Saul’s rash oath brought Israel in line for a curse, but it does not appear that Jonathan merited Jehovah’s disfavor because of going contrary to the oath.

First Samuel 14:24-45 relates this incident. The Israelites, emboldened by Jonathan’s exploits, were fighting the enemy Philistines. King Saul said: “Cursed is the man that eats bread before the evening and until I have taken vengeance upon my enemies!” (1Sa 14 Verse 24) Unaware of his father’s oath, Jonathan energized himself by eating some honey. Other Israelite warriors, who were also worn out, sinned by slaughtering cattle and ravenously eating flesh that had not been drained of blood. Saul built an altar regarding that sin, but he did not know what his son had done.

When Saul sought God’s direction for pressing the battle, Jehovah would not reply. Through the use of the Thummim (perhaps involving sacred lots), Saul learned that his son had violated the ill-advised oath. But, really, how guilty was Jonathan?

God did permit the use of the Thummim to determine that Jonathan had (in ignorance) violated Saul’s oath, but this does not mean that He approved of the rash oath. The account nowhere says that God viewed Jonathan as culpable. In fact, though Jonathan was willing to accept the consequence of breaking his father’s precipitate oath, circumstances were such that Jonathan’s life was spared.