Exposition of the Whole Bible

the manner of the king that frall reign over them; or the right or judgment *; not a legal right or form of government, but an affumed, arbitrary and defpotic power, fueh as the kings of the eaft exercifed over their fubjeéts, a king like whom the Jfraelites defired to have; namely, what unbounded liberties he would take with them, what flaves he would make’ of them, and what of their property he would take to himfelf at pleafure, as is afier related. The word fignifies, not a divine law, according to which the king fhould govern, but a cuftom, or a cuftom he would introduce, as the word is rendered, ch. ii. 13. and is different from that in ch. x. 25.

¥. 10. And Samuel told ail the words of the Lord unto them, &c.) How he confidered this requett of theirs as a rejection of him as their king, and that it was acting the fame ungrateful part they had always done; and fince they were fo importunate to have it granted, it fhould be done; bur that he was ordered to lay betore them all the. inconveniences that would attend it, and the evils that would follow upon it unto them: that afked of bim a king; which is obferved, not to diftinguifh a part of them from the reft; for this was a united requeit of the people.

¥. 11. And he faid, this will be the manner of the king that fhall reign over you, 8&c.] Not in which he ought to proceed, but what he will do; and this not the manner of one king, or of the firft only, but of all of them, more or lefs; of kings in general, who are commonly inclined to arbitrary power. So 4riffotle.*, in oppofition to theocracy, defcribes a full and abfolute kingdom, as he calls it, when a king does all things according to his will; and obferves, that he that would have the mind or reafon prefide,, would have God and the laws rule; buthe that would have a man to reign, adds alfo a luft, or one led by his own luft: fo it follows, be will take your fons, and appoint them for himfelf; for his own ufe and fervice, to wait upon him, to be his pages, or grooms, or guards: for bis chariots; to take care of them, and drive them, though not without paying them for it; yet this being but a mean and {ervile employment, and what they fhould be obliged to, whether. they would or no, is obferved to fhew the tyranny and bondage to which they would be fubject, when their fons otherwife might be free men, and poffeffed of eftates and carriages of their own: and to be his horfemen, or rather for bis borfes, to take. care of them, and go out along with him, and attend ‘his perfon, whether when going to war, or on pleafure: and fome fhall run before his chariots; be his running-footmen, being fwift of foot, and trained up for that fervice’; fome are naturally fwift, as d/abel was. Pliny » {peaks of fome fwifter than horfes; and. of the fwiftnefs of fome he elfewhere gives * many furprizing inftances. It feems as if it was ufual to have 50 fuch men to run before them, fee 2 Sam. xv: 1. 1 Kings i. 6. Pes

¥. 12. And be will appoint him captains over thoufands, and captains over fifties, 8c.) Which though pofts of honour, yet when they are not matter of choice, and efpecially being precarious, and depending on the arbitrary will of a prince, are

Ft not eligible, and lefs fo to perfons that chufe another fort of life: and will fet them to ear bis ground; to plow it; not the fame perfons made

Captains of thoufands and fifties, but others, whom he will employ in tilling and manuring his fields,, and oblige them to it: and to reap bis barveft 5 when it is ripe, and gather it in, and bring it home into his barns and garners: and to make bis infiruments of war; as {words, {pears, bows and arrows, moft commonly ufed in thofe times: and infiruments of chariots; which feem to defign chariots of war, and the iron fpikes and {eythes which were joined to them, to cut down the foot-foldiers, when driven among them in battle, which are commonly called chariots of iron; fee Fob. xvii. 16. Fudg. iv. 3%; ¥.13. And he will take your daughters to be conettionaries, 8cc.] Such as deal in {pices,’and mix them, and make them up in various forms very agreeable to the tafte, Men are commonly in our countries and times employed in fuch-arts, but it feems this was the bufinefs of women in thofe times and places. Somie verfions 4 render it wnguentarig, makers-or fellers of ointments, and fuch there were in fome nations *, fuch was Lydia in Fuvenal': and to be cooks; to drefs all forts of food, efpecially what were boiled, as the word fignifies: and to be bakers; to make and bake bread, which though with us is the work of men, yet in the eaftern countries was ufually done by women; fee the note on Lev. xxvi. 26.

