Editing Saul (section)

=== Military victories ===
[[File:Palestine 1020BC Smith 1915.jpg|thumb|The Kingdom of Saul, according to the biblical account]]
After relieving the siege of Jabesh-Gilead, Saul conducts military campaigns against the [[Moabites]], [[Ammon]]ites, [[Edomites]], [[Aram Rehob]] and the kings of [[Zobah]], the [[Philistines]], and the [[Amalekites]].<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Samuel|14:47|NKJV}}</ref><ref name="je">{{cite encyclopedia |first1=Joseph |last1=Jacobs |first2=Ira Maurice |last2=Price |first3=Isidore |last3=Singer |first4=Jacob Zallel |last4=Lauterbach |title=Saul |encyclopedia=[[Jewish Encyclopedia]] |year=1906 |access-date=15 September 2014 |url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13224-saul}}</ref> A biblical summary states that "wherever he turned, he was victorious".<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Samuel|14:47|NLT}}: [[New Living Translation]]; other translations vary</ref>

In the second year of his reign, King Saul, his son Jonathan, and a small force of a few thousand Israelite soldiers defeated a massive Philistine force of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and more than 30,000 infantry in the pass of [[Michmash]]. After the battle, Saul instructs his armies, by a rash oath, to fast. [[Methodist]] commentator [[Joseph Benson]] suggests that "Saul's intention in putting this oath was undoubtedly to save time, lest the Philistines should gain ground of them in their flight. But the event showed it was a false policy; for the people were so faint and weak for want of food, that they were less able to follow and slay the Philistines than if they had stopped to take a moderate refreshment".<ref>[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/benson/1_samuel/14.htm Benson Commentary on 1 Samuel 14], accessed 7 May 2017.</ref> Jonathan's party were not aware of the oath and ate honey resulting in Jonathan realizing that he had broken an oath of which he was not aware, but was nevertheless liable for its breach, until popular intervention allowed Jonathan to be saved from death on account of his victory over the Philistines.<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Samuel|14:24-45|NKJV}}</ref>