← All Chapters The Book of 1 Samuel · Chapter 14

1 Samuel 14: Faith Against the Odds

Jonathan trusts that God can save by many or by few, while Saul's rash oath nearly costs his courageous son his life.

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1 Samuel 14 (WEB)

1 Now it fell on a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side.” But he didn’t tell his father.

2 Saul stayed in the uttermost part of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people who were with him were about six hundred men;

3 and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of Yahweh in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. The people didn’t know that Jonathan was gone.

4 Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

5 The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.

6 Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that Yahweh will work for us; for there is no restraint on Yahweh to save by many or by few.”

7 His armor bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Turn and, behold, I am with you according to your heart.”

8 Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will reveal 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 will not go up to them.

10 But if they say this, ‘Come up to us!’ then we will go up; for Yahweh has delivered them into our hand. This shall be the sign to us.”

11 Both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, “Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they had hidden themselves!”

12 The men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you something!” Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come up after me; for Yahweh has delivered them into the hand of Israel.”

13 Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and his armor bearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armor bearer killed them after him.

14 That first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land.

15 There was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the raiders, they also trembled; and the earth quaked: so there was an exceeding great trembling.

16 The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude melted away, and scattered.

17 Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Count now, and see who is missing from us.” When they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.

18 Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God was with the children of Israel at that time.

19 While Saul talked to the priest, the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand!”

20 Saul and all the people who were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle: and behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow: a very great confusion.

21 Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines as before, and who went up with them into the camp, from all around, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

22 Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.

23 So Yahweh saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over by Beth Aven.

24 The men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had adjured the people, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food until it is evening, and I am avenged of my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food.

25 All the people came into the forest; and there was honey on the ground.

26 When the people had come to the forest, behold, the honey dropped: but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath.

27 But Jonathan didn’t hear when his father commanded the people with the oath: therefore he put out the end of the rod who was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.

28 Then one of the people answered, and said, “Your father directly commanded the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food this day.’” The people were faint.

29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Please look how my eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.

30 How much more, if perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the plunder of their enemies which they found? For now has there been no great slaughter among the Philistines.”

31 They struck of the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. The people were very faint;

32 and the people flew on the plunder, and took sheep, and cattle, and calves, and killed them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood.

33 Then they told Saul, saying, “Behold, the people are sinning against Yahweh, in that they eat meat with the blood.” He said, “You have dealt treacherously. Roll a large stone to me this day!”

34 Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them, ‘Bring me here every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat; and don’t sin against Yahweh in eating meat with the blood.’” All the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and killed them there.

35 Saul built an altar to Yahweh. This was the first altar that he built to Yahweh.

36 Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take plunder among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them.” They said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” Then the priest said, “Let us draw near here to God.”

37 Saul asked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he didn’t answer him that day.

38 Saul said, “Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people; and know and see in which this sin has been this day.

39 For, as Yahweh lives, who saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.

40 Then he said to all Israel, “You be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” The people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.”

41 Therefore Saul said to Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Show the right.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen; but the people escaped.

42 Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.” Jonathan was selected.

43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done!” Jonathan told him, and said, “I certainly did taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and behold, I must die.”

44 Saul said, “God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”

45 The people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As Yahweh lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked with God this day!” So the people rescued Jonathan, that he didn’t die.

46 Then Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place.

47 Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and wherever he turned himself, he defeated them.

48 He did valiantly, and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.

49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:

50 and the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.

