1 Samuel 14:27

(27) He put forth the end of the rod.—Most likely, with the point of his staff took up a piece of the honeycomb. Jonathan in that hurried battle and pursuit had heard nothing of his father’s rash oath, and was, no doubt, owing to his exertions in the earlier part of that eventful day, worn out with fatigue and hunger.

And his eyes were enlightened.—This simply means that the natural dimness caused by extreme exhaustion passed away when his long fast was broken; literally, his eyes became bright. Hence the Talmud comments: “Whoever suffers from the effects of intense hunger, let him eat honey and other sweet things, for such eatables are efficacious in restoring the light of one’s eyes . . . Thus we read of Jonathan, “See, I pray you, how my eyes have been enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey” (1Sa_14:27).—Treatise Yoma, fol. 83, Colossians 2.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa 14:27 But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that [was] in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.

Ver. 27. But Jonathan heard not.] He was absent, and therefore innocent. "Where is no law, is no transgression."

Wherefore he put forth the end of the rod, &c.] He followed the chase, till he found the honey. A dog followeth his master till he meeteth with carrion; and goeth along with the company till it comes to a parting: so do hypocrites follow Christ till it come to a critical point, or till drawn away by ungodliness and worldly lusts. Lucian maketh mention of a fellow that would show King Ptolomy a strange sight. He had taught apes to act comedies, and show other tricks. Another being willing to put a trick upon this sport maker, cast nuts before those apes as they were acting. The apes left all, and picked up the nuts. So do hypocrites show themselves in a temptation; making good the proverb, an ape remaineth an ape, though clothed in purple.

And his eyes were enlightened.] Which through fasting and faintness were grown dim, the optic spirits failing.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa 14:27-28. His eyes were enlightened — He was refreshed, and recovered his lost spirits. This cleared his sight, which was grown dim by hunger and faintness. Then answered one of the people — One of them that came with Saul, whose forces were now united with Jonathan’s.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Which were dim before for weariness and hunger.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 27. His eyes were enlightened.] Hunger and fatigue affect and dim the sight; on taking food, this affection is immediately removed. This most people know to be a fact.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

27. his eyes were enlightened] Cp. Psa_13:3. His bodily powers were refreshed. The opposite idea is conveyed by the Heb. words for fainting, which are derived from roots meaning ‘to be shrouded in darkness.’

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath,.... Which charge was given, either before he came from Gibeah, before he came to Jonathan, or while pursuing, when Jonathan was with another party either fighting or pursuing:

wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand: the staff with which he walked, or rather the spear which he carried in his hand, and fought his enemies with:

and dipped it in an honeycomb; or sugar cane, as Jarchi; or in wood honey, as the margin of our Bibles; but best, in the honeycomb, as the word is rendered, Sol 5:1 and so the Targum, into the nest of honey (x):

and he put his hand to his mouth; first he took the honey off of the top of his rod, and then put it to his mouth and ate it:

and his eyes were enlightened: which before were dim and dull through want of food, which is a common case; but became brisk and lively on eating the honey, nourishment being presently communicated, and he refreshed with it, and his spirits revived; and which quickly appeared in the briskness and sparkling of his eyes: honey being of a subtle nature, gives immediate refreshment and rigour; hence this phrase is frequently used by Jewish writers (y) for refreshment, after hunger, fatigue, and weariness; and which virtue is ascribed by them to fine bread, wine, oil, and particularly to honey.

(x) "Progeniem nidosque fovent----", Virgil. Georgic. l. 4. ver. 56. (y) T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 42. 1, 2. Yoma, fol. 18, 2. & 83. 1. Maimon. Hilch. Maacolot Asurot, c. 14. sect. 16.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Were enlightened - i. e., he was refreshed, when he was faint.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Enlightened. Extreme hunger and fatigue hurt the eyes, Jeremias xiv. 6. Sanctius saw a man who through fasting lost his sight, and recovered it again as soon as he had eaten. This is conformable to the observations of Hippocrates, and to nature. (Calmet) --- Tenebræ oboriuntur, genua inedia succedunt. Perii, prospicio parum. "Through hunger....I see but little." (Plautus.) (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Jonathan heard not, being then absent, and in pursuit of the Philistines, divers of the Israelites having joined themselves with him, 1Sa 14:21.

His eyes were enlightened; he was refreshed, and recovered his lost spirits, whereof part went into his optic nerves, and so cleared his sight, which was much darkened by famine, as is usual.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

27. His eyes were enlightened — Languor and faintness of the body show themselves in the eye, and this was the case with Jonathan and the people. But this refreshing taste of wild honey reinvigorated Jonathan, and caused his eyes to sparkle with returning strength. There is some confusion here in the pointed Hebrew text. The Keri, after the analogy of ארוin 1Sa_14:29, and with many codices, and the Syriac, Arabic, Chaldee, and Vulgate, read תארנה, from אור, to become bright. But if we adhere to the Kethib we should change the pointing thus — תראנה. In either case the meaning is substantially the same.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jonathan, who had not been present when his father charged the people with the oath, literally, "made the people swear, dipped the end of his staff hastily, so as not to hinder the pursuit, in an honeycomb Hebrew, "into the honey wood," i.e. into the hollow branch or trunk out of which the honey was flowing. (but see Son_5:1) His eyes were enlightened. I.e. made bright and clear, the dimness caused by excessive weariness having passed away. But this is a correction made by the Jews (kri), and the written text (c"tib) has "his eyes saw," which is more forcible and poetic. When the A.V was made the kri was supposed to be authoritative, but most modern commentators have come to the opposite conclusion.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Enlightened - He was refreshed, and recovered his lost spirits. This cleared his sight, which was grown dim by hunger and faintness.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

Jonathan learns of his father's oath.

bound the people with an oath

Here the obligation to obey an oath is spoken of as if the people were bound with ropes. AT: "commanded that the people obey his oath" (See: Metaphor)

He raised his hand to his mouth

Here "hand to his mouth" is a metonym that means to eat. AT: "He ate some honey" (See: Metonymy)

his eyes brightened

This idiom means that he was strengthened. AT: "he regained his strength" (See: Idiom)

translationWords

Jonathan

staff

people group

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Into the honeycomb. Into the sugar cane, as in, "and she placed it in the reeds," which Onkelos renders, "and she placed it in the יַעֲרָא," and סוּף are reeds which grow in the swamp. And similarly, "I ate my sugar cane [יַעְרִי] with my sugar, and in Arabic, that honey is called 'sukra' in their language; from R. Nosson Ha'yishme'eili.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.