In this post I discuss a third chiasm in 1 Sam 13-14. Like the first two, it is set within the context of a battle between Israel and the Philistines, with each chiasm giving a different thematic perspective of the battle. The previous chiasm presented a tense military situation for Israel who was armed only with farm implements. The Lord Saves Chiasm demonstrates that, with God, a military disadvantage is irrelevant.
The Lord Saves Chiasm
The spec for element A is simply ‘the Lord’ save, indicating that the setting for this chiasm is the Lord’s salvation. With this back drop, the impossible happens.
Element B has the word “Hebrews,” the phrase “hidden themselves,” and the idea of coming out from where they were hiding. In Element C the Israelites go into battle. In Cᵅ, the Israelites are just Jonathan and his armor bearer. In Cᵝ they are the rest of the army. In D, there is great confusion in the camp of the Philistines. At the center of the chiasm in element E with Saul talking to the priest and a reference to the “ark of God.”
Table 7.1: The Lord Saves Chiasm
| Element Specifications | Text: 1 Sam 14:6-23 | |
|---|---|---|
| Aᵅ | ‘the Lord’ save | It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” (14:6) |
| Bᵅ | Hebrews, ‘hidden themselves’, [come out] | And the Philistines said, “Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” (14:11) |
| Cᵅ | [Israelites went into battle] | And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him. (14:13) |
| Dᵅ | [Confusion] ‘in the camp’ [Philistines] | And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic (14:15) |
| Eᵅ | Saul [talk] [to priest], “ark of God” | So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” (14:18) |
| Eᵝ | Saul [talk] [to priest], “ark of God” | For the ark of God went at that time with the people of Israel. Now while Saul was talking to the priest, (14:18-19) |
| Dᵝ | [Confusion] ‘in the camp’ [Philistines] | the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. (14:19) |
| Cᵝ | [Israelites went into battle] | Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. (14:20) |
| Bᵝ | Hebrews, ‘hidden themselves’, [come out] | Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise, when all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle. (14:21-22) |
| Aᵝ | ‘the Lord’ save | So the Lord saved Israel that day. (14:23) |
The chiasm shows what happens when God is given His rightful place in the center. The center element, E, depicts a healthy situation: the ark of God is present among the Israelites, Saul is talking to God’s representative, the priest, and the priest has responsibility over the ark. This is one of the rare occasions in 1 Samuel where Saul abides by God’s prescribed order of things, and the result is that the Lord’s saving grace governs everything: Hebrews come out of hiding, Israelites have the faith and courage to go into battle, and God sows panic and confusion into the enemy camp. Victory is assured.
Makhashabah: Patterns in 1 Samuel 