Terse 3S. AsU a gnat atone unto in«] Pn^ly this means diat di^ dmild set up an altar to the Lord, on whk^te animals mi^ be pnmrly slain I andtheUDod poured out upon the earth i aixf a large etans was eioeted tor an aliar.
Terse 36. SW MU an aUar\ And this, we are inbrmed. was ttsjirsfho had btiut: Samuel, as prophet had hitWto erected the altars) and Saul thought he had auffident anthori^ to erect one hintsel^ wtthoot the prophet, aa he had ones offered aaerifice without him.
Terse 36. Then eaid the prieit] It is evident, that Ahiafa doubted the propriety of pursuing the Philistinea dMt Dtg^t aad, M a leverae of fortune might be QiiDOUB ^tbr mnA a floMir, bs wnAsd to bam ip^ftc dfnotioiH
Tefw 37. Bb atawered Asm not Stat day.] Why was dlia answer delayed? Snidy Jonatbui's eating the heney was no atn. Hiis could not have excited God's displeasure. And yet the!o< found out Jonathan I Bstdid this aigue that he had incurred guilt in the sight of Oed 1 I answer, it did not; for Jonathan was delivered, the authority of the people, from his father's rash curae: no propitiation is omred for his stq>posed transBeasion, to utduoe God to pardon it: nor do we find any displcaaan oi Ood mairifasted on the occasion. See below.
Terse 41; Loan Ood tif lerdd, give a perfect ltd;] Both the Vacate and Se^fiuagiitt add much to (his Kne > —And Smd eaid lo the Lord Ood qf braeL Lord Goi qf leraeL gioeJndgmeeU. Why ia U that thou hatt lut anrwered iky servant to-day 7 ff the iniquity ht in mt, or Jont^uin my son, make it manifeet. Or, |^ tkU iiu- V^iiy he in dai peofie, gioe eaneli/Kalion 7
Terae 42. Ind Jon^tom w taken..] The object of the inquiry most evictently was, "Who has gone coaimy to the kini^s adjwatian to-di^1" TTie aaawer to ibst iRitsf be, JoiuTHAv. But was this a proof of tfaediv^ displeasure against the man? By no means: (he hdir oracle told the truth; bat neither that oracle, nor dte God who it, fixed any UanM upon JonadHui: and hisowa conscience Mquits him. He seeks not pardon bxm Ood, becauae he is oonacioaB he bad not tmaagreMed. fiat why did not God answer the [vieat that day 1 Beeauss be did not think it proper lb su»i the pM^le, by ngfa^ is pursuit of the Taaquished Pfatlistinea. Saul's motive vsa perfectly vindictive: Let us go dovn ajter the FkiHelina oy nigni, amd epoU theni tatto the morning light,andUt us net l^ne a man qf them; thai is, Let us Utro, vasK destroy, and slay all Wore ual Was it right to indulge a disposition of this kind, wbidl wouU have led tolhedestniction of many iimooent country peopl^ and of mmj laradites, who resided among the PniUstinea t Benda^ was then not a most maoiieBt reason in (he people w^ Clod could not be among them 1 Multitudes of ihemwMa defiled in a very solemn manner; they had saten the i*A witk the bloed: and, bowever saoriAeea aisbt ba eiini to atone for Ibis tnwipMrion of tbeknr, n^yi tinue undaan till ns snaing; Hera
45 And the people said onto Satd, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great Balvation in Iiraelt God forbid: * aa the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the
ground; for he hath wrought with God tMs day. o Uiejpeople rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
46 Tlien Saul went up frota following the PhiliBtineB: aiiid the Philistines went to their own place.
47 ^ So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all hie enemies on every Bide, acainat Moao, and against the children of *Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of • Zobah, and against the Phtlistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed
48 And he " gathered a host, and * smote the
V«rae 44. And Saul tmMwred-~&mt AaU turely dU, JanatkatL] To mvt tby rmah oath! So must John Baptises head oe taken off at the deeire of in impure woman) beeause a Herod hod nrora to jrive ber whatever ehe might requaM I Unfeelinff bmtsl However, the king woe JODQs. But what nid the pa^pU, who wen the mv?
TerM46. And the nonm Mid] "Shall Jonalhaa di& who hath wroueht this great nlvation in Iirael 1 God fiMrmd! As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his bead Ul to the ground." Here was a righteous and importiot Jttry, who brought in a verdict according to the evidence no man ahoald di« but for a breaA ^ tke law 0/* Ood! but Jonathan hath lurf frroifcm ony low ^OM; ttieiefora, ionaiban thould not dU. And because he *kattld not, therefore he tkall not.
Bk ha& wrnwftf «tM God tkia <fay.] Ood has been eomnsnder ia chief; Jonathan has acted oader his diiectioni.
Sttlu ptapU retaud JimoAon] And God testified no displeasure t and perhaps he permitted all this that he might correct Soul's propensity to nuhnen ood precipitoacy. To help to correct this propensity in any of my n«aef% I will subjoin to the end of this chapter a very iaatrueiive bble from the Person.
Terse 47. So Saul look tht kingdom\ The Tamim appears to jive the meaning of this expresrion; " Saul prospered in his government over Israel." And the proob of inis prosperity are immmliately subjoined,
F^mght agaiiut all hi* m«m.ie»1 (h the wars which an mentioned here we have no partieulars: they must Mm endured a Itmg time; and have been, at least in ge- BSntl, sacoeafu].
Terse 49l ifow Uu tatu SaiaV[ We do not find Ishbodielh here. Calmet says, it was "because be was t^ yaung^ and did not go with him to the war; for be mentlooa only those who were with him." Why then meotJOB his daughttn and his wife? Did tluv go with him
Terse S2. When Saul sou any ttrong man\ This WM vary poUtie, He thus continued to recniit bis army with strong and effective men.
Om verse 46, 1 have referred to an instructive fable, enlitfad, " Hu Fatal EfffteiM qf Rredpitatian," from the Ayor Danush of Abul Fuzl. It is as follows:
"A hermit, oiler long experience of the uncomfortable- ■SBS «r a solitary life, had a miitd to become a husband, and eonsulted on the occasion a person well acquainted irfah that state.
** His friend told him the resolution was judicio*^ there being iMay odToniages resulting from mommoay. That to smiMd unhwftir desires, wiucli ore ooolimially obtmdiag dMmseWes luon the imagination hi a state of tMmsf i aiorsover, that justice requires us to perpetuate inoar posterity ihoss blessings which we have received won oar oaoestorst besides^ toot a virtuous woman is &e oraanient of a man's bouse, and the comfort of hii life. Bat, s&ys be, be evnhl in makiog your choice.
"The hermit asked him of what condition she should Ml He replied, 'Take the daug^r of a religious, frteodly man, whom you may make your oonfldont upon M eecasions. Bat have nothing to any with three kinds «t nuiauii: a widow, if die is always extolling her de- Mised boabnnd; naiUHr a woman whose rebt^uw have aanfcmd hvoors you) nor one irtto, whenever sbs
Amalekttes, and delivered Israel out of dw hands of them that spoiled them.
49 T Now * the sons of Saul were Jonathao, and Ishui, and Melchi-shua; and flie names of his two daughters toere thete; the name of the first-born Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:
50 And the mine of SatiPft wife vxu Ahi*' noam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captEun of his hoait wo* ■ Aimer, tbe aoa of Ner, Saul's uncle.
51 ' And Kish wow 1^ father of Saul: and Ner, the father of Abner, was the son of Abi^
52 And there was Bore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any vsdiant man, * he took him onto Kim.
sees you, ipeaki in a Eunt tone, and affects a delicato loiwuid air.
'HHe thanked his friend for imparting so maeh of his experience in the waye of women; and begged he would farther instruct him m regard to what oge was most eligible. His friend answering, said, ' Moke choice of a yotuK girl; for the company of an old woman sickens and ddiilitates a man. nnie sages say, there ore the fair^ prospects of h^ipiness and safety with women from fourteen (o twenty vears of age; from twen^ to thirty, they are peaeeabla ana quick t from thirw (o forty th^ oovet children and weolui; from forty to fifty they ore unbitious of fame, and on full of tricks Mid hypocrisy: but a wife turned of filW is the plague of a man's life, and the destniction of hu rqintation and fwtune.' Hie hermit then made inqui^ as to her person. Says the friend, "Hm most vaJuobM properties in a wife are virtue and good nature; so that she who possesses not these qualittes, (though beoutiflLil as an angel,) will prove a corse for lifek But a woman of a good disposition, be she ever so ngly, is on inestimt^le treasure.'
" To shorten the stor3r — the hermit, afler a long searoh. had the good fortune to marry a girl well conneetedi ontt of an amiable turn of mind.
" He was then impatient to have diildren; but, seeing no appearance of his hopes beii^ fulfilled, he incessantly
Eoyed Ood to bestow upon him a son. At length his vifo come pregnant} the hermit, filled with delight, was always talking about his eon. One day, says he to his wif^ ' I now hope we shall soon have a sweet, beautiful be^ and I will give turn a siutable nana. I shall take grant pleasure in labouring to ftiniish means for his education \ and I will teach him so to tread in the potlis of rMiteoasness, that he shall become a guide to the faithful.
" At length his wife was delivered of a fine bey \ be rotumed thanks to Ood, and node gntefal fldbrings. Ihj and ni^t wo^he about the eradle; so that his wbolt thno was spent in nursing.
" Om day (he moOier, upon going to dwbndi, eowmitlsd the infant to the father's care, entreating Um not to sitar from the cradle till ^ eame bock.
" The wife was hardly demrted bcfiMre the king who then reimed sent for the husband. Since it was imposai ble to delay obeying the royal somnons, be went to court, after having entrusted the child to the core of a favouito mengocee,* which had been bred ini ia the family. No sooner was Im out of sight than a targe snake made his wpcaranee, and was crawling towanf the eradle i wbea the mongoose saw the diild's life in danger, he instantly seized the onnka Iqr the bach of tbe seek, and destroyed h. Soon after, when die hermit iMnraedftmooirrt, the no»- goose, who had been wallowiag in the snake's blood, oodsoious of the good he hod done, nn out to meet his master. The master, seeing the mongooee stained with blood, ia». agined ho hod killed die child: and, without making tmr farther reflection or invuiry, struck the poor little CutkAu animal such a blow with hw sti^ thathe instantly eimind. When he come into As hooss, and saw the ddld son, sMl the snake dead by the side of die etsdla, hs smois his breast for grief, sceusing himself of rushnsss and iagntttude toward the mongoose. While he was nttariag Ihsss
t uid 1
to kioff over liis people, orer Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice ofthe words of the Lord.
2 Thus Baith the Lord of hosts, I remember thai which Araatek did to Israel, ''how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from
ow go and smite Amaiek, and ' utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but atay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judab.
5 And Saul came to a city of Amaiek, and <laid wait in the valley. „
depart, get you down from among the Amalekitea, lest I destroy vou with them: f<H> «ye showed kjodneBs to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Eenites departed from among the Amalekites.
7 IT * And Saul smote the Amalekites from I Havilah until thou comest to ' Sbm*, that it over against Egypt
8 And 1 he took Agag the king of the An»- lekites alive, and " utterly deatro/ed all the people with the ed^e of the sword.
9 But Saul and the people ■ spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and ' of the fatlings, and the Iambs, and ail thai vat good, and would not utterly destroy them; but every thing that xeaa vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
10 f Then came the word of the Loan unto Samuel, saying,
11 p It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is ' turned back from following me ■ and hath not performed my comnHuidmeots. And it t grieved Samuel; and he cried onto the Lord all night.
12 % And when Samuel rose early to meet
wofiil lamentatioaiiiQComeihiawife: who having learned die eniee of his dtatrta^ blimiiee him for hia wont of reflcotioa. He ooafeaM hia indiacretioa i but ben her not to add rcpmehea to hia diatreaa, as reproof couM now avnil nothing. ' Tnie,' mya Ae, ' advice can be (rf no aNviee la the preaeM instance; but I want to rouse your mind to reflection, that you may wKp instnietion from your misfortnnea. Shame and repentance are the sure conaequencea of precipitation and want of reflection; which is well exemplified in the story of the king and lbs hawk.'
