? Presumably his eyes were bright, so the reasoning would be he must have taken nourishment. And the people were weary - Of course they were for Saul had essentially starved them. 1 Samuel 14:29 Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See now, how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. BGT 1 Samuel 14:29 καὶ ἔγνω Ιωναθαν καὶ εἶπεν ἀπήλλαχεν ὁ πατήρ μου τὴν γῆν ἰδὲ δὴ ὅτι εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου ὅτι ἐγευσάμην βραχὺ τοῦ μέλιτος τούτου LXE 1 Samuel 14:29 and Jonathan knew it, and said, My father has destroyed the land: see how my eyes have received sight now that I have tasted a little of this honey. KJV 1 Samuel 14:29 Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. NET 1 Samuel 14:29 Then Jonathan said, "My father has caused trouble for the land. See how my eyes gleamed when I tasted just a little of this honey. CSB 1 Samuel 14:29 Jonathan replied, "My father has brought trouble to the land. Just look at how I have renewed energy because I tasted a little honey. ESV 1 Samuel 14:29 Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. NIV 1 Samuel 14:29 Jonathan said, "My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. NLT 1 Samuel 14:29 "My father has made trouble for us all!" Jonathan exclaimed. "A command like that only hurts us. See how refreshed I am now that I have eaten this little bit of honey. NRS 1 Samuel 14:29 Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land; see how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. NJB 1 Samuel 14:29 'My father has brought trouble on the country,' Jonathan replied. 'See how much brighter my eyes are for having eaten this mouthful of honey. NAB 1 Samuel 14:29 Jonathan replied: "My father brings trouble to the land. Look how bright my eyes are from this small taste of honey I have had. YLT 1 Samuel 14:29 And Jonathan saith, 'My father hath troubled the land; see, I pray you, that mine eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. RSV 1 Samuel 14:29 Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land; see how my eyes have become bright, because I tasted a little of this honey. NKJ 1 Samuel 14:29 But Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. ASV 1 Samuel 14:29 Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. DBY 1 Samuel 14:29 And Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land: see, I pray you, that mine eyes are bright, because I tasted a little of this honey. GWN 1 Samuel 14:29 Jonathan answered, "My father has brought trouble to the country. See how my eyes lit up when I tasted a little of this honey? My father: 1Ki 18:18 1 Samuel 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JONATHAN'S VERDICT ON HIS FATHER'S FOOLISH DECREE Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled (akar) the land - NLT = ""My father has made trouble for us all!" Sadly, the son had far more wisdom than the king. Saul's harsh oath might be compared to an "Achan Effect" - The same verb for troubled (akar) was used by Joshua when he addressed Achan who cause Israel's humiliating defeat at Ai - "Joshua said, “Why have you troubled (akar) us? The LORD will trouble (akar) you this day.” And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones." (Joshua 7:25) David Thompson adds "Saul was a troubled man and he was troubling to people. The word Samuel uses in Hebrew for “trouble” (akar) is one that means to stir up trouble in a cruel and bad way that brings evil upon people (William Gesenius, Hebrew Lexicon, p. 626). Jonathan says my father is stirring up trouble in a cruel away upon his own people, Israel. See now, how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey - NLT = "A command like that only hurts us. See how refreshed I am now that I have eaten this little bit of honey. Jonathan implies that this would have been the effect on the entire army and would energize them for a complete victory over the Philistines as he says in 1Sa 14:30! It is well known, that hunger and fatigue produce faintness and dim the sight; and on taking a little food, this affection is immediately removed. How much more complete would have been the destruction of the massive Philistine army had Saul not made this one very foolish oath! Troubled (troubler, troubled) (05916) akar is a verb meaning to cause trouble, stir up resentment, cause hatred. It usually describes the trouble brought upon one from another person. The first use is by Jacob addressing his sons Simeon and Levi declaring “You have brought trouble (Lxx = miseo = to be hated) on me." (By killing Hamor and his son Shechem who had defiled their sister Dinah - Ge 34:26-27). (Ge 34:30) In Pr 11:17 "the cruel man does himself harm (Lxx = exollumi - to destroy utterly in the present tense = continually destroys himself!)" In Pr 11:29 Solomon warns that "He who troubles his own house will inherit wind," which "refers to actions which make life difficult for one's family." His reward is "empty air," nothing that can be grasped, nothing he can put his hands on. In 1Sa 14:29 Jonathan (son of Saul) declared that Saul had "troubled the land" by telling the soldiers none could eat food (1Sa 14:28) Ahab called Elijah a "troubler of Israel." (1Ki 18:17, 18). 1 Samuel 14:30 "How much more, if only the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great." BGT 1 Samuel 14:30 ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι εἰ ἔφαγεν ἔσθων ὁ λαὸς σήμερον τῶν σκύλων τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτῶν ὧν εὗρεν ὅτι νῦν ἂν μείζων ἦν ἡ πληγὴ ἐν τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις LXE 1 Samuel 14:30 Surely if the people had this day eaten freely of the spoils of their enemies which they found, the slaughter among the Philistines would have been greater. KJV 1 Samuel 14:30 How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines? NET 1 Samuel 14:30 Certainly if the army had eaten some of the enemies' provisions that they came across today, would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?" CSB 1 Samuel 14:30 How much better if the troops had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from their enemies! Then the slaughter of the Philistines would have been much greater." ESV 1 Samuel 14:30 How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great." NIV 1 Samuel 14:30 How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?" NLT 1 Samuel 14:30 If the men had been allowed to eat freely from the food they found among our enemies, think how many more Philistines we could have killed!" NRS 1 Samuel 14:30 How much better if today the troops had eaten freely of the spoil taken from their enemies; for now the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great." NJB 1 Samuel 14:30 By the same token, if the people had been allowed to eat some of the booty which they had captured from the enemy today, would not the defeat of the Philistines have been all the greater?' NAB 1 Samuel 14:30 What is more, if the people had eaten freely today of their enemy's booty when they came across it, would not the slaughter of the Philistines by now have been the greater for it?" YLT 1 Samuel 14:30 How much more if the people had well eaten to-day of the spoil of its enemies which it hath found, for now, the smiting hath not been great among the Philistines.' RSV 1 Samuel 14:30 How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found; for now the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great." 1 Samuel 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JONATHAN'S LOGIC: MORE HONEY, MORE DEAD PHILISTINES! "How much more, if only the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great." - NIV = "How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?"