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CHAPTER 8 : 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
Geba^129 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
(^)