SEV Biblia, Chapter 14:36
¶ Y dijo Saúl: Descendamos de noche contra los filisteos, y los saquearemos hasta la mañana, y no dejaremos de ellos ninguno. Y ellos dijeron: Haz lo que bien te pareciere. Dijo luego el sacerdote: Acerquémonos aquí a Dios.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 14:36
Verse 36. Then said the priest] It is evident that Ahiah doubted the propriety of pursuing the Philistines that night; and as a reverse of fortune might be ruinous after such a victory, he wished to have specific directions from the Lord.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 36. And Saul said , etc.] To his son Jonathan, or to some of the principal officers of his army: let us go down after the Philistines by night ; or tonight, that same night; which is another hardship he laid his troops under; as he had restrained them from eating all that day until evening, now he proposed they shall take no sleep that night, but proceed on in their pursuit of the Philistines, having eaten, and drank, and refreshed themselves. The Arabic version is, “let us go down to the Philistines”; and so Noldius chooses to render the words; which I pretty much wonder at, and especially at what he observes in favour of it, and against the common rendering; that at this time the Philistines had not turned their backs, so that the Israelites could not be said to go after them, but were in a camp opposite to them; but that they had fled, and were pursued, is most certain from ( 1 Samuel 14:22,23,31), and spoil them until the morning light ; or kill of them, as the Targum, and so the Arabic version; for spoiling must be meant of killing; for as for the spoil of their provisions, riches, etc. that had already fallen into their hands, ( 1 Samuel 14:30), and this is confirmed by what follows: and let us not leave a man of them ; great numbers had been slain already, partly by their falling upon one another, and partly by the swords of Jonathan and his armourbearer at the first onset, and by Saul and his men in the pursuit of them; and so intent was Saul in the utter destruction of them, that he was for following and cutting them off, that none of their prodigious army might return home: and they said, do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee ; they had religiously observed his oath, in refraining from food all the day, and now they were as willing to be obedient to his command in denying themselves refreshing rest in sleep: then said the priest, let us draw near hither unto God ; Ahiah the priest, Josephus calls him Ahitob, who was present with the ark, agreed to the proposal of Saul, only moved, that before they set forward they would seek the Lord; perhaps reflecting upon the abrupt manner in which Saul departed from Gibeah, just as he was consulting the Lord, and not staying for an answer from him; which the priest might fear would be resented by him, and therefore proposes first to draw nigh to God; not to the altar Saul had built, or had just begun to build, but to the ark, with which the high priest was, and was a symbol of the divine Presence: the Targum is, “let us draw near hither, and inquire by the word of the Lord.”
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 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 pu it away, and put it to death. We should always first suspect an 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 disregar God's authority, are most impatient when their own commands ar slighted. Such as cast abroad curses, endanger themselves and their families. What do we observe in the whole of Saul's behaviour on thi occasion, but an impetuous, proud, malignant, impious disposition? An do we not in every instance perceive that man, left to himself, betray the depravity of his nature, and is enslaved to the basest tempers.
Original Hebrew
ויאמר 559 שׁאול 7586 נרדה 3381 אחרי 310 פלשׁתים 6430 לילה 3915 ונבזה 962 בהם עד 5704 אור 216 הבקר 1242 ולא 3808 נשׁאר 7604 בהם אישׁ 376 ויאמרו 559 כל 3605 הטוב 2896 בעיניך 5869 עשׂה 6213 ויאמר 559 הכהן 3548 נקרבה 7126 הלם 1988 אל 413 האלהים׃ 430