"I have heard that a king of Persia had a favourite hawk. Being one day on a huntiw par^, with his hawk upon his hand, a deer started up beibre him; be let (be hawk fly, and followed it with gnat eagernesK till at length the deer waa taken. Hie eourtien were all left behind in the cbaae. The kisg^ beiitf thiraty, rode about in quest of water, till, having reacheathe foot of a mountain, ne diseovared some water trickling down in drops from the rock. He utok a little cup out of his quiver, and held it to eaieh the water. Just when the eup waa filled, and he was going to drink, the hawk shook hia pinion^ and over- ■•t the cup. The king was vexed at the aoeideDt, and again apphed the cup to the hole in the rock: when the cup was repleniriiea, and be was lifting it to his mouth, the hawk clapped his wiua and threw it down: at which the king waa so enraged m»x be flung the bird wilb auch fcree sninat the ground that he killed it.
"At this time the table-decker came up: he took a napkin out of hia budget, wiped the cup, and waa going to give dia Uag BOOM water to drink. Tbe king said be faul a neat ineUnation to taste the puta water that distilled throu^ uw rock; but not having patience to wait for iu being collected b^ dropa, he ordered the table-decker to go to up of the mountain and fill the cup at the fountain bead.
" "Rie table-decker haviiu reached the top of the mountain, saw a huge dragon fyii^ deed at the spring; and hia poisonous foaiB, muting wilb tbe water, fell in drops throitgh the noh. He deaoended, related the fiuU to the king, and preswiicd him with a cup of cold watar out of faia flagon.
"When the king lifted the cup to hia lip^ the tears gurfwd from bis vjtm. He then related to the table-decker me adventure of me hawk; made many reflections upon the destructive eonsequsncea of precipitancy and thou^- leaaneast aad, during ibe remainder of bis life, the arrow «f Mret was eoMiannlfy laakling in his breast."
l!mia ewls Iba ftMe on tbe Total 0tett ^ pndpttaneyi but, were we to go to not lift, we might find nuowrouB •^ob'* *>f this same vice; and ati]! much more JataL He who acts under the immediate impulse of every passioo, without TMaon, or r^Uetion, must act nuAiy and precipitat^. Not only the lower orders of animals, but wives, husMods, children, pareois^ and friend^ have bllen -victims to this vice, which btM^it Saul almost to the point of slaying the grouest man in larael, and imbniing hia hands in his son s blood.
The advice of an ancient philooqdier to a Roman emperor, is a good one t "C«nr, whenever Uiou an u iBkB heed nat tbon neithBr aay nor do si» thing till have dislincdy repeated to thyself the twenty-four lettm of the alph^t." Reader, if thou have no hifher a corrective use diia. Do nothing roaUy; remenuber, the eya of God is ever upon (bee: a man, in an unguarded moment, may do what may bring biinself to an untimelr end.
Verae 1. The Lobd sen/ ma to anotnt thte] TUs gave him a ri^t to say what immediately follows.
Verse 2. / rememb&r that whidi AmiUeic didl the Amalekites were a peofde of Arabia Petrea, who had occupied a iraa oTcount^ on the frontiers of Egypt and Palestme. They had mesai withgraat cruelty toward the Israelites oa their coming out of Eigypt. See Numb. xvii. 8^ &c. and the notes there.
They came uptm ibem vihm they were faint and wtofy, and mote the hindmott the people — those who were too leeak to keep up with the rest. See DeuL xxv. 16. And God then purposed that Amaiek, as a nation, should be blotted out from under heaven: which purpose was now folfilled bv Saul upward of four hundred years afterward!
Verse 3. SUty both man and woiRan] Nothing cooU justifjr such an axtenninating deoiee but tbe absohita authority of God. Ttm waa given; all (be ressoos of it we do not know i but this we know well, the Judge qf attdu earth doth right. This war was not for pwnder; ffar God commanded that all the property, aa well as all the people, should be destroyed.
Verse 4. T\oo hundred IhouMnd—and ten thoHfond] "nie SepiuagitU in tbe London Fofygtott, have roua m<NDBED IhoueoTut eompaniee of hratf, and nunrlAsiK tand companiet of Judah. "ftie Codex AUxandriiau haa TEN nouaona of each. TTie Compbttentian PehfgtotthoM TWO BDVORXD thoueond campanit* of irrad, and TIN Ihouaand qf Judak. And JooepkuM naa nxn HVNDKKD thmiMond qf Imraet, and Tararv ihommmdjf Judah. All tbe other verwma are the aame with (be «■ brew textf and there is no difierenee in the HSS.
Verae 5. Send eame to a dty qf Amatek} I believe tbe original Aould be tranalated. And Saul came to Ae city Amaiek: their capital being called by tbe name of their tnbe.
Verse 6. Said vnta the Kenitt*] Ibe Keniica wm aa ancient people. Jethro, the &dier-in-law of ICoses, waa s Kenite. Jobab hia son, (if die same person be not meant,) was guide to the Hebrews through tbe wilderness. Ibey had a portion ot the promised uikid^ near to the ci^ Arad. See Judst. i. 18. Anl for more particulars concerningtbem and the Amalckitetsee die notes on Numb. »3ut. ft, 21.
Verse 7. From Havitah—to Shur] From Pehuinm in Egypt, unto the Red sea. Joe^ihue. But Havilah Jay eastward from the Red sea: the Amalekites lay between this and the way to Egypt toward Sbur.
Verse 11. nrepenteaimeauUlhtneeetimSaml]^^ is, 1 placed him on the tbronsi I intended, tf he had been obedient, to have eMUidied bis kingdom. He has been disobedient; I change my purpose, and the kingdom AaU not be e»tabliAtd in hie family. This is wfaat is meant by God's rtpentingi changing a porpoee Moosdiog lo eoaditionB already laid dswn, or noually purpcaed.
Saul in the morning, it waa told Samnel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and ia eone about, and passed on and gone down to Gllgal., „,
13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saw eaid unto him, ' Blessed be thou of the Lord: I hare performed the commandment of the Loan.
14. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating <^ the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear 1
15And Saul said. They have brought them from the Amalekites: ■ for the people spared Che best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lobd thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lobd hath said to me Uus night. And he said unto him, Say on.
17 And Samud said, * When thou wast little io thine own Bight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes oT Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel t
18 Ara the Lobd sent' thee on a journey, and said. Go and utterly destroy the sioners the Amalekites, and fight against them until ' they be conaumml.
19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lobd, but didst fly npon the spoil and didst evil in the sight of the Lobd?
tiO And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, ■ I have obeyed the voice of the Lobd, and have gone the way which the Lobd sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amal^, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
31 ■ But the people took of the soofl, sheep, and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lobd thr God in Gilgal.
22 And Samuel said. ■> Hath the Lobd as great del^ht in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as m obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, 'to obey ts better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Vom 12. H9 §et Atm up a place] Liuindlr, a kand, f yad. Some ny it was a mmutumt; otbert, a fnuv^mal anh: probably it waa no mora than a hand, pointing out the place where SiuU had nuned the vietOTy. Muuiam't piliar is celled Uu hand iff Abaaiom, i Sana, rviii. 18.
Terse 15. The pwpU tpartd the beet qf tkem} It is Tsry likely that the people ^ apara the beat oi the prey: and it iaaa tikety that Saul might have re^ralaud Aem if he vould. That they might not Une var, God had interdicted tpoU and plunder; ao dta war wti mtdei^ taken merely frma a sense of dutf, witboot any hope of enriohing tkiBmselvea by iL
Verselr. ZAttU in Ihins own aighf] Who can bear pnuperttyJ la it not of the Lord's great goodness that dtc majon^ of the inbatritanta of the earth are in oompsimtive pfB4rty?
Verse 21. To tacriJUe unio the Loan] Tbu« he endeavoors to txcuae the people. "Htey did not take the ipoil in order to enrich ihemaelvea by it, but to taer^ee unto the Lordi and did not this motive justify their oondoetl
Vene 22. HaA the Loao as mat delight, Ac.] TUa was a very proper answer to, ana refutation o^ S^'a excuse. Is not Doedience to the will of Ood the end of all rehfion: of its rites, ceremonies, and aaerifleesi
Verse 23. fVr rebeUum is as lAe sin <if ttileherafl, and Hukbemnee* is as iniquity and idoiatry.] 'Riia is no traoslaiion of dioae di^ult words, pin BDp nMsn ^3 ftan o*D-vi> ki thaltath Jtesem meri ve-avm vs-tsrt^tm ka-petear. It appears to me that the three nouna mii^ occur first in the text, refer each to the tltfee last in order. Thus, riKCn thmtlath, TRANSORKestoir, refers to pm aven, ntiQErmr; which is the principle whence tranegression Bpriogs. tsop keeem, niTiKAtioir, refers to ounn tenphim, consecrated ima^^ or teleama, vulgarly taHamane, used in ineantationa. And '^a men, biskllion, refers oirtdently to "osn ha-fettarj arvBSOamtsss { wfaoDee re-
33 For rebellion if a» the sin of * witchcraft, and stubbornness is at iniquity' and idolairy. Because thou hast rejected the word of Ha Lobd, 'be hath alM reacted thee from being
2i IT f And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words; because I * feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
35 Now, therefiire, I pray thee, pardon m^ sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship
26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: * for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being long over Israel.
27 And as Samuel tamed about to so away, ■ he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
28 And Samuel said unto him, ^ The L<hid hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neigl^ur thiae» iKai is better than thou.
29 And also the > Strenfth of Israel - wiH not lie nor repent: for he ta not a man, that ha should repent.
30 Then he said, I have sinned: yet 'honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of mv people, and before Israel, and turn again witk me, that I may worship the Lobd thy God.
31 So Samuel turned again after Saul} aai Satil worshipped the Lobd.
32 If Then said Samuel, Bring; ye hither te me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said. Surely the bitterness of death is past.
33 And Samuel said, <> As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.
34 If Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Sanl went up to his house to p Gibeah of 8ai^
35 And ' Samod came no more to see Said
from inioui^, divination from teraphim, and rebellion from sOiDbnimesss so, because thou haat rMcted the word of the Lord, he t^ih also rejected thee from bung kins. All the vereione are difTerent.
Terse 24. Ihave winntd — beeanee Iftartd iAs peooli] lUa was the best excuse he could make fbr himself: out had be/sored Qod more, he need have/«ar«i |he fsoflb lus.
Verae 26. Pardon my sin] Literally, hear my tin t take it away: ibfgive what I nave done against the^ tuid be my intercessor with Qod, that he may forrive my offence against him: turn againinih me, that I may worekto the Lord.
Verse 28. / leiU net return wiffi thee) I cannot acknowledge Aee as king^ seeing the Lord hath rejected
Verse 29. The Strength of lerael vriU not He} What God has purposed, he will bring to pass; for be has all power in the heavens and in the earth: and he will not r^ent, change his purpose, concerning thee.
We may say it was some extenuation of Saul's fault, that the jieopln inaietad on preserving the bestof theprevg for who could resist the demands of a victorious mool But his crime was in consenting: bad he not, die erima would have been theirs alone.
Verae 32. Agag came unto him deHcatety.] TTie Septuaginthave r^fiwv, trembling; the original nsijna maadanolh, dsHcaeiea i probably vh iA, man, ujiderstood; a man of deHf^ts, a pleaaure-taJcer: the Vulgate, pinguissimua et trement, ** very fat and trembling,"
Surely the biUemeae qf death ia post] Almost all the versiona render diis differently from ours. Surely death ia bitter, ia their general sense; and this seems to be the true meaning.
