1 Samuel 14:26

Contextual Overview

²⁴ And the men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eats any food until it is evening, and I may be avenged on my enemies. So none of the people tasted food. ²⁴ Now the men of Israel were pressed to exhaustion that day, because Saul had placed them under an oath, saying, "Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening—before I have full revenge on my enemies." So no one ate anything all day, ²⁴ And the men of Israel were distressed that day: but Saul adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until it be evening, and I be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted food. ²⁴ The men of Israel were miserable that day because Saul had made an oath for all of them. He had said, "No one should eat food before evening and before I finish defeating my enemies. If he does, he will be cursed!" So no Israelite soldier ate food. ²⁴ Now the men of Israel were hard pressed that day, for Saul had made the army agree to this oath: "Cursed be the man who eats food before evening! I will get my vengeance on my enemies!" So no one in the army ate anything. ²⁴ And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed [be] the man that eateth [any] food until evening, that I may be avenged on my enemies. So none of the people tasted [any] food. ²⁴ The men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man who eats any food until it be evening, and I be avenged on my enemies. So none of the people tasted food. ²⁴But the men of Israel were hard-pressed that day, because Saul had put the people under a curse, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and before I have taken vengeance on my enemies." So none of the people ate any food. ²⁴ And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies." So none of the people had tasted food. ²⁴ And men of Israel weren felouschipid to hem silf in that dai; forsothe Saul swoor to the puple, and seide, Cursid be the man, that etith breed `til to euentid, til `Y venge me of myn enemyes.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the people: Ecclesiastes 9:2

Reciprocal: Psalms 19:10 - honeycomb Psalms 81:16 - honey Matthew 26:63 - I adjure

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when the people came into the wood, behold, the honey dropped,.... Either from trees, which produced it; so Diodorus Siculus t speaks of trees in some countries which produce honey; or from the sugar canes, as Jarchi; or rather from the honeycombs which were framed in trees by bees; so Hesiod u speaks of bees making their nests or combs in trees. Ben Gersom thinks that bee hives were placed here in rows by the wayside, from whence the honey flowed; or "went" w, or there was a going of it; perhaps the combs being pressed by the Philistines as they fled: the land of Canaan was a land flowing with milk and honey:

but no man put his hand to his mouth; that is, took not any of the honey and ate it, though it was so near at hand, and there was plenty of it:

for the people feared the oath: Saul adjured them by, or the imprecation he made on the person that should eat any food that day.

t Bibliothec. l. 17. p. 548. u Hesiod, Theogon. ver. 230. Vid. Diodor. Sic. ut supra. (Bibliothec. l. 17. p. 548.) w הלך דבש "ambulatio mellis", Montanus; "itio mellis", Drusius; so in Ovid. Metamorph. l. 1. fab. 3. "----jam flumina nectaris ibant".

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The honey dropped - Rather, “Behold a stream of honey.” The same thing may be seen in Spain, where in woody and rocky ground copious streams of honey are often found.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 14:26. The honey dropped — It seems to have dropped from the trees on the ground. Honey dews, as they are called, are not uncommon in most countries; and this appears to have been something of this kind. I have seen honey in considerable quantity on the trees and long grass in the fields, and have often eaten of it.