1 Samuel 14:23 - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Bible Comments

So the Lord saved Israel that day, c] And a wonderful salvation it was, that two men should throw such a vast army into confusion, which issued in the utter rout and destruction of them this only could be of the Lord, to whom it is justly ascribed, and was the effect of his sovereign good will and pleasure, and of his unmerited goodness; a free favour bestowed on an undeserving prince, who had behaved ill to his prophet at Gilgal, and now to him and his high priest at Gibeah:

and the battle passed over unto Bethaven; the men of battle or war; those that made war, as the Targum, these pursued and went as far as Bethaven, or rather "passed Bethaven" q; they not only, went as far as that, but "from" it, as Ben Gersom and Abarbinel interpret it; they passed that place, and went on from thence in pursuit of the Philistines; for their camp at Michmash was eastward from this place, and had it on the east, 1 Samuel 13:5.

q עברה את בית און "transiit Bethaven", Montanus, Junius Tremellius, Piscator "vel, beliatores transierunt Bethaven", Pagninus, Vatablus, Drusius.

1 Samuel 14:23

23 So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.