Verse 33. Aa ffty award hath made vomanchtldleea] It ^>pears that Agag had foriitited his life by his own pvsoniU transgressMMH) and that his deoih now was the retributiim oThia enuttfss.
tntfl da^ of his death: neverthalen Samuel ■ aoourned for Saul: and the Lord * repotted that he had made Saul long over Xvael.
fcndbaMbmlUinab tsBMhMn. U umImDmU,I-J3. ThtflMriltr tt*L«rdikpMftDn Sud.ind ueiUifMeawiipaakin.lt. HbanuHi ilAonbwujH ■ tflTut hupwis plarbeliiRhkijL Bih pkuad with aoMHl, uid *M*ilMa(eflnil (Dckapmoe, It. Thri iii iimhihI ITi ilil. IIT Ua lam be, odb-, pUji Mm Uul, udftnh fannr iBUirigta, l»-S3.
B-cTiSn: A^D the LoBD said unto Samuel, to-^ur. "Hovr long wilt thou roouro for Saul, seeing, * I have rejected him hSSSi^ from reigDiitf over Israel "i ■ Fill dune hern with oiX aod go, I will aeud tfiea to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for * I have provided me a king aiaone hia sons.
2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear t(, ha wiU kiU me. And the Lohd said, Tain a heifar ' wHb tbee, and say, • I am eonle to sacrifice to the Lobd.
3 And eaU Jeese to the aacTifice, aod ' I will ■bow tliee what ^u ahalt do: and thou shalt nannt mio ma Mm whom I name unto thee.
4 And Samuel did that vhich the Lou spake, and eauM to Beth-lehuo. Aadtheeldera of the t«wn ■ tremhled at his * ceming, and said, * Comest thou peaceably?
fi And BB said, Peaceabljr: I am come to sacrifice unto the I^obb: 'Baoctify your wives, and oame wkk ve to die sacrifice. And he sanctified Jease and his eons, and called them to the ■aorifioe.
6 If And it came to paas, when they were cexne, Ahat he kwked on * Elifd), and ^ said, 8nr^ the £K)8D*a anointed u before him<
did heM be did in his wiciirteriiil capoci^: uid, 2. It is not Ubafy be did it by hii <npn ippvrt^ but by tbat pf an maUiotm: Wbat ktegi, nMfpatntes, and genanJ^ do u an odScial way bj Ibeir-mtyaeta, nrvaQta, or loldien^ tbey an Mid to do themnlTei: fui/tuU per aiterwn, faeU pv—.
Vem 3B. Ani SamuA oamt no taore to ««e iSonf] But wamd, ohap. xix. 3Ht~M. that iSuJ WMt to Me £'amucl at Naiout: but tbiidoM not affect wbatia said bere. Fntm flu tine Samuel bad no cmuuxian with Saul; he never more aeknowledged him aa king: be mourned and prayed,fbr bim; and continued to perfimn hia propbetic funotiona •t Ramah, and at Naiotb, niperiateodiog tbe school of tbe profihetain that plaoe.
Tom I. FI& Aim Aon wttfc tftt] Soma ^>p«ar to him bMB ihe oneitaf driidEijig venela oC all nations; and vo magr suppose tbat most persons, irtw bad to travel modk, Mways earned one with them, tat die aorposa of taking up water from Ihe fountains to quench ateir ddrst Sucb a Jlorn bad Samuel i and, on this oecanon, be was commanded to fill it with oil, for the purpose of conseerating a Idiw over Israel, from among tbe sons of Jesse.
Terse 2. TbJbs a ha^tr vUk Oue, and auy, I am eome fa «aerj/Ica] "Rua was strictly true; Samuel did ofar a taaytee: and it does not ^^>e«r dm he eould have dona the work whioh Ood deoigiied, unless he had offered Ihts ■aerifice, and called Ihe elders of tbe people together, and dius oolfecled Jesse's But be did not tell the princi- pcJ deaign' of bis coming; bad be done so, it would have produeed ttU and no good: and, thou^ no man, in any eireumstances, iriiould ever ttU a lU; yet in all eircumalaneei^ he is not obliged to tell the wAom truth; though in every circumstance be must tell naOting but As (rwft; and, in every ease, M tell dMtmdi that Ihe hsanr ahall not believe a lie by iL
Terse 3. Call jaM6 to Ou stuKflet] Tbe common custom was, afler die blood of the victim had been nourod out to God, and the &t burnt, to foast on the flesh oi the sacrifice, 'niia appears to have been the case in all, ezoept in the ukaiU hiovt-ifffering; this was entirely consumed.
Terse 4. Th* dders <f As towa trmMad at ki» tqmtngl They knew he was a prophet <rf dieLahl! and ibey were «&wd that be was new oeoM (o deaouaee some jodementa of the Most High aninst thsir eitf.
verse 5. 6bno({/^ yowrwii^} CSiange your oletbes, aad waiii your bodies in pore water; and prepare yov mwds,
7 But the Ltuta said unto Samuel, Look not on ■ his countenance^ or on the height of hit stature; because I hove re(VMed him: ''tor the LORD teeth not as man seeth; for man > looketh on the - outward appearance, but the Lobb lookem on the ■ heart.
8 Then Jesse called "Abinadah. and made' hmi pass before SamneL And he said. Neither hath the Lord diosen this.
9 Then Jesse made » Shammah « to pass br. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen thw.
10 Again, Jesse made seven of bis aona to pass before Ssdnuel. And Samuel said onto Jesse, The Loan hath not chosen these.
11 II And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, ' There remaineih yet Uie youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the aheej). And Samuel said unto Jesse, * Send and fetch hun: for we will not sit « down till be come hither.
12 And he sent, and brousiit him in. Now ha' ■was * ruddy, OTid withal * ofa beautiftil countenance, and goodly to look to. * And the Lobd said, Arise, anoint him: for this it he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and ' anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and 7 the Spirit of the Lord came imon David IhHm that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
14 1 ' But the Spirit' of the Lord dqiarted from Saul, and ' an evil spirit from tiie Lou
15 And SauFs servants said unto him, BehiM now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.
by meditatiaiL reflection, and prayer; ibat, being in tta spirit of sacrifice, ye may ofi^ acceptably to die Lmd.
Terse 7. M<m looktih on th» ouiwaTd appearaiiai] And it is well be thmtld, and confine his looks to Aat; far when be pretenda to sound the kaoH, be umups tbe po^ rogattve of Ood.
Id what WW were these comroonicaiions made fron Ood to Samuel 7 It must have been by direct inapiratiav into his bean. But what a state of holy fiunUiarity do^ dilaannie between Ood and tbe prophet I I betieve Moses bimsefr.was not more biddy &TOwred thaa Sa^wL
Yerw 10. Bofm «f Aw soas] Hub certainly was net donepuUiflfy; Samnd, JeoM, and bis cbildren, must Imv* been m a privaU apartment, previomly to puUio ontbeeaerifioe; fbr Samuel sayi^ver.U. WtwUtnatali dotBK tUl ha (David) ia coma.
Terse 12. ITs was nutd^Ji 1 believe ibe word best means racMosrsd; be bad goldMi lodca. Hair of diM ■kind is ever assoeialed widi a oelieatt Ain, and flttid flom- ^niob
Terse 13. Ths ^drU As Imd cosu upon Jjkwi^ Ood qualified him to be governor of bis peoiriti by ii'*Hh^ ■uob graeee as wisdom, prudeoee, oounse^ eonng% rality, and ntuaaoimity.
Tens 14. Tha^irU qfthehom departed Jram He was thrown into sucb a state of mind by the judomnli of Ood, aa to be demrivad of regal wmlitiflB wnidi bs before possessed. 13od seems to have vuua what jrifte be had, and given them to David; and then tbe evO niril came upon Saul: for what Ood fills not, the devil will ail.
An evU apirit front Iha^ Loan] The evil spirit wsp either immediatelv sent from the Lord, or parmitlsd ts cnme. Whether tnis was a diabolic posseaaioai, or a mere meidal malady, die leaned are not agieedi it seems to have partaken of both. Tbat Saul bad bllen into a detfi metaneht^, dure is little doubt: that the devil m^ work man eSWually on such a slate of mind, there am be but little question. Iliere U an old noverb^ Satu delimits to fi^ in troubled waters; and Saul's KtBarinn of mind gave him maiiy advantages.
The theory of Dr. Scbeud^oer, in his Phj/aka Saera, on the malady oi Saul, is allowed to be vity inceniouB. It ia in sufastaooe as follows: Health oonsiw in a nodemw tension of the Jifrrw wfaidi ^mnita all Ae^ijila to bafs an entire fraedotn m circulation: and to me splrttej that of diiiwsing tbemsalves through all dw limba; on die ecsitiary, dtMose eonsasts in tensions of tbe fibres norbad^ weakiOratflrbidlyBtroag. This latter seems labaw baas
J6 L*t our lord now oonunaod thy lenraDta, mhUh are ' before thee, to seek out a man who. ia a cuaning player on a harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil epirit from God ia upon thee, that he Bhall <* play with his hand, and thou ■halt be welt.
17 And Saul said unto bis servants, Provide me now B man that oan play weU,ftnd brinff Aim to me.
18 Then answered one of the servants, and ■aid. Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Betb-Iehemitet^AoftfCunningin playing, and • a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent m 'matters, and a comely person, and * the LoRo is with him.
19 Wherefore Saul sent meaienceri unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy won, ^ which w with the sheep.
20 And Jesse ' took an ass laden with bread, •nd a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto SbxA.
21 And David came to Saul, and * stood before -him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.
23 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me j for fie hath found &vour in mj sight.
1^ QMS of Smul I and aa the undulalioni of die air, which eonmy tnmd, communieate (benuelves to and through the nalaoM bodieai it ia easy lo MippcNe that, 1^ the moduhtioiw of miuic, all tba nbns of hia hoif, which wu* uder the i**"—*** of their oiorbidly increaaed lenaion. night be so relaxed aa to be brought back into duir oatoru aliie, and thus peruit the re-eatabliriiment of a free and gentle eircalation <rf die fluids, and conaequendy of the •nimal ■pirita; and thua induce oalmnesa and tranquillity of mind. I 5elievs thia theory to be correct i and I ahould find no difficulty to amplify and to Oluatrate the aubjecL Even a akilM playing vaoa the harp waa one meana to bring a diai»dered state « ibe Denroos and fibrooa ayBteia iolo a eajMttty of aShrcUog auch nmoienuptad tianquillity lo die mind aa U fender it capMe of reeeiving the propbelie influence: see die ca« of Eliaha, 2 Einga lii. 14, 16. It bw been aaid —
^tia baa been literally piored: — A musician waa brou^t to plar on bia inatniment while (hoy were feeding a ravage Km in the tower of London; the beast immediately left bis bod, came toward Ibe giatbig of hia den, and be|^ to flMM is audi a way aa to abow himaelf affieted by the miaie. The musician ceaaed. and the lion returned to his toad) he recommenced, and the lion left off his prey, and was 80 affected aa to aeem by his motiooa. to dance with delight. Tbia waa repeatedly tried, and the affecta were still Iheaams.
Verse 18. /Aom smu a aon o^ Jet$*y Dr. Warinttioa snpposea the story is anticipatea from vv. 14 to 23) and that the true chronology of diia part of David's UHb is the fcllowing: — 1. David nasoioMa by SamueL — 2. Carries proriaioiM tolua tn^ihren in the army. — 3. Fi^ta with and killa Ooliath. — 4. Ia received into the king's court. — {L Contracts a friendahip with Jonathan. — 6. Incurs Saul'a jaaiooay. — 7. Retirea to his fadier's house. — 8. Is, after some nme, aent for by 9aal, to aooth hia melancholy with his harp.— 4. Again ezcitea Saol'a jealousy] who endeavoura to amite him with his javelin. Thia aniicipatien between the 14di and 23d veraa, oones ii^ in the order of time, between veraea 9 and 10 of ebap. zviii. where the breach ia apparenu
Verse 20. Took an om laden wUh bread\ He must ■and a preseot to Saul m introduce hia son; and tbia waa pnbaUy the beat he bad. Dr. Warburton pleads still far- Ifaar on the proprie^ of his rectification of the chronol<«y in thia plaoe. David had at this time vanquiriied the Ptu- Esdne; waa become a &vourite with the people; had ezoited Saul's jealousy; and retired to ahnn its bad effecla- In lbs interim, Saul was aeized with die disorder in QuestNB) uid is recommended bf hia servants to tn' the eflbcts et music They were acaiiainted with David's ddll on the harp, and liltewise with Saul'a bad disposition toward him: me point waa delicate, it required to be raanued whh address; and therefore they recommended David in ddsartfid manner. "Asyoa most have ana-coBsisatly in MHadaacfl^ both in court, and on your mititat;f«0aditioiMk to be alw^ at hand on oocMton, the son' ol Jeaw will
33 And it came to pass, when > the evil spirit from God was i^n Saul, that David took a harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
OW the Philistines -gathered together their armies to battle, and, ^ were ffathered together at » Shochoh. which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in " Ephes-dammim.
