Dividing the Blame: Saul's Curse and Jonathan's Breaking of It in 1 Samuel 14:24-45

The narrative of 1 Samuel 13-14 tells how Saul and Jonathan begin to free Israel from the power of the Philistines (cf. 1 Sm 9:16). The narrative concludes, however, with the remark that ‘Saul withdrew from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place’ (14:46). The victory over the Philistines was not big enough to keep them from coming back again and again. Who is to blame for this? Early Jewish and Christian sources tend to blame either Saul or Jonathan, although some look at the hesitant attitude of Saul's army. The sources are read in their historical environment: each environment triggers another way of reading this story and thereby another person to blame.