1 Samuel 14:13 Commentary and Bible Study

They scrambled and clambered up, got over the ridge, and slew the nearest sentry. Jonathan was probably a tall man like his father and he was skilful in warfare. Another possibility is that they scrambled up, and as Philistine sentries leaned over that ridge bodily to try to see where these Hebrews were hiding and lurking and how many there were, then they made themselves vulnerable to being pulled over the edge by Jonathan, and they fell down past him and the armour bearer slew them as they did so. However it was done, twenty sentries along quite a length of ridge were killed, and by this time people are becoming aware of it. This first slaughter caused a tremendous consternation. The other Philistines are seeing their sentries being felled one after another, and God infuses into them a great fear. They think, the Hebrews are armed somehow and prepared; they are nearer than we thought. It is likely also that there were mercenaries in the camp, and that some thought that for some reason they were turning on each other. After all, how else could there be such fighting when they as far as they knew there was no large army of Israelites nearby. But maybe they believed this was a surprise attack by the Israelites and were unsure which direction the danger was coming from. But just as panic was growing, the Lord in his graciousness – since he always amplifies the efforts of his faithful servants – sent an earth tremor along the ground, and that made everybody go wild. They didn't know whether it was an earthquake or ten thousand men descending from the hillside, and everybody began fighting everybody else. So there is a great trembling and alarm. Maybe some of the Philistines began to run as fast as they could from that ridge, and get down. There is turmoil, because death has come from a totally unexpected quarter and they do not understand what is happening. You could imagine that there had been screams and yells and shouts, and the people near at hand thought there must be an enormous Hebrew contingent there, not realising there were only two men. So there was a stampede to get away and to clamber down from those high places. The terror and alarm and trembling became contagious and it just spread through the whole crowd, and the Philistine host began to retreat and to flee.