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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 cast^132
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 the challenge were the
other way, they would infer that Jehovah had delivered them into their hand. The
one, of course, would argue courage on the part of the Philistines, the other the want
of it. What followed is graphically sketched in the sacred text. From the point of "the
thorn," or "tooth of the rock," Jonathan "discovered" himself to the Philistines. This
open appearance of the Hebrews was as startling as unexpected, nor could the
Philistines have imagined that two men alone would challenge a post. Manifestly the
Philistine post had no inclination to fight an unknown enemy; and so with genuine
Eastern boastfulness they heaped abuse on them, uttering the challenge to come up.
This had been the preconcerted signal; and, choosing the steepest ascent, where their
approach would least be looked for, Jonathan and his armor-bearer crept up the
ledge of the rock on their hands and feet. Up on the top it was so narrow that only
one could stand abreast. This we infer not only from the language of the text, but
from the description of what ensued. As Jonathan reached the top, he threw down his
foremost opponent, and the armor-bearer, coming up behind, killed him. There was
not room for two to attack or defend in line. And so twenty men fell, as the text
expresses it, within "half a furrow of a yoke of field,"^134 - that is, as we understand it,
within the length commonly ploughed by a yoke of oxen, and the width of about half
(^)