1 Samuel 14:45

“And the people said unto Saul, etc.] Hearing such words, and filled with grief, pity, and sympathy for Jonathan, as Josephus f289 observes: shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? no, he shall not; what, such a man as he die, who, under God, has been the instrument of so great deliverance, who first began it himself with one man only with him, and has proceeded in it to the finishing of it? God forbid: this shall not be so; they speak of it with the utmost abhorrence and detestation, as a shocking piece of cruelty and ingratitude, unheard of, and not to be paralleled: as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; as Saul swore he…”

“the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not--When Saul became aware of Jonathan's transgression in regard to the honey, albeit it was done in ignorance and involved no guilt, he was, like Jephthah [Jdg 11:31, Jdg 11:35], about to put his son to death, in conformity with his vow [Sa1 14:44]. But the more enlightened conscience of the army prevented the tarnishing the glory of the day by the blood of the young hero, to whose faith and valor it was chiefly due.”

“With God - In concurrence with God, he hath wrought this salvation. God is so far from being offended with Jonathan, that he hath graciously owned him in the great service of this day. 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 14:47”

“14:45 The people, aware of God’s blessing on the real hero of the day, were wiser than their king.”

“who hath: Sa1 14:23, Sa1 19:5; Neh 9:27 there shall not: The people judged rightly, that the guilt was contracted by Saul, and not by Jonathan; and therefore they rescued him from the hands of his rash and severe father. Sa2 14:11; Kg1 1:52; Mat 10:30; Luk 21:18; Act 27:34 he hath: Ch2 19:11; Isa 13:3; Act 14:27, Act 15:12, Act 21:19; Rom 15:18; Co1 3:9; Co2 6:1; Phi 2:12, Phi 2:13; Rev 17:14, Rev 19:14 the people: Isa 29:20, Isa 29:21 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 14:47”