2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elab, ana p set the battle in array agalnat the Philistines.
diiptaaa,ilia«^Bad canMakMOi-l'l — it^ni mtn draw nor u aaeli othn- 1 anil DaiU lUiw a lUiia, ■Ian him, and au off hia beoJ with tali own nntd, aii3«WBigaa>)hiFifialam«Un..8i.», Daridbdm become both stations well: he will atrengthen your camp, and adorn your ooortj for be ia a tried soldier, and of a gracefiil i»reaence. You have nothing to fear from bia ambition; for you saw with what prudence he went into voluntary banishment, when hia Mpulariiy had incurred your displeasureT' Accordingly, Saul is prevailed oai David ia sent for, aad suooeeds with hia music: this dissipatea all former umbrage; and, oa me who ia ever to be in attendanee, he ia made SauT* amumr-bearer. Thia sunshine still continued, till his great suoceaapa awakened Saul'a jealousy afreati; and then the lifted javelin waa to strike off all obltgationa. I^iua we see what li^t ii thrown upon the whole history, by the suppoaition of an anticwUton in the latter part of this chapter; an anticipation the moat natoral, proper, and neceaaary, for the purpoae of the hiatorian. l^ua reasons Biahop Warlmrion / and with very conaiderable plaunbility, though the inttlllp gent reader may stilt have his doubta.
Veree 23. TVie evil apintfrom God] "Ilie word evil ia not in the common Hebrew text; but it is in the Vvlgattt SeptuagiaL TurguTn, Syriao, and Arabic; and in eiffht of KamieOe* and De Raaai't MSS., which preaent the text diua, rqn (^^n^ mn ruaeh Elokim ram, Spiritua Domini malus, Vie evil tpirit qf God. The Septuagint leave out Qa«v, Oodf and have wnn/ia »orrrpo», the tvii tpirii. The Targum aays. The enl epirit from befor* UteLords and the AraAtc haait, Thi eoUapirii bjfUu permienen God: thia is at leaat the sense.
And the eiil epirit dttparted from Aim] The Tartfum says, And Qu evil epirit aecendtd up from qff" him, liia considen the malady of Saul to be more than a naiurat disMse.
There are asveral difficulties in this chapter: those of the dtrotuAfgy are pretty well cleared, in the opinion of ooate, by the obaervatiooa of Biabop Warburton; but Ihnrt ia atill something more to be done, to make this point entirely aatiafiutory. Saul'a evxi epirit, and tbe influence of mu«ic opon it, are not eeaily accounted for. I have considered his malady to be of a mixed kind, natural and diabolical: there ia too mui^ of apparent nature in it to permit us to believe it was all epiritoal; and diere is too much of apparent MaMrvia/uniJ influence, to suffer ua to believe that it was all naturaL
Verse 1. Note the PhUietinee gathertd together] Cal> met thinks that this war happened eigki years after the anointing of David | and ten or twelae years afier the war with the Amalekitea. We bava abaady seen that dnrs waa war between Saul and the Philiatmfls all his daya. See chap. xiv. B2.
StaAak and Axekak} Plaeea wbicii lay to the south of Jeruaalem, and to the west of Beth-lehem; about five leaguea from the former. Epheanlammim was somewhere in the vicinity; but it is not known where. See Calmet.
Verse 2. 7Aa vaOeu £lah} Some translate this the lurpentine9aaaihorn»9aUeuirtlttt*rebtntkin»ei tad odters, As volliy adb. nM aitnatioB of dds vslley is wellkBova.
3 And the PbilistineB ttood on a mountain on the one eide, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side; and there vat a valley betvreen
4 H And there went ont a champion out of the camp of the Philieiinee, named 1 0oUath, of 'Gath, wiioee heig'ht waa six cubits and a span.
5 And AeAodahelmetofbrasB upon his head, and he was * armed with a coat of mail: and the weight of the coat was five tbouqand sheltels of brass.
6 And Ae. Aodereaves of brass upon his le^, and a * target orbrass between his shoulders.
TstmS. T^e PhilMtnts atood oa a mouniaijil Tbeie were two rTiin^VMi or-hilla, from which tbej eould aSe aai tslk wiih eadi other.
Vene 4. There went out a tAamptan] Our wovd ehmpim cornea from eampvM, the field } Campio tai enim iiU qui pugnat in cnmpo, hoc est, in cattri*} CJiamjnon li be, properly, who %hta in riitfitld; t. e. ia eamju. A mac well skilled in arm& strong; brave, and patriolie.
Bat is this ih« meaning of uie original oiian srw fM horhmimt a miiidlt man, the man khmn two: ihat is^ •a hen, the tmrn who undertakes to settle the disputes between two amte* or nations. So our ancient Aampiotu settled disputes between coTiiending partiea, by what was termed eamp-_figkt i hence the eampio, or champion. The vereione know not well what to make of this man. The Vuigat* calls faim vlr apurius, a baatard; the iSs^tagbft, m»np ivtartt, a atnkg or jmaerj^ man; the Tarrum, ivi«j>ao -Oi gabn mibhrnna^on^ "a cwi from benreen ihem;" dte Arabic, j\f^O^J rujU jibar, "a great or gigantic man the Svriac u the same; and Jo- ••pbus terms him a^np »aniuYt6tF»r*(, an immensely great man. The FiJj^ats has giveobim thenotationof ^nus^ or bastard, because it considered the original as expressing a son qf two: i. e, a man whose parents were nnknowo. Among all theae, I ebnaidar our word dutmpion, aa ezplIiiMaaliov^ the best and nwat appropriate to d» original terms.
Whan heig^ was tis eiMU and a apanJ] The wnrd enlnt signifies the length from eubitua, the elbow, to the top of the middle finger, which ia geneially rated at one Joat «ur indite. The epan ia (he distance from the top of the middle finger to the end of the thumb, when extended as far aa tn^ can stretch on a plain j this is oi^inarilj nine ittcAss. Were we aore mat diese were ttie maaaurei^ and their extent, wbicb are intended 'at the oriagoal werd^ we could easily aseertaia the heu^t of this nUUatine: it would then be nine feet nine ineSia / wbidi U a tremuidcas height for a moo.
But the veraiona are not all agreed in bis beigfaL The Siptuagint read natmptMt wingtaa km mSa^n^ war eubils «aa a wpto t and Jaeqahu reada the Mine. It ia necsasary, bowever, to obaerm lhat the Satuagint, in die CpdKr 4iexanaHnut, read with the Hebrew text. But wbat was the length of the ancient cubit) This has been variously computed; eighteen indiea, twenty inehea and a kaif, and heenty-one tndtu. If we take the first meaaurement, he was nine feet nine; if the second, and read pahn instead of soon, with the Vulgale and aihm, he was UnfutaamimMaaandaha^l ifwe take die last, which ia the eadmate of GrBriu^ with the span, bewM etevsn fatt AreeinAaaj or, if we go to the exaeteat meaaurement, aa laid down in Bishop Cumberland's tables, where he eomputes die cubit at 21.888 inches, the span at 10.944 inohes, and the palm at 3.684 inches, then die six cubits and the span will make exactly II feet 10.272 inches. If we take the palm instead of the span, then the height wUi be 11 feet 3.012 inches. But I still diink that die nina feet nlns inchas is the moat reasonaUe.
TeraaS. BawtsarmedvUhaeoatofmail] Thewonls in the original a^rpvpii^a ehirion kaakatHm, means a coat qfmail, formed of plaUe ^ braaa-, over lapping each other Uke the acatea qfajlah, or tilea of a hauae. This is the trua notion of the original terms,
Widi thin plaUa of Atom or iron, OMrlafrinr each edier, were the ancient coats of mail ibmed in difl^eat eounniaai many formed in tLia way may be now seen in die Tower of
The weigiU—five ihouaand ^tekeU] Following Bishop Cttmfttrlawf « tables, and latinz the Aekel at two /lundrad and nineteen graina, and uie Roman ounce ujour kmdnd and ttiirttf-<ighi graiju, we find that Qoliaib'a I eoat of mail, ■ymAiagJtve thouaand ihakala, was exacUy m« tamlrwi and Jf/fya^^otrnda four wtwaa^ avoinbl- 1
7 And the "etafT of hie spear vas like a weaver's beam: and his spear's head veighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bnnnr a shidd went before bim.
8 And he etood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said anto them, Why are ye coma out to set yoUT battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye " servaBts to oaul? choose yeu a man for you, and let him come down to me.
9 If he be able to %ht with me, and to kaU me. then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kilt hina, tlien shall ye be our servants, and * serve os.
pois. A TBst wewht for a coat of maO i but not al all ool of jpropOfiioB te ifis man.
vers* & Craaves braaa upon Ma Uga'\ Tlia spv cies of armoitf may be seen on many ancient monuoseoia. It was a plate if braae, (though perhaps oopiettmaa formed of lamina, or platta like the maU.,) which covered, the sAtn, or forepart of the leg, from the knee down to the inatep; and was buckled with straps behind the Ik. From ancient mooumenta we find lhat u waa. eomqionly worn only on one leg. Ywaxmmt dt Re SStibnit tmyt, "Paditea Seatati eliam ferreaa oereaa in dextria cntrOmt cogeftanfur aeeipere}' The foot soldiers, called Scuta^ from their particular species of shield, were obliged to uss iron greata on their r^ht laga. One of these mn be seen m the monument m the ghdiator, Bulo, in JHnitfaueorn and another ia the Haasie paTeneot at Bsgnar, in Surrey.
A target brom batmem his sAoHUam} Whan Ht actually engaged, soMiei* threw their ahiebla behind dior bock; so that they appeared to rest or bang between the shoulders.
There are different opinions coneenung tbw pieos irf armour; called here pra Idddon. Some think it waa B coterit^ for die ahmUdera i odien^ that it was a jat^n, or dart i others, that it was a ioncs; sotDe. a cfiu; and others, a aword. It is certainly dislingnisned from dia ri\ie1d, ver, 4t. and ia translated a apear, 3oA. viii. 18.
Verse 7. "tlie ataff <^ hia apear was Hit a maacr'* beam] Either like that on which the warp is roUtd, or that on which the doth is railed. We know not how tUek this was, because there were several sorts of looms; and - the sizes of the beams very dissimilM-. i Our woofffii, linen, cotton, and atlk looms, are oil different in the ain of iheir 5eanw. And I have sem several diat I aboidd not suppoae too thick, though they might be too ahort, lor Ooliam'a spear.
Hit apear'a head weighed aix hundred ahektia of iron) Tliat is, his mar's head was of iron, and it wdgned ai* hundred aheUela.* this, according to the former compata* lion, woiUd amount to eightten pmtnda tic else otauea.
And one bearing a 'ahttld^ mn ka-tainnak, from p toon, pointed or penetrating if it do not mean some kinl of a ionee, must mean a aniM, widi what ia called the umbo, a tfiarp protnberanoe in the middle; with which they could as effectually annoy their enemiee aa deftod themselves. Many of the old Highland targeu weie made with a projecting dagger in the centre, liking the proportions <tt things unknown to those Inown, the armour of Oolialh ia auppoaed to have weighed not Ism than twa hundred and aevatfy-two pounda lAtr<em ouneeat Plutarch informs us, lhat the orainoiy weight «f a soldier'a panoply, or complete armour, was one taleoL or atxty p<m7ida; and that one Alcimua, in the army oc DemetriuB, wms considered as a prodigy, because 1^ panoply wei^wd two talenia, or one Aunorad and twudf ptmnda.
