שמואל א י״ד

מעבר הלז כל 'הלז' ו'לזה' שבמקרא, אינו לשון הזה, אלא לשון דבר שכנגדו, והוא מראהו באצבע, ובלע"ז אינו לשון ציש"ט בלע"ז, אלא ציי"ל בלע"ז:

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.

מעבר הלז. גי שני ההרים:

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

בקצה הגבעה. בסוף הגבעה:

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

נשא אפוד. אורים ותומים:

Wore the Eiphod. Meaning the Urim and Tumim.

ובין המעברות אשר בקש יונתן לעבור. כן היה עשוי, שן הסלע היה מהעבר מזה לבין המעברות מזה, ושן הסלע לבין המעברות מזה הגיא הוא קרוי בין המעברות, והיה לו סלע מכאן, וסלע מכאן, זה בעברו מזה, וזה בעברו מזה, והגיא בין שני העברים, אותו הגיא בקש יונתן לעבור:

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.

שן הסלע. שם שן האחד 'בוצץ', ושם השני 'סנה':

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

מצוק מצפון. משופע ועולה מצד צפון אל מכמש:

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

מול גבע. שממנה יצא יהונתן:

Toward Geva. From where Yonoson emerged.

דמו. המתינו, כמו (יהושע י יב): שמש בגבעון דום ; וכן (תהלים לז ז): דום לה', אם כה יאמרו: דומו ונעלה אליכם, שעתם מצלחת ולבם רם עליהם:

Stop. Wait, as in, "Sun, wait [דּוֹם] in Givon,"² Yehoshua 10:12. and as in, "Wait for ."³ Tehillim 37:7.השם [The meaning here being] if they say, "Wait, and we will go up to you," they are presently successful and they are proud.

ואם כה יאמרו עלו עלינו. פחד הקב"ה בלבם, ויראים לזוז ממקומם:

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.⁴Although 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.

ויענו. לשון הרמת קול:

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

על ידיו ועל רגליו. כלומר בכל כח ומרוצה:

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

כבחצי מענה צמד שדה. בתוך שיעור מדת קרקע, מלא חצי מענה של מחרישת צמד בקר החורשת בשדה:

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.

מענה. הוא תלם המחרישה, שקורין ריי"א בלע"ז, וגבורה גדולה היא זו, שהיו קרובים זה לזה, ונכונים לעזור זה את זה:

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.

הצופים לשאול. הצופים אשר היו לשאול בגבעת בנימן, צופים ; אישקאגט"ש בלע"ז:

Shaul's sentries. The sentries that Shaul had in Givas Binyomin.⁶ The sentries appointed by Shaul to keep watch on the enemy made the observation.צוֹפִים is badetes in O.F.

והנה ההמון. של פלשתים, נמוג ממקומו וילך, וקרב הלום לצד ישראל:

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

נמוג. כמו (בראשית ד יב): נד ונע:

Melting away. [It means the same as], "wandering and moving."⁷ Bereishis 4:12.

פקדו. לשון פקידה, כמו (איוב ז יח): ותפקדנו לבקרים:

Inspect. An expression of inspection, as in, "that You inspect him every morning."⁸ Iyov 7:18.

הגישה ארון האלהים. אורים ותומים:

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

כי היה ארון האלהים ביום ההוא. המקרא חסר תיבה אחת, כי היה ארון האלהים שם ביום ההוא:

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."

והעברים היו לפלשתים. בעזרתם, מחמת יראה מתמול שלשום, והיום נהפכו גם המה עם חבריהם, להיות בעזרת אחיהם:

And the Hebrews who were with the Philistines. To help them, out of fear, in earlier times;⁹ The Bnei Yisroel who had been living in Philistine territory had been forcibly drafted into the Philistine army to fight against their brethren. but today they too turned [against the Philistines and joined] their fellows to be at their brethren's assistance.

נגש ביום ההוא. היו אצים ונגושים להלחם בפלשתים:

Were hard pressed on that day. They were being rushed and pressed¹⁰ As in Shemos 5:13; Metzudos renders “approached.” to wage war against the Philistines.

ויואל. לשון אלה:

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

אשר יאכל לחם. כל מאכל במשמע, כמו (ירמיהו יא יט): נשחיתה עץ בלחמו:

Who will eat food. All food is included [in לֶחֶם], as in, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit ]בְּלַחְמוֹ[."¹² Yirmiyahu 11:19.

ויהי דבש. דבש קנים גדל בארץ ישראל:

There was honey. Cane sugar grows in Eretz Yisroel.

