Study Desk

So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel and delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, and you lived securely.

Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you have committed in the sight of the LORD by asking for a king."

So Samuel called to the LORD, and on that day the LORD sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

They pleaded with Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king."

Then Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!"

So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings." And he offered up the burnt offering.

I thought, 'Now the Philistines will descend upon me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."

So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hands of the troops with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.

So the two of them showed themselves to the outpost of the Philistines, who exclaimed, "Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes in which they were hiding!"

So the men of the outpost called out to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, "Come on up, and we will teach you a lesson!" "Follow me," Jonathan told his armor-bearer, "for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel."

While Saul was talking to the priest, the commotion in the Philistine camp continued to increase. So Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."

So the LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth-aven.

Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, "Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies." So none of the troops tasted any food.

Jonathan, however, had not heard that his father had charged the people with the oath. So he reached out the end of the staff in his hand, dipped it into the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened.

So they rushed greedily to the plunder, taking sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them on the ground and ate meat with the blood still in it.

Then he said, "Go among the troops and tell them, 'Each man must bring me his ox or his sheep, slaughter them in this place, and then eat. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.'" So that night everyone brought his ox and slaughtered it there.

So Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?" But God did not answer him that day.

So Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, "Why have You not answered Your servant this day? If the fault is with me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim; but if the fault is with the men of Israel, respond with Thummim." And Jonathan and Saul were selected, but the people were cleared of the charge.

"Tell me what you have done," Saul commanded him. So Jonathan told him, "I only tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. And now I must die?"

And Saul declared "May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!"