1 Samuel 14:45

Contextual Overview

³⁶ And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatever seems good to you. Then said the priest, Let us draw near here to God. ³⁶ Then Saul said, "Let's chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let's destroy every last one of them." His men replied, "We'll do whatever you think is best." But the priest said, "Let's ask God first." ³⁶ And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God. ³⁶ Saul said, "Let's go after the Philistines tonight and rob them. We won't let any of them live!" The men answered, "Do whatever you think is best." But the priest said, "Let's ask God." ³⁶ Saul said, "Let's go down after the Philistines at night; we will rout them until the break of day. We won't leave any of them alive!" They replied, "Do whatever seems best to you." But the priest said, "Let's approach God here." ³⁶ And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatever seemeth good to thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither to God. ³⁶ Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. They said, Do whatever seems good to you. Then said the priest, Let us draw near here to God. ³⁶Then Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them [alive]." They said, "Do whatever seems good to you." Then the priest said, "Let us approach God here." ³⁶ Then Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." But the priest said, "Let us draw near to God here." ³⁶ And Saul seide, Falle we on the Filisteis in the nyyt, and waste we hem til the morewtid schyne; and leeue we not of hem a man. And the puple seide, Do thou al thing that semeth good to thee in thin iyen. And the preest seide, Neiye we hidur to God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

who hath: 1 Samuel 14:23, 1 Samuel 19:5, Nehemiah 9:27

there shall not: The people judged rightly, that the guilt was contracted by Saul, and not by Jonathan; and therefore they rescued him from the hands of his rash and severe father. 2 Samuel 14:11, 1 Kings 1:52, Matthew 10:30, Luke 21:18, Acts 27:34

he hath: 2 Chronicles 19:11, Isaiah 13:3, Acts 14:27, Acts 15:12, Acts 21:19, Romans 15:18, 1 Corinthians 3:9, 2 Corinthians 6:1, Philippians 2:12, Philippians 2:13, Revelation 17:14, Revelation 19:14

the people: Isaiah 29:20, Isaiah 29:21

Reciprocal: Judges 11:35 - I cannot Judges 21:7 - sworn 1 Samuel 11:13 - There shall 1 Samuel 18:1 - the soul of Jonathan 1 Samuel 20:2 - God forbid 1 Samuel 22:17 - would not 1 Kings 1:29 - As the 1 Kings 17:12 - As the Lord Job 27:2 - God liveth Isaiah 26:18 - we have not Luke 12:7 - even Acts 7:25 - God 1 Corinthians 7:24 - abide

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the people said unto Saul,.... Hearing such words, and filled with grief, pity, and sympathy for Jonathan, as Josephus k observes:

shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? no, he shall not; what, such a man as he die, who, under God, has been the instrument of so great deliverance, who first began it himself with one man only with him, and has proceeded in it to the finishing of it?

God forbid: this shall not be so; they speak of it with the utmost abhorrence and detestation, as a shocking piece of cruelty and ingratitude, unheard of, and not to be paralleled:

as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; as Saul swore he should die, they also swear he should not, expressing their firm resolution to stand by him, and preserve his life; and so far should it be from him to have his life taken away, that an hair of his head should not be touched, or the least injury done to his person; for though they had yielded a ready obedience to all the orders and commands of Saul, which were distressing to themselves, they were determined to oppose him in this case of his son:

for he hath wrought with God this day; God has been with him, assisted him to do great things for Israel, and therefore should not die for a thing so trivial; and it being not done in disobedience to his father, nor in contempt of him, but through pure ignorance, as some of them well knew; so the Targum,

"for it is known before the Lord, that in ignorance he did it this day:''

so the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not; not by force, but by their resolution and importunity; or "redeemed" him l, by exposing their own lives to danger in opposing their king, and by their petitions to him for him; and, as Josephus says m, by their prayers to God for him, that his fault might be forgiven.

k Antiqu. l. 6. c. 6. sect. 4. l יפדו "redemerunt", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. m Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 6.) sect. 5.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 14:45. And the people said — "Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid! As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground." Here was a righteous and impartial jury, who brought in a verdict according to the evidence: No man should die but for a breach of the law of God; but Jonathan hath not broken any law of God; therefore Jonathan should not die. And because he should not, therefore he shall not.

He hath wrought with God this day. — God has been commander-in-chief; Jonathan has acted under his directions.

So the people rescued Jonathan — And God testified no displeasure; and perhaps he permitted all this that he might correct Saul's propensity to rashness and precipitancy.