Terse 8. / a PhiUaHne\ The Tarrum adds much to this speech. This is the subatmica: '^1 am Oolmib die Philistine, of Goth, who killed the two sons of "E^ Hc^hni and Phinehas, the priests; and led into eaptiviiy the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and placed it ia tm temttle of Du;on, my god [ and it remained in dtie ditea of the Philistines seven months. Also^ in all our bsitkal have gone tx the bead of the army; and we eonqoered and cut down men, and laid ihem as low as the duai of the •arth J and to this di^ the I%ilistines have not granted ma the honour of being chief of a thousand men. And y& men of Israel, what noble exploit has Saul the oon oi Kish, of GKbeoh, done, that ye should have mwie him king ovnr you 1 If he be a hero, let him c<qae down himself and fight with m«) but if ba be a weak ereo»- ardly nwi^ thea ehooasyou oota maa diat bs as^ esas downtema"
10 And die PhiliBtioe Mid, I * delV the annies or Israel thia day; {ire me a roan, that we may fight toeether.
11 When Saul and all Israel heard thoee worde of the PhiliBtine, they were dismayed, and g^reatly afraid.
12 1[ Now David waa f the son of that ■ Ephrathite of Beth-iehem-jadah, whose name M>a» Jesse; and he had*eieht sons: and the man went among men for aa old man In the days of 8aui.
13 And the three eldeEt sons of Jesae went and followed Saul to the battle: and the ■* names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the first^rarn, and next nqto him Abinadab. and the third Shammah.
14 And David vsas the yaangest: and the three eldest followed Saul.
15 But David went tmd returned from Saul
16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening-, and presented himself forty days.
17 And Jeese said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these tea loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;
18 And carry these ten ' cheeses unto the
• capt^n of (Aeir thousand^ and ' look how thy brethren Jhre, and take their pledge.
19 Now Saul, and they, and aU the men of Israel, irere in the v^Iey of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 IT And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the > trench, as the host was going fbrth to the >■ fight, and shouted for the battle.
- 81 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array^ army against army.
22 And David left i nis carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and ^ saluted his brethren.
23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Ooliath by name, out of the armies of the Ptii-
V«m 9: Then teiil te* beyourMnanUi Of ihia ttipu- Ifttion we hear nothing fenber.
I rem U. Saul and aU hroA-wrt ^mutg^ Hiey nWno nuot able u> wcept the challenge.
Terte 1%. — TTie 12th verae, lo the 31it incluriTS, ore wanting in the Septuagint; na also ihe 41st veree; and from the 54th to the end -, wilh ihe Jive fifit versea of chap, xviii. and the 9lh, lOth, llth, i7ih, 18th, and 19th, of the aame.
All iheae parte are bund in the Codex AUxcmdrimu: but it appear* diu the MS. from which the Godez Alexandrinua was copied had them not. See obaervatKnui at th« end of thia chapter. Dr. KennieoU baa rendered it very probable duu ineae ponims are not a genuine part of OetexL
Notwidiilaading what Biahop Wartnirton and others have done to clear the rhronology of the preaeni printed Hebrew, it ia impoaaible to make a clear consistent sense of the biatory, unless these veraea are omitted. Let any one read the eUtenih verse in connexion with the thirtytteond, leave out the forly-_firH, and connect the J^y- Jburtk with the tlxth of oiap. xviii. and he viU be periitctly convinced tliat there is nolbing wanting to make Oie sense complete; to say nothirw of the other omissions noted above. If 6it above be taxen in as genuine, the tngenui^ of man has hitherto failed to free the whole from apparent contradiction and absurdity. I must confess that where every one else has biled, I have no hope of succeeding: I must, dterefore, leave all fiarther attempts lit justify the chronology | and refer to those who have ymtum Jin- and againu the genuiiwDeaa of this part of dM BMBMOtt Habrew text. Ju the end tbs etMBier I ■hidl introduoa soma extraols from Kmnleelt and PW-
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw Ute man, fied " from him, and were sore aftaid.
25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it slmll be_, that the man who
36 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that Idlleth this Philistine, and taketh away " the re^oach from Israel? for who is this ' uncircumcised Philistine, that he should ^defy the armies of ' the living God?
27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, ■ So shall it be done to the man that kWeth him.
28 \ And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's > anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why earnest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness 7 I know thy pride, and the naughtiness offline heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle^
29 And David said, What have I now done? ■ Is there not a cause?
30 ^ And he turned fVom him toward another, and * spake after the same * manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.
31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Sadj and he ' sent for nim.
33 IT And David said to Saul, ' Let do man's heart fail because of him j ^thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said to David, * Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a yoatii, and be a man of war from hb youth.
34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept Ms father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a ^ lamb out of the fiock:
Verse IS. Carry iKeae ten cAeeset] CTieete* qf milk, says \htmargin. In die East they do not make urtiat w« call efteess: they pre« the milk but riighdyi and carry it in niah ixudtete. It ia bi^ily salted, aad litde difiemit fromeurdt.
Verse 29. Is there not a eonse?] -OI trhT\ halo dabtr hu. I believe the meaning is what several of the versioas express: / have spoken but a word / and should a mu be made an offender for a wordi
Terse 32. And David said] ttam properly connects widi verse the efevenih.- — Tlkottartbata jmttft; supposed to be about tvenly-tm or /wenfy-Arse years of age.
Verse 34. Thy aervant Aepi hit falSer'a Aetp] Hs fbmtd it necessary to nve Saul die reasons why he under* took this combat; and why he ei^ieeted to be vietoriouh 1. I have courage to undertake it, and ttrengih to perform it 2. Both have been tried in a very signal manner.
1. A Wm came upon my flock, and anzed a tatmb; I ran after him, he attaeked roe, I seized hold of him 1^ his shaggy locks, smote and stew htn, and delivered the lamb.
2. A^ear came in the same way, and I a'tarked and slew him. 3. This, with whom I am to fight, is a PhiHetine, an vneiriMmeieed man; one who is an enemy to Qbdt Ood, therefor^ will not be on hie side. On that^ound I have nothing to fear. 4. He has defied the armies of the Lord) and Eas^ in tSect, defied Jehovah himaelft therefore, the battle ia the Lord's) and ha will stand by mt. 6. 1 have a perfect confidence in his protection and delenee t for they that trust in him shall never be oonfounded. 6. 1 eonclada, tbsrefive, that the Loid, wbc deliwad oa oat of the paw 9t die lion, and out of the paw of ib» bear, will deuvar me oat of die hand of diia PhiHstiM,
35 And I went out afler him, and imote him, and delivered it oat of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught htm by hli beard,
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumciscd Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of-the living Grod.
37 David said moreover, = The Lord, that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said Tiuto David, Go, and ^ the Lord be with thee.
38 If And Saul * armed David with his armour, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail,
39 And David girded his sword upon his ar* mour, and he assayed to go; for he bod not proved it. And David eaidTuDto Saul. I cannot
40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the 'brook, and put them in a shepherd's * bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sline was in his hand: and he drew near to the PhiUiBtine.
41 And the Philistine came on, and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the ehield went before him.
42 And when the Philistine looked about, and ■aw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ■ ruddy, and of a &ir countmance.
Vena 35.— The alaTing of rtie lion and the bear, meotiOMd ber«, must have taken place at tm different times: pariuuM dwvem should be read thiu— / wo)/ «uf q/ler Mm, (the lion,) and amoU Mm, &o. And when hb (the bear) row up against me, Icaughi him by the beard, and tlae him.
Terae 37. (To, and the Loan be with thee.} Saul saw that iheaa were reasonable grounds of confidence; and, therefore, wished him success.
Terse 38. Saul armed DavidJ He knew that, allhouch the battle was the Lord's, jret pntdent means should M used to secure success.
Verse 39. / cannot go with thete] In ancient time^ it required considerable esereiee and (raining to make a man expert in the use of such heavy armour: amour which, in the present day, scarcely a man is to be found who is able to carry: and so it must have been then, until that praOice, which arises from frequeBt use, bad made the proprietor perfect, / have not proved them, says David: I am wooUy unaocuttomed to such oxmour, and it would be an incumbrance to me.
five tmoeth rions*] Had ihey been rmtgh, or on^- tar — 1. They would not have passed easily throu^ the air t *i>d their asperities would, in the course of their pas- ■agk have given them a falte diredion. 2. Had (hey not been maofh, they could not have been readily despatched from the aiiTig.
A thepherde bag] Tht.t in which he generally carried his provisLcins, while keeping the sheep in the open country.
And hie eUng] The sling, both among die Greeks and Hebrews, baa been a most powerful ofieneive weapon. See what has been said on Judg. xx. 16. It is composed of tieo airings, and a leathern strap: the strap is in the middle, and is the place where the alone or bullet lies. The atrinf, on the right end of the strap, ia firmlv &atened lo the hand: that on uie left, is held between the ihumb and middle joint of the fore-DDger. It is then whirled two or three times round the hetui; and, when discharged, the finger and thumb let go their hold of the left end string. The veloci^ and foroe of (he sling are in proportion to tnla disoutee of the strap, where ihe bullet lies, from the shoulder joint. Hence tot ancient BalUares, or inhabitants of Majorca and Minorca, are said to have had three slings of (Afferent lengths: the longest they used when the enemy was at the greatest diatanoe; the middle one, on their nearer ap|»oa^; and the thortesL when they came into the ordinary fighting distance in the field. The shortest ia the moat eertofn, though not the most powerful, tht BMUanmo are said to have had one of their iliiiga eon- '
43 And the Philistine said unto David, ^ Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves 7 And the PhilistiDe cursed David by his gods.
44 And the Philistine Uaid to David^ Come to me^ and I will give thy flesh unto the Ibwla of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thoa comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a riiield: " but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the wmies of Israel, whom thou bast " defied.
46 This day will the Lord « deliver thee ioto mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thtoe head from thee: and I will give p the carcaaaea of the host of the Philistines this day anto tbe fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth: t that all the earth may know that there is a Gfod in Israel.
47 And all this aesemblv shall know that the Lord 'saveth not with the sword and* spear: for ■ the battle is the Lord's, and he will gira you into our hands.
48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine aroee, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army te meet the Philistine.
49 And David put his hand in hie bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sank into his forehead; and.he fell upon bia face to
50 So « David prevailed over the Philistine
Btantly bound about their head; to have used the. aa a girdle; and to have carried the third always in iheir hand. See Dion. Sie. lib. v. chap. IB. page 286. EdiL BiponL in the use of the sling, it re|iuirea much praeHe* u> Ut tbe marii { but, when once this dexteri^ is a^juired, the ddng is nearly aa fatal as the musket or bow. See on ver. 49. David was evidently an expert marksiDan: and his sling gave him greatly the advantage over Ooliaih; sa advantage of which the giant does not seem to have been aware. He could hh him within any speaking diataaee: if he missed once, he had as many chances as ha has stones 1 and, after all, beinf unencumbered with amoar, young and amlelib he eoula have saved his life by fii^H. Against him the Philistine could do but little, exe^ is close fig^t i it is true, be appears to have had a javeUa, or missilespear; see oo ver. 6: tut David took care tonevent the use of all each weapons, 1^ givii^ him the nnl blow.
Tme 41. Ths man that bare the shield} See on ver. T.
Versa 42. He disdained him] He held him in coatem|(; he saw that he was young j andj from his nuUir caaplexion, supposed him to be effemtnate.
Verse 43. Am / dog, that thou earnest to me vtA ttaves? It is very likely that Ooliath did not perceive dte which David might have kept coiled up within hii
Ctiraed David by his gods.] Prayed his gods to eune him. This long parley between David and Goliadi ii quite in the style of those times. Homer'a heroes have generally an altercation before they engage; and aometimes enter into geographical and genealogical discunkoi; and vaunt and scold most contemptibly.
