On the other side. Every הַלָּז and לָזֶה in Scripture, is not an expression of הַזֶּה [this], but it is an expression of opposite [the speaker], and he is pointing it out with his finger. It is not an expression of 'cest' in O.F., but of 'cel' in O.F.

On the other side. Of the valley [between] the two mountains.

At the edge of Givah. At the end of Givah.

Wore the Eiphod. Meaning the Urim and Tumim.

Between the passes that Yonoson wanted to cross. It was thus made: There was a rocky precipice from this side of 'between the passes,' and there was a rocky precipice from the other side of 'between the passes.' The valley is called 'between the passes,' and it had a stone from here, and a stone from here, one on this side and one on the other side, and the valley was between the two passes. It was that valley that Yonoson wanted to cross.

Rocky precipice. The name of one precipice was Botzeitz and the name of the second was Seneh.¹

footnotes: ¹ The names of the two rocky crags are indicative of their terrain. Botzeitz as implied by its name, had a smooth and slippery surface making it very difficult to scale. Seneh had a “treaded on” surface.—Radak

Jutted out from the north. Slanting from the north side toward Michmos.

Toward Geva. From where Yonoson emerged.

Stop. Wait, as in, "Sun, wait [דּוֹם] in Givon,"² and as in, "Wait for ."³השם [The meaning here being] if they say, "Wait, and we will go up to you," they are presently successful and they are proud.

footnotes: ² Yehoshua 10:12. ³ Tehillim 37:7.

But if they say [to us], 'Come up to us.' A fear inspired by the Holy One, Blessed is He, is in their heart and they are afraid to move from their place.⁴

footnotes: ⁴ Although there is a prohibition against resorting to omens in Vayikra 19:26, Tosfos in Maseches Chulin 95b explains that Yonoson himself did not believe in the sign, he only made it to encourage his weapon bearer. See Radak.

[They] called out. An expression of raising [one's] voice.

On his hands and feet. I.e., with all his might and running.⁵

footnotes: ⁵ Rashi explains עַל יָדָיו וֽעַל רַגְלָיו as an idiomatic expression; but Radak explains it literally, that they had to use their hands and feet to climb because it was a very steep and slippery crag.

Half a furrow, of a pair [of oxen plowing] in the field. Within the area of a land measure [equal to] half the amount of a furrow of the plowing of a pair of oxen plowing a field.

Furrow. That is the ridge which is called 'reie' in O.F. This was a very mighty deed, because they were near each other and ready to help each other.

Shaul's sentries. The sentries that Shaul had in Givas Binyomin.⁶צוֹפִים is badetes in O.F.

footnotes: ⁶ The sentries appointed by Shaul to keep watch on the enemy made the observation.

Behold the multitude. Of the Philistines melted away from its position and kept coming nearer to הֲלֹם i.e., Yisroel's side.

Melting away. [It means the same as], "wandering and moving."⁷

footnotes: ⁷ Bereishis 4:12.

Inspect. An expression of inspection, as in, "that You inspect him every morning."⁸

footnotes: ⁸ Iyov 7:18.

Bring near the Ark of God. I.e., the Urim and Tumim.

For the Ark of God was there on that day. This verse is missing one word; [what it means is,] "because the Ark of God was there [שָׁם] on that day."

And the Hebrews who were with the Philistines. To help them, out of fear, in earlier times;⁹ but today they too turned [against the Philistines and joined] their fellows to be at their brethren's assistance.

footnotes: ⁹ The Bnei Yisroel who had been living in Philistine territory had been forcibly drafted into the Philistine army to fight against their brethren.

Were hard pressed on that day. They were being rushed and pressed¹⁰ to wage war against the Philistines.

footnotes: ¹⁰ As in Shemos 5:13; Metzudos renders “approached.”

[Shaul] had imposed an oath. An expression of oath.¹¹

footnotes: ¹¹ Shaul did not want the Bnei Yisroel to interrupt their pursuit of the Philistines; he therefore bound the Bnei Yisroel with an oath that no one should eat any food until the evening.

Who will eat food. All food is included [in לֶחֶם], as in, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit ]בְּלַחְמוֹ[."¹²

footnotes: ¹² Yirmiyahu 11:19.

There was honey. Cane sugar grows in Eretz Yisroel.

