Camps of Israel and of the Philistines - Jonathan and his Armor-bearer - Panic among the Philistines, and

Flight - Saul's Rash Vow - The "Lot" cast at Ajalon - Cessation of the War. (1 SAMUEL 13:15-14:46)

WHEN, after Samuel's departure, Saul with his six hundred men marched out of Gilgal, he found the

Philistines occupying the range at Michmash which he had formerly held. With such weak following as he

could command, it was wise on his part to take up a position in the "uttermost part of Gibeah" (14:2), that is,

as we gather from the context, to the north of the town itself, and on the outskirts of Geba129 and its district

(13:16). Geba is only about an hour and a quarter north of Gibeah. We may therefore suppose Saul's camp to

have been about two miles to the north of the latter city, and to have extended towards Geba. His head-

quarters were under a pomegranate tree at a place called Migron - probably a "land-slip;" and there, besides

his principal men, he had the then occupant of the high-priesthood, Ahiah,130 the son of Ahitub, an elder

brother of Ichabod, "wearing an ephod," or discharging the priestly functions.

From Geba itself Michmash, which lay on the opposite ridge, was only divided by the intervening Wady-es -

Suweinit. How long the Israelites had lain in that position we are not informed. But we are told that "the

spoilers," or rather "the destroyers," "went out of the camp of the Philistines in three bands" (13:17), -one

"facing" in a north-easterly direction by Ophrah towards the district of Shual, the "fox-country," the other

"facing" westwards towards Bethhoron, and the third south-eastwards, "the way to the district that

overlooketh the valley of Zeboim" ("raveners,"  131 viz., wild beasts) "toward the wilderness" (of Judah).

Thus the only direction left untouched was south and south-west, where Saul and Jonathan held the strong

position of Gibeah-Geba. If the intention had been to draw them thence into the open, it failed. But immense

damage must have been inflicted upon the country, while a systematic raid was made upon all smithies, so

as to render it impossible not only to prepare weapons, but so much as to have the means of sharpening the

necessary tools of husbandry.

In these circumstances it is once more the noble figure of Jonathan which comes to the foreground.

Whatever fitness he might have shown for "the kingdom," had he been called to it, a more unselfish, warm-

hearted, genuine, or noble character is not presented to us in Scripture than that of Jonathan. Weary of the

long and apparently hopeless inactivity, trustful in Jehovah, and fired by the thought that with Him there

was "no hindrance to save, by much or by little," he planned single -handed an expedition against the

Philistine outpost at Michmash. As he put it, it was emphatically a deed of faith, in which he would not take

counsel either with his father or with any of the people, only with God, of Whom he would seek a sign of

approbation before actually entering on the undertaking. The sole companion whom he took was, as in the

case of Gideon (Judges 7:9, 10), his armor-bearer, who seems to have been not only entirely devoted to his

master, but like -minded. In the Wady-es -Suweinit, which, as we have seen, forms "the passage" between the

ridge of Geba, where Jonathan was, and that of Michmash, now occupied by the Philistines, were the two

conical heights, or "teeth of rock," called Bozez and Seneh. One of these, as we gather from the text, faced

Jonathan and his armor-bearer toward the north over against Michmash. This we suppose to have been

Bozez, "the shining one," probably so called from its rocky sides and top. It is figuratively described in the

text as cast132 like metal. Here, on the top of a sharp, very narrow ledge of rock, was the Philistine outpost.

The "tooth of rock" opposite, on which Jonathan and his armor-bearer "discovered" themselves to their

enemies, was Seneh, "the thornlike," or "pointed," or else "the tooth."  133

All around there was thick wood, or rather forest (14:25), which stretched all the way towards Bethel (2

Kings 2:23, 24). Standing on the extreme point of Seneh, the Philistines would probably only see Jonathan,

with, at most, his armor-bearer; but they would be ignorant what forces might lurk under cover of the trees.

And this was to be the sign by which Jonathan and his companion were to discern whether or not God

favored their enterprise. If, when they "discovered" themselves to the Philistines, these would challenge

them to stay and await their coming over to fight, then Jonathan and his companion would forbear, while, if