Verse 44. Come to me, and I will give OiyJUsKi Hs intended, as soon as be eouU lay hold « him, to pull hia lo pieces.
Verse 45. T%ni comeH to me with a sword\ lame to thee wrTH the name (SV3 6c Aem) of Jdtovan of koatat the Chd^ Ihe armies of Israel Wliat Goliath ezpedsd from his armsjDavid expected from the ineffable name.
Verae 46. Tkia day will the Loao deliver &et tufa mtns handi Thio was a direct and circumstantiBl prophecy of traat did take ptaos.
^Aae47. JiVlfte&aftteiaAeLoao'al ItistheLefft war: you are fifhting againit Mm and his ralWo^ ai the champion of your party. I am itghting.^Oe^ M the champion of his cause.
Verse 43. TV Philistine arose] This was an end of the parley: the Philistine came forward to meet Dtvidt and David on liis par^ ran forward lo meet the PhibsliM.
with a Bl'"g and with a ttone, and smote th^ Phuiatlne, and dew him: but there ttat no sword in the hand of David.
61 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philietine, and took hiB aword, and drew it out of the aheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off hia head therewith. And when the FhiUstmes ■aw their champion was dead, ■ they Am.
58 Tf And the men of lerael and of Judan arose, and shonted, and pursued the Philistines, nntil thou come to the valiey, and to the gates of Ekron: and the wounded of the PhjUatineB fbll down by the way to ' Sha-araim, even unto Oath, and unto Ekron.
53 And the children of Israel returned frorii chaains aAer the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.
lu, eept hi«/a«, Ooli&ih wm ereirirtjero covered over with strong armour. Either he \iaa no btater to hii helmet;,. or it sr*a lifted up, to u to expose hia forehend; but it ^ doM not aiwev tfiot the ancisot belmeti had any eovering
'BiE fnrihsfiue. Hie iSf^Auuin^ howmr, Mtj^MMO diat the Itt: 'Stone |»ned through dieoelniet, and rank into bii forehead— Km titBv 1 Xiffof iia mt n^w*^aX«iat t*t ra ptrmtmi ^! «vr»«, " and the ftone pasted (hrougfa hia helmet, and Bunk in hta acull." To some this haa appeared perfectly impro-: ^ loble: but we are assured, by ancient wrilMa, that scarcely 'f'-' say thing could reiist the Eorce of the *tmg.
Diodortu Siculut, lib. v. c 18. p. 287. EditBtpon^ I- WBif, *^Tbt Ballaarea, in time of war, sUng greater atones ' than any other people; and, with nuh Jvrea, that ibey " seem aa if projected from a eatapuU. Au mi Kara IT rat TMxopax""* »po9fio\ais mravrti nvf wpo rm iw\»» ravrpitSovvi. Ears it ntv camx"* wruf mtpt0titMty, Mra rv lAtifar fill 9mmfr*»nv rn> " Therefore, in naufta made on fbrti- 4ed towns, they grievoualy wound the besieged: and in battle they hrtak at piece* the AUtdt, htkneU, and every
" tpeeiet oi armour whieb the body la defended. And
^ they are aach exttct marksmen, that they leaniely ever mtaa that at which they aim." Tbe biatorian accounts for their great aeatraey and
'} wteer in the uae of the aHng', from this eiroumaianee i AtTiM tt rvmr, it.r.\. " They attain to this perfection by firequent exercise, from their childhood t tor, while they are young, and under their mothers' care, th^an obliged
^ (» Imrn to aling; for they haten bread f6r a mark, at the top of a pole i and, till the child hit the bread, he must re-
■ ranin bating; and when he has hit it, the mother gives it
I bsve nmi these pssesges at larm beeanae tber eon-. tainasTatueuriooB fitetai andsufiiaenUyaeeoiuitwrdis font mad oeeitrowwith whiehDsvid dniog bis stone at
' floliath. We findalso, in tbe fiit afmprmrttfi not miat the
' mark, of the historian, tbe trae notion of */i^rMtitr, to tin, whieh I have contended for elaewhere. He who tins, dwugh he oanu thereby at his gratjfieaiion and prqfli, mines the nark of preaent and eternal fitlioi^.
Terse 51. When |As PkUiMnu am ih*ir Aampion Mm dead, OuyJUdA Ttnof Were panie-atruck i and not being willing to bilnil tbe eooditioit which was alipulaied by Goliath, they precipitatdy left the field. TTie Israelites took a proper advantage of these eirenmstaace^ and totally routed their enemiea.
Terse 64. David took tkt head ^ the PUIiattns] It has bean already remarked that thia, with the following nil Bf, and tbe five first veraea of the xviiidi chapter, ore OPaitlM bribe SeptoaginL 8eetheobsenratioiuattheei>d.
Terse w. Whoee ton art thou, thou young man?] That Saul should not know David, with vmom he had treated a liule before, and even armM him for tbe combat; and, tbatbeahould not know who his fother was, though he bad sent to hia father for permission to David to reside eoastantly with him, ebap. xvi. 22. is exceedingly strange! I fear all Bishop Warborton's attempts to recufy the ebmnology, by assumed aniidpaiianM, will iwt account for ibte. I must honestly confess theydo not satisfy me; uid I must refer the reader to what immediately followi^ on Ihs authenticity of the verses which concern this subject.
Ow the subject of that large omission in the Septuagiot, of which I have ipoken on ver. 12. I here subjoin the rnsaniia of Mr. Piueutgton and Dr. Kmnieott, tor suppotkag it to be an inte^lattoo of some rabbinieal writer) •died «t a Tsiy aa^ period 10 the Bsbiew laxL
54 ^ And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.
55 1[ And when SatJ saw David go fti-th againctt the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Ahner, * whose son it this routh? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O {dntr, I cannot tell.
So And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling t«.
57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and broarfat him befbre Saul, ' with the head of the Phflistine in his hand.
68 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thotf, fftou young man? And David answered. '/am the son of thy servant Jesee the Beth-iehemlte.
" Had every veraion of the Hebrew text," saya Mr. Pittington, " agreed to give a translation of this passage, aa we DOW find) the attempts of cleariiw it from its embarrassments would have been attendea with very great difficulties; but, aa in several other casea before nentioned, »o here, the pnmdenee of Osd seems to have so far secured the credit of those who were appointed to be the penmen of the oracles of truth, that the defence of their original records may be undertaken upon good grouid^ and aupportnl by suffieient evidence. For we are new, hi^)pily, in possession of an ancient version of these two chi^ienk which spears to han been made from a Ifsftfeis copy, wliich ImmI none of tbe thirty-nine veiaes whieb tm bMe supposed to bave been interpolated, nor was similar to what we bave at present in these places which ars here aappoaed to have beoi altered. This version is fowid in the Vatiean copy of the Seventy; whieh, wboetar reads and conaidera, will find the accounts there givea regular, consistent, and probable. It will be proptr^ Iberefbre, to azamine the aeretal parts where soeb alleitr tiana are aappoaed to have been made in the Hs&rets teitt in order to prodoee such other external or internsl e*i> denee, as snail be neeessaryto mpport the <Aiaig« interpolation; whieh ought not to be laid menly upon As authority of any single veraion.
"Thefirstponage, which is not translated m tbe VathMt eopy of the Qreek version, is from the lidl to tbe KM verse of tbe xnilh chapter, wherein we have an aeeoia^ 1. (M Davbft beang sent to the cams to visit hia far^ ran. — 2. Of his conversation with the men of J^«al^ relating to OoliaA'e challenge; and their informing bim of the premium Saul had o&ml to any one that would aceeptit, and come off vietorioua. — 3. Of Eliab^e remarkable behaviour to his brother David, upon hia nafc* ing this inquiry. — And, 4. Of iSoufa being made smpiaiBled with what David had said upon thia occasion.
"It fa obviouB to remark.upon this paaMge i
"1. TTiat after David bad been of ao much aerneele the kii^, in causing tbe evil ■ spirit to depart from bim ■ after its being recorded how greatly Saul loved bim, ana that he hod made him faia armour-bearer; after Ihs king had sent to Juee, to signify his intention of kequng his son with him) all of which are particularly mendonea in the latter put of the preceding chapter; the aceount sf hia keying hia fkther'a aheep afterward, and beiiw sent to his breuiren upon this occasion, must appear to Gs son*- what improbable. — 2. That what is here said of Ae premium that Said had offered to him who should con* quer tbePAtZtsfine iaiuUwell cotuistont with the accounts afterward given; of wbicb we shall bave occasion to take particular notice. — 3. That EUab't behaviour, aa here represented, ia not only remarkable, but unacoouniable and absonL— And, 4. Tbat the inquiries of ayoiing man, who is not said to have declared any bUentiona of aceeptiag the challenge of the Philistine, would scarcely have oeea lehued to the king. But now, if tliia passage, be supposed to have been interpolated, we must see how the cotmexioa stands upon ita being omitted.
"Verse 11. 'When 5auiand all iaraefheard these words of the IHiitiotine, they were diamayed, and greatly afraid.*
"Terse 3?. *l%en 0avU said unto SbifA I't no man's henrt fail because of him; thy servant will go and with this Phitieline.'
" Tfo connexion can be more proper; and in thia vtev David is represented aa being at that time an fit^endsnt upon the king: and, what we had been told Jost beCm^ zvi. 21. that Soul bad made bim hia armour-bemri we vi^t justly expect to Him! him with hina when tb$
ImiUe waa ast in mnuy, chap. zvii. 2. In this connexion David in alto repreaenicd as fully antwehng the character before given of him; ' A mif^htv valiant man, and a man of war, chap. xvi. 18. and reaqy to fight with the giant ^pon the first proposal; (for the account of ihe Phifietine preeenting himaelf forty daye ta in thie pasmee here flupposed to have been interpolated, chap, xvii, 16.) I shall leave ii u^the critical Hebrew reader to make what particular remarha he may think proper in respect to the s^le and manner of expreasion'in mtx twenty veraea; and let Jetie go/or an old man amang men in the day <(f SauL Ae." PiutnniTOit'a Reiaarka upon aeveral paaaages of Soripture, p. 62.
"iTw authorities," aaya Dr. KenntooU, "here brought to prove this great interpolation, are the internal evidence orisiag from the context, and the external arising from the Vatican copy of the Greek veraion. But how than tm^th» AiesandrioMHS.'i The remtu-ka acknowledge ihiit thia MS. agrees here with the corrupted Hkbrewi and, therefore, was prafaahl]r translated, (in tnia part,) from aaow late Hebrew copy, which had been ibua iaierpolated: see pages 72, 75. Nov that theae two MSS. do contain difitrent readtnga, in aome places, I obaerved in pages 399 — 104. and 414, And in this xviith chapter of Samuel, ver. 4. the Alexandrian MS. says, (agreeably to the pnwont Hebreip,) that the height or Goliath was mix oibita mid a »pan i i-e. above devenfect: but the Vaiiean MS. (agneably to Jotephu4,) that it waa/our cubiia and a spaa; j. e. near eight feet.
"And, in ver. 43, what the Vatican rendera he cuned Daiid by hit god; the Alexandrian renders by hit idols. Bui though the JUebreic text mi^t be consulted, and a fcv words difierendjr rendered by the transcriber of one •f Aeae HSS. or by the Iniucnben of the MSS. frtnn which tbeac HSS. w«re t»kea i yet, as theae HSS. do eoniain in this chuKer, as is almost uniTsrsally the aame fin veib, noun, ana participle,) I preaume^ that they conlaiahere the aame traoalation with the deaigned alteration of a Esw words, and with the difference of the inlerpolaled veraea found in the Alexandrian MS.
*'Bu(, after all, what if the Alexandrian MS. whieh maw has theae veraea, ahouki Uaeff provs tbem inieipo> lUBdl What if the vary leordt qffAia very MS. demtnatrate that theae veraea were not in some former theekMS.l Certainly, if the jUezatidrian MS. should be thus found, at last, not to contradict, but to confirm the VatiooM in ua omisaion of theae twenty veraea, the concurrence of these authsrities will render the •rgumwit nueh more forcible and convincing.
