14:3 son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother. The presence of a member of the rejected priestly house of Eli (2:30) in Saul’s camp is a reminder of the recent rejection of Saul’s own royal house (13:14).

wearing an ephod. The presence in Saul’s camp of the ephod useful for seeking God’s will (2:28 note) encourages the expectation that he will use it to ask the Lord’s guidance, as David does later (23:9–12; 30:7–8). In this instance however, Saul leaves it to Jonathan to discover the Lord’s will (v. 10 note). In v. 19 (note) Saul shows a lack of respect for the ephod; later he savagely turns against those whose task it is to oversee its care and use (22:18; cf. 21:9). In the end, Saul’s efforts to discover the Lord’s will are met with silence (28:6 note).