And behold there was a flow of honey. Which was flowing from the canes.

Into the honeycomb. Into the sugar cane, as in, "and she placed it in the reeds,"¹³ 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,¹⁴ and in Arabic, that honey is called 'sukra' in their language; from R. Nosson Ha'yishme'eili.

footnotes: ¹³ Shemos 2:3. ¹⁴ Shir Hashirim 5:1.

My father has brought distress to the [inhabitants of the] land. He confused [עָכַר] their thoughts and their salvation, like unclear [עֲכוּרִים] waters.

Would it not now have been even greater—the blow. This is a question.

The people rushed. Meaning 'the people rushed,'¹⁵ an expression of ,¹⁶עַיִט [birds of prey [הָעַיִט] who swoop down].¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁵ According to the קְרִי; however, according to the כְּתִיב the meaning is “the people prepared.” ¹⁶ See below 25:14. ¹⁷ Bereishis 15:11.

Sheep, cattle and their young. I say that this was in violation of, "It and its young you must not slaughter [on the same day],"¹⁸ and he, therefore, called them sinners.¹⁹ But our Rabbis said in [Perek] שְׁחִיטַת קָדָשִׁים [in Maseches Zevochim]²⁰ that they sanctified them for peace-offerings, from which they were eating before the sprinkling of the blood. This is what Scripture [means when it] states, "And the people ate with the blood," i.e., they ate of the sacrifice when the blood was yet in the basin.²¹

footnotes: ¹⁸ Vayikra 22:28. ¹⁹ Below verse 33. ²⁰ 120a. ²¹ This violates the prohibition “You shall not eat over the blood” stated in Vayikra 19:26.—Sanhedrin 63a

Roll over to me. An expression of גַּלְּלוּ [roll].

Today. While it is yet daytime, and below it stated, "and all the people brought near, each man his ox in his hand that night."²² Our Rabbis had different views at the end of Maseches Zevochim;²³ some of them explain that [Scripture is referring to] ordinary animals,²⁴ while here²⁵ [the Scripture is referring to] sacrificial animals. Others explained that here²⁶ [Scripture is referring to] sacrificial animals which were sanctified to be offered at the large high place in Nov, while here²⁷ [Scripture is referring to] sacrificial animals which were sanctified to be offered at a small high place. Scripture thereby teaches us that a private burnt-offering may be slaughtered at night [on a small, i.e., private high place].

footnotes: ²² Below, verse 34. ²³ 120a. ²⁴ Below, verse 34. ²⁵ Verse 33. ²⁶ Ibid. ²⁷ Verse 34.

A boulder. He made it a high place upon which to sprinkle the blood and for the burning of the fatty parts.

Spread out among the people. Announce in many places, and let the announcers disperse among the people.

And you shall slaughter [them] here. Here in the place of slaughtering.²⁸ Another explanation is, he examined a slaughtering knife²⁹ for them.³⁰

footnotes: ²⁸ בָּזֶה referring to the “place” of slaughtering. ²⁹ בָּזֶה referring to the “knife” used for slaughtering. He had inspected it to make sure it was fit for ritual slaughter. ³⁰ Maseches Chulin 17b.

That night. The ordinary [i.e., non-sanctified] animals were slaughtered at night. Thus it is explained in [Maseches] Zevochim.³¹

footnotes: ³¹ 120a.

It was the first of the altars. That altar was the first of the altars which Shaul built.³²

footnotes: ³² He built this altar in honor of the victory, as Moshe did after having defeated Amoleik in Shemos 17:15.

Leaders of the people. The chiefs of the people; the cornerstone אֶבֶן הַפִּנָּה is the most esteemed.

On one side. To cast lots between all of you, and us.

Make it truthful. Give a true lot.

And the people were excluded. Innocent, from the lot.

The people redeemed [Yonoson]. They nullified Shaul's oath.

He raised an army. And he gathered an army.

Avineir the son of Neir. Neir was Shaul's uncle, the brother of Kish, and both were the sons of Avieil. Aviei was also known as Neir, in Divrei Hayomim,³³ because he would light candles for the public in the dark streets.³⁴

footnotes: ³³ I Divrei Hayomim 8:33. ³⁴ See Radak above 9:1.

And whenever Shaul saw. This is in the present tense, meaning, when Shaul would see a valiant soldier, he would bring him [into his army].