"Let us then state the present question; which is, Whether the twenty verses, between ver. II. and 32. which are now in the Hebrew text, are interpolated 1 The Fotiean MS. goes on immediatelT from the end of the llth verse, (mi t^0tfitt»w» «A*ipa,) to ver. 32, which begiu (i«c Aa«i^ whereaa me 12U) veraa ia Uie Hetvew Eegioa ntt wUk a vpeak, but with I>a:vid'a birth and parentage. If, then, the Alexandrian MS. begina iu preaent 12th veraa aa the 32d, verae begins, and as the 12ih verse could not begin properly, I appeal to any man of judgment, uiiether the tran»criber tea* not certainly copying from a MS. in tMicfc the 32d eerse meeeeded the lllh ecrae; and, if ao, then from a MS. vhteh had not ttcM inUrmM^te veraea? Now, that this ia the &ct, Ote case will at once appear upon exaoiinine the Alexandrian copy, where Ihe IZlU verae begina widi CAI EInE A ATlA; exaelly aa the 32d verae ti^VM, and as the 12lh verse oottid not b^n properly.
" lie ease seems clearly To be, that die transcriber, haviiK wrote what is now in the Uth verse, was be^nntng what is now the 3'M verse; when, after writing Kai tim Aitvi3, he perceived that either the Hebrew, or some otlier Oreoc copy, or the margin of his own coi:^, had several Intermediate verses; npon which, without blotting out the significant word EinE^ he goes on to write the addition -, thus tHtunately leaving a decisive proof of hia own great interpolation. If this addition was hi the maigin oT that US. from whieh the Alexandrian was tranaeribed, it night be inserted by that transcriber; but, if it vat inaerted either from the Hebrev, or from any other Oree/c ropy, the transcriber of this MS. seems to have had too little teaming for such a proceeding. If it was done by the writer of thetybrmer AlS. then the interpolation may be a hundred, or a hundred and Afty years older than the AUxandirian MS. Perh^ the earliest Chrisnon writer who enlaces upon the strong circumstance of David's coming from the sheep to the army, is Chrysos-. lom, in his homily upon David and Saul: so that it had then been long in soma coptca of the Greek varaion. The tnith scenu to be. diet the addilioa of theae twenty verses took lu first riae from what Jm^Aui bad inserted in hia variation and embellii&ment of ihia history; but dvu many circumaiancea were afterward wlded to hiaadditiooa.
"For, (and it ia extremely remarkable,) though.7m«- pkua hsa tome, he has not half the improtmbiliiiea whidi are found at preaent in the Sacred History: aa, for instance, nothing of the armie* being fighting in the toBxy, oz fighting at all; when David n as sent by hb father, aa in ver. 19. Nothing of the ho»t going forth, and ehomting for the battle, at the time of David's arrival, aa m ver. 20. Nothing of all the men of larael fleeing from Goliath, aa in ver. 24 1 on Ihe contrary, tkt tico armioa^ (it should aeem,) continued upon dieir two mountaiiui. Nothing of Dawfa long eonveraatian unA tke aoldiert, ver. 2&— 27; in seasons so very improper, as, while ibey were ahouting for the battle, or while they were fitting from Goliath; axA fleeing from a man after they haa seen him, and heard him tviee in every day ybr forty dam togdfur, ver. 16; the two armies, all this long whiu^ leaning upon their arms, and lookup venr peaceably at one another. Nothing of Goliath's repealing his cullenM every morning and every ermtng, aa in ver. 16. David, (it ia said, ver. 23.) happened to near one of these challenges; but, if be heard the etening dtaUenge, it would have been then too late for the several transactions before, and the long puratiit after, Goliath's death; and David could not well hear the morning challenge, because ha could scarce have arrived so earH', after travelling froot Beth-lehem. lo the army, (about fifteen miles,) ana bring* ing with him an ephah (f paraud com, and ten ioow^ and ten ekeeaet; as in ver. 17, IS. Nothing of encouraging any man to fight Goliath, by an qfer qf the kinga daughter, ver. 25; which, as it eeema from the aufaaequeat hiatory. had never been thought of; and whiclk had it been onered, would probablv have been accepted dvkwm man or odier out of the whole army. Nothing of EliaVs reprimanding David for coming to ace fh^ battle, aa in ver. 28; but for a very different reason: and, indeed, it ia highly improbable that Eliab should treat him at ail with contempt and acurrility, after having aeea Samuel anoint him for the future king of Israel, see chap. xvi. 1—13. Notfaing of a eteond eontaraatim between David and iIm aoldiera, aa in var. 30^ 31. Nothing of iSnuf and Abnti^t not knoteing who ma David^a father, at the time of hia going forth againat Ihe I%ilistine, aa in ver. 66. Nothing of DavuJPa being introduced to the king by Abner, ia form, after killing the Philistine, ver. 67; at a time whoQ the king and ihe captain of th« host had im> leisure for complimentol ceremony; but were set out, ver. 67. in madiate andfuU purtuU if the PhUiatinea. — Nor, lastly, ia any notice taken here by Jotephua, of what now bq[UM the xviiith chanter,' Jonathan!a fHmdahip for Daiid, which is related elsewhere, and in a different manner: on the contrary, as soon aa JiwnjAua haa mentioned GoIiaA's death, and told us that Saul and all Israel shouted, aad fell at onee upon the PhOislinea; and that, when the pursuit was ended, the head of Goliath waa carried by Darid into hia otnt tent, (and he couM have then no tent Ida men, if he had not been then an officer iu the army;) I say, aa soon as Joeephua has recorded these circumataneea^ he goes on to Bauta envy omf hatred of David, arising from the mmm'a aonga if cmgraluiation; exactly as these capital parts of toe histonr are coooeeted in (he Vaticah MS. And with this cvrcumataiwa I shall eon- elude these remarks I eameatty recommending the to die learned reader a alteniive examination.
"It must not, however, be forgot, thai the learaed P. Houbigant has, in his Bible, placed these twenty vttse^ (from the 1 1th to the 32d,) between hooka; as containing a paaaage whieh comes in very improp«-ly.
"If it be inquired aa tu this interpolaiion in iSaraa^ vAen it could posaibly be introduced into the taxt 1 It may be obaerved that, ahaut the time qf Joaeplau, Ihe Jews aeem to have been fond of enlargin^and, (as they vaWy liioueht,) embellishing the Sacred Histoiy, byinrentac apeediea,and preyera, and hymnsL and also new articles « history I and thna of considerable length: witnea the several additiona to the BotA of Ealher; wttnesa tba long story concerning iriiw, itvmen, and truth, inserted amidst parts of the genuine history of Ezra nnd Nehemiak, and worked up into what ia now called the FHrsl Soak n Eadras; witness the hymn of the three diiktrea in tna fiery furnace, added to Daniel; and witness alao, the many additions in Joaephus. Certainly, then, some few remarks mi^t be noted by the Jews^ and some few « their hiatarical additions might be htserted in the mann of their Hebrew copies; which might afterward be taSeB into the text itself by injudicious transcribers.
" The history of David's conquest of the m^ty ana insulting Pbiltattne is certainly very engasinyt and H givasanKMt amiable daneriptiaa ofa bcm yote n«W iMHiil III llirt I II riiiillm iiwinjuli III lit Ptilil. nil imn t iFT lln lin lil knit with the soul of David, 'and Jonathan lored him as his own soul.
2 And Saiil took him tlmt day, ^ and would let him 1^ no more home to his father's house.
3 Than Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own bouI.
ntfing with firm confidenoe upon tha ud of the God nf baiUK, RguHet a bluphenami^ enemy. It is sot, therefore, off the giani'a head with the gianri own iword. Ant then, fiMinx that JoMphus had aaid tliat David came Jrom the JUep to Che camp, arid happened to hear the cAoUenre, th« rabbin might think it very natural that David ahould be inJii^ant againat the giant, and talk valorouely to the aoldien, and that the soldiers ahould nightify encourajra David; and then, {to be nira,) this wM the most iwilcr wtmatt to introaam-tbe celebmied fiieadahip of JoiMUUui for David t partfeutarly when, ((weordinc to these additions,) Jona^ian had seen Atnur trading Dmld in triumph to the king't prtaawe; every ooe Rotairing the yoni^ hero, as he protidly advanced with the grim head o^uis PhiHatmt ni hi* hand. So that this multiforiD addition, and fiucifiil embelliahment of the rabttin, reminds one of the motley absurdity de- ' scribed by the poet in tlie fiunous liitea —
" TTw paasage, auppoaed to be interpolated here, was in the Hebrew text before the time of Aijuila; because there are preserved a few of the differences in those translations of it, which were made by Aquila, Theodotion, and Symmacfaua. These verses, being thus acknowledged at that time, would doubtless be found in such copies as the Jews then declared to be genuine, and which they delivered af. tarward to Origen as such. And that Origen did refer to the Jews for such copies as they htld genuine, he allows E|Hslle to A&icanut: for there he speaks of toothing dw Jews, in order to get pure copies from them." Kxtt- Xoott's Second Dwerlation on the Hebrew Text, p. 419.
In the general dUsertation which Di'. Kennicott has prefixed to his edition of the Hebrew Btb^ he gives adntional evidence that the verses in question were not fiMnd oricinally in (he iSepluagtn^ ara eonsequentiv not in the MAmo copy used lor that version. Several HSS. in As royal Ubraiy at Paris sither nnit these verses, or bavs them with atteriMkt, or notes of duMoanun. And the collation Dr. Holmea, and his continuators, have faroD^t farther proof of the focu From the whole, there is considerable evidence that these verses were not in the Septoajcint in the time of Origen; and, if they were not in the MSS. used by Origen, it is very probable they were Mt in that version at Jirtt; and, if they were not in the Septuagint at first, it is very probable that they were not in the Hebrew text me hundred and fifty years before C%rist; and, if not then in the Hebrew text, it is very ]^Tibabla they were not in that \£x\.originaUy. See Di»- ssTtofwa on Osn. p. 9 1 and Remarlta on Seuct Pa—age*,
1 have only to remark here, that the hietorical book* oit A» Okl Testament have suffered more by the carelessness, •r ioSdelity, of transcribers, than anv other parts of the sacred volume: and of this the two Books of Samuel, the two Books of King*, sod the two Books of Chronicle*, gira the most deeided and unequivocal proofs. Of this, also, the raadsr bas already bad considerable evidence; and ha will find this greatly increased as be proceeds.
It seems to me that the Jewish copyists had not the same opinion of the divine itupiraiian of those books as tftey had of those of the ^ts end the prophet*; and liave, dMrefora, made no scruple to insert some of their own inditiovuy or the gloesea of their docUrs, in difTerent parts: for, as the whole must evidently appear to them as a oompUatim fnm their public record*, they thought it no barm to make different alteratum* end addtlion*, from popular *tat*m*nlo tit ths sams faet^ which 'Smj
4 And Jonathan stripped hhuwlf of the robe that w<u upon him, ana ^ve it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to liia Imw,
6 Tf And David went out whithersoever Baul sent him, atid < behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and idso in the sight of Saul's servants. ■
6 TT And it came to pass as they came, wfaeu David wag returned from the slaughter of the ''Philistine, that 'the women came out ofaU the cities of lerael, singiog and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with ' inr struments of music. ■
found in general circulation. lUs la notoriously die case in Joaepfyi*: this will account, and it does to me veir salisfactorily, for many of ths variou* reading* now fouisl in the Hetmw text of the Kstorjeof Booi*. They -wen held in less rc^renee, and they were e(^ed wiih leas care, sAd emended with less critical skill, than the Pentatetuh and the Propheia: and on ihem the hondsof careless, ignorant, and temerarious scribes, have too frequently been laid. To dtay this, only betrays a portion of the same ignorance which was the parent of those disorders; aad oliempts to blink the qjuestioo, though they may with some be on orgumratof 2001. yet, with ul the sincere and truljr enlightened friends of otvine revelation, they will fc« considered to be as dangerous as Ihey are absurd.
