Jonathan Eating Honey From the End a Staff

Has absolutely no sexual connotations, right?

In the land of milk and honey

When I read about Jonathan eating honey from the end of the staff in his hand, I just can’t help but see it referring to a sex act, where he is eating something that has the color of milk but the consistency of honey from the end of a staff.

In the context of the story, it is completely innocent. We will get to that context soon enough. But I’ll tell you one thing. Artists don’t seem too interested in depicting this story. Usually, when writing a piece dealing with the Bible, I can find a nice classic painting with an image in the public domain from Wikimedia. But there is nothing of Jonathan licking honey from the staff in his hand.

At this point, however, I would like to suggest that the text was crafted specifically in such a way that it would contain two possible readings, one of which is pornographic. It was written that way intentionally in order to draw attention to the events surrounding this episode.

For instance, on one level, the story of Eve and the serpent was written as a metaphor for sexual knowledge. This use of innuendo is also apparent in the story of Jesus and his disciples walking through the fields of grain, rubbing the heads, and eating the seed. Then Jesus heals the man with a suspiciously withered hand, who is described as standing in the middle of the temple. Just as the tree of knowledge is described as standing in the center of the garden. Just as an erection stands erect from the middle of the body.

In the cases of the tree of knowledge and Jesus in the grain fields, the hidden connection is bread that has been infected with ergot. It seems likely that the story of Jonathan also has something to do with ergot.

In my article, The Secret to Feeding Five Thousand With Only Five Loaves, I examined the story of Gideon and how he purposely cultivated ergot contaminated grain and used it as a weapon against the Midianites. It seems that this knowledge became a state secret, or more accurately, a secret of the prophets.

Saul together with his son Jonathan is leading 600 men into battle against the Philistines.

5 The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. (1Sa 13:5 NIV)

Things are even worse than the numbers would suggest because Saul’s men don’t have swords or spears.

19 Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. 21 The price was two thirds of a shekel for sharpening plowshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads. 22 So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them. (1Sa 13:19–22 NIV)

Here is what I think happened. Saul meets with the prophet Samuel. Samuel is angry because Saul hasn’t waited for Samuel to arrive before offering a sacrifice. However, it turns out that Samuel is late because he has been busy ensuring that tainted flour has been distributed to bakeries throughout the area where the Philistines are in control, assuming that the enemy army will pillage the freshly baked poisoned bread for itself. At least that is what I think happened.

Anyway…

1 One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. (1Sa 14:1 NIV)

Jonathan leaves without his father knowing. Saul then commands his men not to eat anything saying “Cursed be any man who eats food today!”

Saul does this because he knows that all of the bread in the area is likely tainted with ergot. He wants to ensure that none of his men suffer from its effects. But Jonathan and his shield-bearer aren’t there to get the message.

6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” 7 “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” 8 Jonathan said, “Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands.” 11 So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” (1Sa 14:6–11 NIV)

I think this is a key phrase. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” Imagine how that might play on a mind unknowingly dosed with a powerful hallucinogen.

12 The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.” So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel.” 13 Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. 14 In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre. 15 Then panic struck the whole army — those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties — and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God. (1Sa 14:12–15 NIV)

Jonathan slaughters about twenty soldiers and then a panic surges through the entire Philistine army as the toxic mother of LSD turns that panic into visions of Hebrews crawling out of holes and into the bodies of their fellow Philistines.

16 Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. 17 Then Saul said to the men who were with him, “Muster the forces and see who has left us.” When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there. 20 Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. (1Sa 14:16–17,20 NIV)

The Philistines are in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. Compare that to the description of the Midianites after Gideon’s troops blow their horns.

22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. (Jdg 7:22 NIV)

Finally, we come to the event that gave this article its title.

24 Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, “Cursed be any man who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food. 25 The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. 26 When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out, yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. 28 Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, ‘Cursed be any man who eats food today!’ That is why the men are faint.” 29 Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?” (1Sa 14:24–30 NIV)

Here we see that, in context, Jonathan eating honey from the end of his staff is simply an innocent description of what took place.

Anyway, back in the story, Saul asks God if they should follow the retreating Philistine army but God does not answer. Saul decides that this is because somebody sinned. Eventually, through using a system similar to eeny, meeny, miny, moe Saul determines that it is Jonathan who has sinned.

43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die. 44 And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan. 45 And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. (1Sa 14:43–45 KJV)

Taken out of context it read a lot like Jonathan got caught servicing his shield-bearer. That may seem outrageous but the Jonathan, Saul, David triangle is filled with outrageously overt sexual symbolism. But that’s a story for another time.

We return to Saul as he threatens to kill Jonathan, but the people realize that Jonathan is a superhero and protect him from his father. Time passes and eventually, Jonathan discovers the secret of ergot and reveals it to his very close friend, David. But as I said, that’s a story for another time.