36 And Saul saith, 'Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and we prey upon them till the light of the morning, and leave not a man of them.' And they say, 'All that is good in thine eyes do.' And the priest saith, 'Let us draw near hither unto God.' 37 And Saul asketh of God, 'Do I go down after the Philistines? dost Thou give them into the hand of Israel?' and He hath not answered him on that day. 38 And Saul saith, 'Draw ye nigh hither all, the chiefs of the people, and know and see in what this sin hath been to-day; 39 for, Jehovah liveth, who is saving Israel: surely if it be in Jonathan my son, surely he doth certainly die;' and none is answering him out of all the people. 40 And he saith unto all Israel, 'Ye—ye are on one side, and I and Jonathan my son are on another side;' and the people say unto Saul, 'That which is good in thine eyes do.' 41 And Saul saith unto Jehovah, God of Israel, 'Give perfection;' and Jonathan and Saul are captured, and the people went out. 42 And Saul saith, 'Cast between me and Jonathan my son;' and Jonathan is captured. 43 And Saul saith unto Jonathan, 'Declare to me, what hast thou done?' and Jonathan declareth to him, and saith, 'I certainly tasted with the end of the rod that 'is' in my hand a little honey; lo, I die!' 44 And Saul saith, 'Thus doth God do, and thus doth He add, for thou dost certainly die, Jonathan.' 45 And the people say unto Saul, 'Doth Jonathan die who wrought this great salvation in Israel?—a profanation! Jehovah liveth, if there falleth from the hair of his head to the earth, for with God he hath wrought this day;' and the people rescue Jonathan, and he hath not died. 46 And Saul goeth up from after the Philistines, and the Philistines have gone to their place;
47 and Saul captured the kingdom over Israel, and he fighteth round about against all his enemies, against Moab, and against the Bene-Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines, and whithersoever he turneth he doth vex 'them'. 48 And he maketh a force, and smiteth Amalek, and delivereth Israel out of the hand of its spoiler. 49 And the sons of Saul are Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchi-Shua; as to the name of his two daughters, the name of the first-born 'is' Merab, and the name of the younger Michal; 50 and the name of the wife of Saul 'is' Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of the head of his host 'is' Abner son of Ner, uncle of Saul; 51 and Kish 'is' father of Saul, and Ner father of Abner 'is' son of Ahiel. 52 And the war is severe against the Philistines all the days of Saul; when Saul hath seen any mighty man, and any son of valour, then he doth gather him unto himself.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 14:36-52
Commentary on 1 Samuel 14:36-46
(Read 1 Samuel 14:36-46)
If God turns away our prayer, we have reason to suspect it is for some sin harboured in our hearts, which we should find out, that we may put it away, and put it to death. We should always first suspect and examine ourselves; but an unhumbled heart suspects every other person, and looks every where but at home for the sinful cause of calamity. Jonathan was discovered to be the offender. Those most indulgent to their own sins are most severe upon others; those who most disregard God's authority, are most impatient when their own commands are slighted. Such as cast abroad curses, endanger themselves and their families. What do we observe in the whole of Saul's behaviour on this occasion, but an impetuous, proud, malignant, impious disposition? And do we not in every instance perceive that man, left to himself, betrays the depravity of his nature, and is enslaved to the basest tempers.
Commentary on 1 Samuel 14:47-52
(Read 1 Samuel 14:47-52)
Here is a general account of Saul's court and camp. He had little reason to be proud of his royal dignity, nor had any of his neighbours cause to envy him, for he had but little enjoyment after he took the kingdom. And often men's earthly glory makes a blaze just before the dark night of disgrace and woe comes on them.