Where the rash or ignorant hand of man has fixed ablet on the divine records, let them who, in the providence at God, are qtialified for the task, wipe it off; and, while tbey have the thanks of all honest men, God will have the glory.
There have been monv who have affected to deny t&e existence of giant*. There is no doid>t that the accounts given of sevml, are either fabulous, or greatly eiaggerated. ut men of an extramrdinary size are not uncommon even in our own day: I knew two brothers, of the name of Knight, who were bom in the some township with my* selL who were seven feet *ix indie* high; and another, in the same place, Charte* Bum*, who vom eight fietoisi These men were well and proporlionably mue. I have known others of this height, whose limM were out <^ ^ proportion; their knee* bent in, and joints rickety.
Ireland, properly speaking, is the only nation on the earth that produces Giants: and let me (ell the poor, that this is the only nation in the world that may be said to live onmfoAMs; with little brvad, and lessJt«sA-mea£.
I have seen, and entertained in my house, the fiunous Polish dwarf, the Count Borm^eki, who was about thirty-*ix inehei high, every part of whose person was formed with the most perfect and delicate symmetrv. Tim prodigious height and bulk of Charlt* Sum*, and the astonishing dinunutiveness of Count BoruuilaMd, could iKit be properly estimated but by canparing both, together. Eacn was a perfect man i anid vet, in qiianium, how disproportionate I Mm is the only creature in whom the extremes of mimilenesB and msgititude are so apparent; and yet die propwtioa of the puts in each stridly comlaiive.
Terse 1. When k* had mode an end tif epeakingf] Thetejtvejlrel verte* are omitted by the Sepluagint. See the notes on the preceding chapter.
JonoAnn loved kim a* hi* own *oul.1 Tlw most intimate friendship subsisted between them; and they loved each other with pure hearts fervently. No love was lost between them: each was worthy of the other. Tbuy had a friendship which could not be afliMted with cbuges or chances; and which exemplified all that the aneienlB have said on the suttject: Tqv ^iXimr t««nrr« tumt, mi pisv ^ffvxifP, rev fiXsv irtpar a«rai»" Friendshiji produces an entire sameness) it is one soul in two bodies: a fiiendia another self."
Verae4. Jonathan *trippedhim*^f] Presents of cfott*^ or rich, robe*, as tokens of respeet mi friendshifk are frequent in the East. And how frecpiently arm* anddeftey were presented W warriors to each other, in token m friendship, may be seen in Homer, and other ancient writers.
Verse 6. When David va* rsfumetij Hiia verse eeaneets well with the Mth verse of the preceding ehspteri and carries on the narration widMmt any break or ntsnoptioa. Sea the notes there.
7 Amd the women ( answered one €mother as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thouvands, and David his ten thousands.
8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying ■ displeased * him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thouBaods, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and whai can he have more but ■ the kingdom?
9 And Saul eyed Diavid Horn that day and forward.
10 IT And it came to pass on the morrow, that " the evil spirit from GK>d came upon Saul, " and he prophesied in the midst of tne housej and David played with his hand, as at other times:
* and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.
it And Saul p cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall tnlh it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
12 And Saul was * afraid of David, because ■"the LoBD was with him, and was 'departed ttom Saul.
13 Therefiire Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and
14 And David ■ behaved hunself wiiely in all his ways; and * the Lord was with him.
15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he beared himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
16 But * all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
17 If And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, ■ her will I give thee to vife; only be thou ' valiant for me, and fight ■ (he irf>BD'8 battles. For Saul said, * Let oot mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be opon him.
18 And David said unto Saul, ■> Who am It and what tc my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should M 80D^4aw to the kingl
19 But it came to pass at the time when Me-
Hu uomm came otU] It ma the priocipal buniwM of ceruin women to oelebnUe tietonet, sing tt Jvner
AokuMm, signifies instrumeots with nm sfWn^.- ead i% I think, properly tmnsUied tbe Tulcate, otw witlria, vith aUtnumM. llite instnawot is veil cnown w being uwd among dn ancient Egyptisni: it iMde at hrmm, and had fft^ (sometimes more,) brsae rode seroast which, being looH in their holes, made a jinking noise when tbe instrument was lAiaken.
Terse 7. Saul hath stein his AoutmU} As it cannot literally be true thai Siud had slain ifaouaandi^ and David ten thousands, it would be well to tfanslaia the paange dHw: Sna hath MnitUn, or /aught ag^tut tluusaiuS; Dawld a^ain^ tm» ef moiuamdt. *^t1mu^ Saul has been vieiorious in all Aie battles; nt he has not had such great odtU af^nst him as David Baa had: Saul, indeed, £aa been rapoMd fry fAouMfids; David by («nlA«uMiMia." We may here remark, that the Philistines had drawn out their wnole foreea at M» time t and) when Otdiath was slain, they were total^diseonfitedbydtelsnwl^ledon ehieay by David.
Ba pmphutml in Acmidtt of Athoiuel Hewasftesidt Mnueif; madejmiysrw, rappMeofunu, and incoherent jinpreeatiotu: " uod preeenre my life," " Destroy my ene. aies|" or sueh lilce prayers mimt frequently escape from him in his agitated state. Tm Arabic intimates that he was actually poesessed by an evil spirit; and that, through it, he uttered a sort of demoniacal predictions.
But let us examine tbe original more closely; it is said ihet Saul nropheaied in tbe nudst of his house; that is, he prayad in t is family, wbileltevid was playing on the hsrp; and dten suddenly threw his javelin, iutending to have killed David. Let it be observed that the word n:sirm va- 'SM'mafrei is ihe tfaird peraoo singular of dw buure, kUkpad; UMsign of which is not only to do an action on or fi>r one's but nlao to feign or pretend to do it. Vat meaning •eens to be s Saul prttmatd to beprcyiiig in bis hnily. As betw to flOMBU hianHgderoui iiitanti«a% and reader
rab, Saul's daughter, should have been ffiven to David, that she was given unto •Adriel the * Meholathite to wife.
20 IT * And Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David: and they told Saul, and the Uiing ^ pleaa* ed him.
21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be ' a soare to him, and that ^ the band of the Philistines may be syrainet him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shah i this diqr be my son-in-law in the one o/the twain.
22 \ And Saul commanded his servants, «apinp. Commune with David secretly, aivl say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all lua servants love thee: now, therefore, be the kiog'e son-in-law.
23 And Saul's servants spake those w<Hds in the ears of David. And David said, Seemetfa it to 70U a tight thing to be a king's soa-in-law, seong that I am a poor man, and iiglttly
24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, ^ On this manner epcike David.
25 And Saul said. Thus shall ye sav to Daridf The king deureth not any > dowry, hot a htuH dred foreskins of the Philistines, tooe "avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul 'thought to make David fall by the hand of thePhilislines.
26 And when lus servants told David these words, k pleased David well to be the kiw's son-in-law; and <* the days were not ' e^u«C
27 Wherefore David arose and went, be and this men, and slew of the PhUuttines two hoodred men; and '' David broocht their foreskios^ and they gave them in full tde to the kins', that he mjgnt be the king's son-in-law. And Sai^ gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
28 IT And Saul saw and k^ew that tbe Loo was with David, and thai Michal, Saul's dan^ ter, loved him.
Dtawd unsuquciouB t who was, pnrfiabiT, at this timt,wtforming the xnusical part of me bmily worship. Tim view 01 the subject maices the whole case naoiral aiid plain.
Verse 11. Saul ctiat the Jattlih} Ihfijawttin, or mar, was tbees^lemof r^alaaibority: kings always had itsi bond; and, ia aneieat monument^ Acy are alwi^ iqn* sented with it.
lo aooieiit limes, says JutHn, kinga used aspesr iaaMl of a diadem: Per ea tempora rega hastaa pro diademali Aofrefron^.^Mib. xliii. And, as <pear* were the esnUoM of supreme power, hence diey were reputed as attribatce of the divim^ and were worshipped as lepccaentativsf of the gode. 4t> origtne rsrum, pn Dna ivtmoHaHhm 9tt*rea bastas eaaurwU^ eb o^um rttigionia nun#. Ham, odlfctic dleorum Wmuloeftm rabt< addm/mr. lUd.
Verse 13. Made him hie ce^jn] "Htis was under w teoce of doing him hmour; when it waa, in efiect^onfyts rid himself of the object of his envy.
Verse 16. wt afraid qf him\ He saw that, by Us prudent conduct, he was every day gaining increasing ifr nuence.
Verse 17. Fleid the Loan's batOeeA Mr. Oahnet properly remarks, that the wars of the Hebrews, vrtiBe eoB' ducted by the express orders of God were tnily &e wm» o/" the Z^ard: but, when the spirit of woi^yamfaitiaoaej domination became mingled with them, they were no kngv the wars of the Lord, but wars of luat ana pro&nity.
Verse 21. T^iat she may be a mare to JUm] 8^ bad already determined (he condition on vrtiicfa he would cii« his daughter to David: viz. (hat he sftouU abof ens Midred PkilielinM: this he suppoaed be woaliTuiidBrtafcS for the love of Hichal, and that be muat Beceasarily psriA in the attempt; and tkv* Michal wouU become a enorc Is
Verse 2B. Bui a hundred /oreekine] Thai ia, Tboa shalt slay one hundred MiiliaUnes j and thou i^i pradoes their foreekins, as a proof not only that tbou hast kilted one hundred men; but that these are of the tOTci'i Lissiriirf
Verse 27. Smo Iw htmdredtun] The Septuagintkss only one hundred men- Saul ooTMuntsd with Dsmd fcr tiktmMi tod David Massif aa3% 3 Saa. iO. M. An
M And Sool was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became Darid'B enemy continual]/.
30 Then the princes of the Philistince • went forth; and itcwue to paes, after th^ went forth, that David * behavea himBelf more wisely than all the Bervants <tf Saol; ao that hie name was moch " Mt bif.
2 But Jonathan, Saul's son, ^ delighted much in David; and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father " seeketfa to kill thee: now, therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyaelf:
3 And I will ffo out and stand beside my fether in the field where thou €trt, and I will commune with mv father of thee; and what I •ee, that I will tell thee.
4 % AodJonathan ■ spake good of David unto Saul hie fiither, and said xmto him, Let not the idag rein against his servant, against David: because he nath not sinned agauist thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very
5 For he did put his ■ hfe ui his hand, and ■ slew the Philistme, and ■> the Lord wrought a Ip-eat salvation for all Israel: thoii sawest it, and didst rejoice: 'wherefore then wilt thou * sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?
6 And Saul hearkenedtmtotheroiceof Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the Lobd livetti, he shaii not be slain.
7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan
heeapouBfid Blicha] tor a htndred i btam it is likely that one hundred is the true reading.
Terse 30. Then Uu princes qf the miitHnea went forth] Probably to avenge tbeasalrea on David and the IsRwIilesi but of this war we know no more than that David was more skUiiil and innuBwfiil in it than any of (be other officers of SauL His milituy skill waa greater, and his ■uceeas was i»opartioi»to to his dull and courage; hence it is said, he behaved hinii^ mne wisely ibao adl 'tile servants of Saul.
Verse 1. That they should kiU David.] Nothing less than the especial inierpositioD of God could have saved David's life, when every officer about ±e king's person, and every soldier, had got posidve orders to despatch him.
Verse 2. Take heed Jo Ihyaeff until the morning} Perhape the order was given to slay him the next day; and ihereGare Jonathan charges him to be particularly on his guard at that tini^ and to hide himself.
Verse 4. Jonathan tpake good of David] It is evident that Jonathan was satisfied that David was an innocent man; and that his fiuher was most w^utity incensed afninst him.
Verse 5. For he did put hie life in hie hand] TTie pleadings in this verse, though short, are ezce«£ng^y GQeenti and the argument is such as could not be resisted.