2. The eldest son of Saul (1 S 14"), who shared in the perils and enterprises of his father's stormy reign, and was involved in his ruin. The narratives* in which he figures successively celebrate his martial exploits and his romantic friend.ship with David, and they portray a character which combines in a unique degree the heroism of the Hebrew patriot with the spirit of Christian virtue.
As warrior-prince J. takes rank among the bravest captains of Israel's iron age. Like Saul, he was fleet of foot, and of great physical strength (2 S l^*), and, aa became a Benjamite, a noted archer (v."). In the familiar sjieech of the people, he may have been known for his grace and agility a-s the gazelle. (So Ewald, rendering v.", ' the gazelle is slain '). He comes upon the scene as the hero of a campaign against the Philistines, in which the bearing of Saul is little more than a foil to the bold initiative, the rapid movement, and the practical sp.nse of his son. The I'hili.-tines, it would seera, had been in ellective occupation of tlie Israelitish territory, and the force collected by Saul had not yet made any con.sidcrable impres- sion, when a blow struck by J. (1 S 13'),t to whom
* Of the two main stratA In the Books of Samuel distio- guished by modem critics (Budde, Driver, Cornill, ctc.>. the older contributes th* account of J.'s miliUrj- carw?r O S IS. 14 81-). while the later develops the tlu-me of tlie frirmUhip (1 8 l»l-« IB" 23'»'»)l The dialinctncu o( the two wnlnbu- tlons would be complete If Sude is rik'ht In ft-<»i^-iiing ch. 20 (against Budde) to the later snurce. The I>«m.Ii.- elivy (J .s 1| conmien^or«tes equally the iirowraa and (nt-ndship of Jtmnthan.
i I'rutiabty the slaying of a tyrannical uUki-r. The unosp
T5^
JONATHAN
JONATHAN
Saul had intr isted a third of his followin" (1 S 13'), loudly sounded the note of rebellion. 'Hie Pliilis- tines answered the challenfje by invading tlie highlands with an overwhelming force. The Hebrews, on the other hand, did not respond to Saul's expectation of a general rising ; some fled beyond Jordan, some hid themselves in caves, some were pressed into tlie enemy's service, and he was left to front the inva.sion with a band which had now dwindled from 3U0O to 6U0 men (1 S 13"). The two armies came face to face at the passage of Michmasli, and took up their posi- tions on opposite sides of a deep ravine* — the PhUistinea at Michmash on the north, Saul at Gibeah on the south side. Outnumbered though Saul was, his position at the top of the steep pass was impregnaole ; and the Philistines^ after plant- ing an outpost on their edge of the ravme, set about harrying the surrounding district (1 S 13"). The dead-locK was ended by Jonathan. Accompanied by his armour-bearer (1 S 14'), he hailed the Phili.s- tine garrison, and, having satisfied himself that their reply was a sign that the Omnipotent God was on his side (v.'-),t he scaled the opposing rocky rampart and fell upon the astonished garrison. As the Philistines fled he struck down twenty men, and where they lay in a row it seemed like a furrow drawn in an acre of land (v.'*, perhaps, originally, 'he went through them likeaploughshare'; on other possible interpretations see art. KURROW). The panic spread to the main camp, which, weakened as it was by the absence of the marauding bands, was unable to resist what seemed an attack in force. Seeing the enemy in confusion, and discovering in it the hand of J., Saul with his men also crossed the ravine, and soon the whole force of the Philistines was in headlong flight. That the Hebrews might reap the full fruits of the victory, Saul made pro- clamation that none should eat until the evening on pain of death (v."). Ignorant of the prohibi- tion, J., as lie passed in hot chase through a wooded district, refreshed himself by eating wild honey (v.") ; and, on learning of his father's vow, he warmly blamed the short-sighted order that had taken the vigour out of tlie pursuit (v.*"). In the evening the oracle revealed tnat a penalty had been incurred (v."'), and the divination of the lot brought the transgression home to J. (v.*-). Saul declared his life forfeited, but the people intervened, and by a ransom (Ewald, by a vicari- ous sacrifice) saved their hero (v.").
If the military exploits of J. chiefly impressed his contemporaries, it is his friendship with David which has most strongly appealed to the imagina- tion of the after-world. In truth, it gives an un- rivalled example of the essential notes of friendship — namely, warmth of attection, disinterestedness, helpfulness, confidence, and constancy. The love
tainty arises from the ambi^ity of D'V^, an ambij^ity which may be reproduced in English by saying that he destroyed a post, i.e. either a garrison, or a pillar erected in token of the Philistine supremacy (On 1928), or an official of some kind. The last interpretation is supported by 1 K 419.
* The situation may be made clearer by an extract from Robinson, Bibl. Rmrarchet, ii. 116. 'We left Jeba' (Gibeah) for MDkhmfis. The descent into the valley was longer and steeper than any of the preceding. The path led down ob- liquely, and we reached the bottom in half an hour. ... In the valley (Wady es-Suweinit). just at the left of where we crossed, are two hills of a conical, or rather a spherical, form, having steep rocky sides with small Wadys running up behind each, so as almost to isolate them. These would seem to be the two rocks mentioned in connexion with J.'s adventure. . . . Crossing the valley obliquely, and ascending with difficulty for 15 minutes we came upon the slope on which Mukhmds itands.'