51 Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

52 There was severe war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him to him.

Summary

While Saul lingers under a pomegranate tree, his son Jonathan, with only his armor-bearer, dares to cross over to the Philistine garrison, declaring that nothing can hinder Yahweh from saving by many or by few. They agree on a sign, climb the rocky crag in full view of the enemy, and Jonathan strikes down some twenty men. God sends a great trembling through the Philistine camp, the earth quakes, and the enemy host melts away in confusion, even turning their swords on one another. Saul's watchmen see the panic, and Israel rallies to the rout, joined by those who had been hiding. But Saul compounds his earlier folly with a rash oath, cursing anyone who eats before evening, leaving his troops faint with hunger in the day of battle. Jonathan, unaware of the oath, tastes a little honey and is refreshed, only to learn his father has bound the people foolishly. When the famished soldiers later eat meat with the blood, Saul scrambles to correct the sin. Then, when God does not answer Saul's inquiry, lots are cast and fall on Jonathan; Saul is ready to put his own son to death over the broken oath, but the people intervene and rescue Jonathan, who had worked so great a salvation in Israel.

Main Characters

  • Jonathan — Saul's son, a man of bold faith who risks everything on the conviction that God can save by many or by few, and is later rescued by the people.
  • The armor-bearer — Jonathan's loyal companion who pledges to be with him heart and soul and follows him up the crag into battle.
  • Saul — The king who hangs back, then binds his army with a rash oath, and is willing to execute his own son rather than admit his folly.
  • The people of Israel — The troops who rally to the victory yet are weakened by Saul's oath, and who finally stand up to rescue Jonathan from death.

Key Verse

1 Samuel 14:6 (WEB)

Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that Yahweh will work for us; for there is no restraint on Yahweh to save by many or by few.”

Lessons Learned

  • God is not limited by numbers; he can deliver by the few as easily as by the many.
  • Bold faith dares to act on God's character even when the outcome is uncertain.
  • Rash, self-centered vows can harm the very people a leader is meant to protect.
  • True courage often comes from the margins, not from those clinging to position and safety.
  • God's victories are his own work, and his people should give him the glory.
  • God saves by few as well as by many. “there is no restraint on Yahweh to save by many or by few” (1 Samuel 14:6, WEB). Faith rests on God's power, not on favorable odds.
  • Faith acts before it sees. Jonathan ventures out saying, “It may be that Yahweh will work for us” (1 Samuel 14:6, WEB), willing to step forward in trust without a guarantee.
  • Rash words wound others. Saul's oath leaves the people “distressed” and faint (1 Samuel 14:24, WEB); even Jonathan says, “My father has troubled the land” (14:29). Hasty vows can hurt those we lead.
  • The victory belongs to the Lord. “So Yahweh saved Israel that day” (1 Samuel 14:23, WEB). Whatever Israel's part, the deliverance is credited to God alone.
  1. What does Jonathan's reasoning in verse 6 reveal about his understanding of God?
  2. How does the contrast between Jonathan's initiative and Saul's passivity shape the chapter?
  3. Why was Saul's oath so damaging, even though it sounded like zeal for the battle?
  4. How does the people's rescue of Jonathan expose the difference between Saul's leadership and the people's discernment?
  5. Where is God calling you to step out in faith, trusting that he can work whether the odds look favorable or not?
  1. Jonathan knows that God's power is not bound by human numbers (14:6). His confidence rests not in his own strength or in a large army but in the freedom and might of Yahweh to save by any means he chooses, a faith that fuels his daring.
  2. Jonathan goes out quietly to risk his life while Saul sits under a tree with the priest and the ark (14:1-3, 18-19). The narrative repeatedly sets the son's active faith against the father's hesitation, hinting at who is truly fit to lead God's people.
  3. The oath sounded like devotion but sprang from Saul's self-regard—he wanted to be “avenged” of his enemies (14:24). It weakened his soldiers, led them into sin with the blood, and nearly killed his own son, showing how a leader's rash words can harm the flock.
  4. When the lot falls on Jonathan, the people refuse to let the man who “worked this great salvation in Israel” be put to death (14:45). Their discernment overrules Saul's foolish rigidity, exposing a king more concerned with his vow than with justice or his own son.
  5. This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name an area where fear of the odds holds them back, and to consider Jonathan's confidence that nothing can restrain God from working. Encourage one concrete, prayerful step of faith.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), the King James Version (KJV), and the American Standard Version (ASV), all of which are in the public domain.