והנה הלך דבש. שהיה נוטף מן הקנים:

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

ביערת הדבש. בקנה הדבש, כמו (שמות ב ג): ותשם בסוף, דמתרגמינן: ושויתיה ביערא. ו'סוף' הם קנים של אגם, וכן (שיר השירים ה א): אכלתי יערי עם דבשי. ובלשון ישמעאל קורין לאותו דבש סוקר"א בלע"ז, מפי רבי נתן הישמעאלי:

Into the honeycomb. Into the sugar cane, as in, "and she placed it in the reeds,"¹³ Shemos 2:3. 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 Shir Hashirim 5:1. and in Arabic, that honey is called 'sukra' in their language; from R. Nosson Ha'yishme'eili.

עכר אבי את הארץ. בלבל את דעתם ואת ישועתם, כמים עכורים:

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

כי עתה לא רבתה מכה. בתמיה:

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

ויעש העם. כמו ויעט העם, לשון עיט (בראשית טו יא):

The people rushed. Meaning 'the people rushed,'¹⁵ According to the קְרִי; however, according to the כְּתִיב the meaning is “the people prepared.” an expression of ,¹⁶ See below 25:14.עַיִט [birds of prey [הָעַיִט] who swoop down].¹⁷Bereishis 15:11.

צאן ובקר ובני בקר. אומר אני: זה אותו ואת בנו לא תשחטו (ויקרא כב כח), ולכך קראם חוטאים. ורבותינו אמרו בשחיטת קדשים, שהיו מקדישים אותם שלמים, ואוכלים לפני זריקת דם, הוא שאמר: ויאכל העם על הדם, אוכלים קדשים ועדיין דם במזרק:

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 Vayikra 22:28. and he, therefore, called them sinners.¹⁹ Below verse 33. But our Rabbis said in [Perek] שְׁחִיטַת קָדָשִׁים [in Maseches Zevochim]²⁰ 120a. 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 This violates the prohibition “You shall not eat over the blood” stated in Vayikra 19:26.—Sanhedrin 63a

גלו אלי. לשון גללו:

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

היום. מבעוד יום, ולמטה (פסוק לד) נאמר: ויגישו איש שורו בידו הלילה, רבותינו נחלקו בדבר בסוף מסכת זבחים, יש מהן פירשו: כאן בחולין כאן בקדשים. ויש מהן פירשו: כאן בקדשים שהוקדשו ליקרב בבמת נוב גדולה, כאן בקדשים שהוקדשו ליקרב בבמה קטנה, למד על עולת יחיד שכשירה לישחט בלילה:

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 Below, verse 34. Our Rabbis had different views at the end of Maseches Zevochim;²³ 120a. some of them explain that [Scripture is referring to] ordinary animals,²⁴ Below, verse 34. while here²⁵ Verse 33. [the Scripture is referring to] sacrificial animals. Others explained that here²⁶ Ibid. [Scripture is referring to] sacrificial animals which were sanctified to be offered at the large high place in Nov, while here²⁷ Verse 34. [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].

אבן גדולה. עשאה במה, לזרוק עליה דם והקטר חלבים:

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

פוצו בעם. הכריזו במקומות הרבה, ויהיו המכריזים נפוצים בעם:

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

ושחטתם בזה. כאן, במקום שחיטה דבר אחר: סכין בדק להם:

And you shall slaughter [them] here. Here in the place of slaughtering.²⁸בָּזֶה referring to the “place” of slaughtering. Another explanation is, he examined a slaughtering knife²⁹בָּזֶה referring to the “knife” used for slaughtering. He had inspected it to make sure it was fit for ritual slaughter. for them.³⁰Maseches Chulin 17b.

הלילה. בהמות של חולין נשחטו בלילה, כך מפורש בזבחים (שם):

That night. The ordinary [i.e., non-sanctified] animals were slaughtered at night. Thus it is explained in [Maseches] Zevochim.³¹ 120a.

אותו החל. אותו המזבח, ראשון למזבחות שבנה שאול:

It was the first of the altars. That altar was the first of the altars which Shaul built.³² He built this altar in honor of the victory, as Moshe did after having defeated Amoleik in Shemos 17:15.

פנות העם. שרי העם, אבן הפנה היא החשובה:

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

לעבר אחד. להפיל גורל בין כלכם ובינינו:

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

הבה תמים. תן גורל אמת:

Make it truthful. Give a true lot.

והעם יצאו. נקיים מן הגורל:

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

ויפדו העם. התירו לו לשאול שבועתו:

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

ויעש חיל. ויאסף חיל:

He raised an army. And he gathered an army.

אבינר בן נר. ונר היה דוד שאול, אחיו של קיש, ושניהם בני אביאל, וגם אביאל נקרא נר, בדברי הימים (א ח לג), שהיה מדליק נרות לרבים במבואות האפלים (ויקרא רבה ט ב):

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,³³I Divrei Hayomim 8:33. because he would light candles for the public in the dark streets.³⁴ See Radak above 9:1.

וראה שאול. לשון הוה, כשהיה שאול רואה איש גבור חיל, היה אוספו אליו:

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].