¥. 14. And be will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-yards, &c.] Which includes the whole increafe of their land, their corny.

and wine, and oil; and it is thefe, the fruits of their fields, vineyards, and olive-yards, which are here meant; for otherwife kings might not, and, did not by their abfolute authority, take away thofe from their fubje@ts; othérwife 4bab would have. taken away Naboth’s vineyard at once, nor would Fezebel have needed to have taken fuch a method fhe did, to put bad into the poffeffion of it: even the bef of them, and give them to bis servants; for their fervice;.and which fome reftrain to times of war, when neceffity obliged to ufe fuch methods.; ¥.15. And he will take the tenth of your feed, &c.] When grown up and ripe, as their wheat and barley:. and -of your vineyards; the tenth of the grapes they fhould produce: ‘and to give to bis. officers, and to his fervants; for the fupport and maintenance of them; and to pay this, befides the tithes of the priefts and Levites, would make it very burdenfome to them; and this was no other than what kings of other mations ufually had, the like to whom they were defirous of having, and therefore. muft expect that they would infift upon the: privileges and revenues that others had. In Babylon, as Ariftotle * relates, there was an ancient law which required the tenth of whatever was imported for the publick revenue, which was revived in the times of Alexander by Autimenes the Rhodian. In Arabia Felix was an ifland abounding with frankincenfe and myrrhe, and various {pices, the tenth of the fruits of which the king always had, as Diodorus Siculus” reports, fee 1 Maccab. xi.-35.

“¥. 16. And he will take your man-fervants, and your maid-fervants, &c,} Into his own family, tor his own ufe and fervice, if he wants them, or likes them better than what he has: and your goodlieft and obftinacy, and fo fet upon having a king, that one they would have, let them fuffer what hardfhips, or be at what expences they might; at all events, ~ and againft all remonftrances, they were determined young men; that are tall and lutty, comely and beautiful, of a proper ftature and good afpect, and fuch in all countries ufed to be chofen for officers in courts, or attendants there; and {fo the Turks to this day pitch upon young men to attend on great.perfonages, who are of a comely form, have'admirable features, and are well-fhaped, fee the note on Dan. i. 4. and your affes, and put them to bis work, employ them in plowing his fields, drawing his carriages, or bearing his burdens; and fo any other cattle that would ferve the fame purpofes as oxen, camels, Ge.

As well as of their feed and vineyards; and not

to have one., oil ¥. 20. That we alfo may be like all the nations,

&c.] Even though they were flaves, like thems a king they would have, as they had, fuch was their ftupidity. It was their greateft honour and glory, as well as happinefs, not to be like other nations; as in their religion, laws and liberties, fo in their form of government; God being their king in fuch a peculiar fenfe, as he was not of others, but with this they could not be content:. and that our king may judge us; hear their caufes, adminifter juftice and judgment to them, protect their perfons and properties, and rule them according to the civil laws that were given them: and the tithe of their flocks only, but of their herds go out before us, and fight our batiles; which Samuel alfo, which are here included, as Kimchi obferves: and ye feall be bis fervants; made flaves of by him, even as the Canaanitifh fervants were, according to Abarbinel; though others interpret it more mildly of their being obliged to pay tribute and taxes, for the fupport of his government.

¥.18. And ye fhall cry out in that day becaufe of battle.

your king, &c.] Wis power and pride, his oppreffion and tyranny, his heavy exactions, and intolerable yoke, and yet not be able to free themfelves from them; all that they could de would be only to cry out under them as grievoufly diftreffed, and not knowing how to help themfelves; and which would be the more aggravated, becaufe they brought all this upon themfelves, as_it follows:

their prefent judge did not, and to which perhaps they may have fome refpect; but then he gained more for them by his prayers, than a king or general would by his military fkill or prowefs, fee ch. vii. 10. and it is very remarkable, and what is obferved by fome, that their firft king died in a What made them fo prefiing and importunate to havea king at this time, and not defer it to another, it is very probable was, that they underftood that Nabajh, king of the children of Ammon, was preparing to attack them, and therefore they were defirous to have a king alfo to go out before them, and meet him, and give hinmy battle, ch. xi. 12. "

y. 21. And Samuel heard all the words of the which ye foall have chofen you; for though the pecple, &c.] Patiently, and without interrup— choice of aking for them, at a proper time, God had. referved to himfelf, yet in after-times, as is here fuggefted, they would chufe for. themfelves, and did, fee Ho/. viii. 4. befides, to have a king in general was at firft their own choice, though the particular perfon was by the defignation of the Lord: and the Lord will not hear you in that day; will not regard them, have no compaffion on them, tion; attentively heard them, took notice of them,: laid them up in his memory; but gave no anfwer to them, but reported them to the Lord, as in the next claufe: and he rebearfed them in the ears of. the Lord; privately, in a free and familiar manner, with great exactnefs, as they were exprefied;

this he did, not before the people publickly, but’ in fecret prayer, feeking for direction what he fhould- fuffer them to remain under their oppreffions, and not deliver them out of them; becaufe they refarther do, or what anfwer he fhould return to jected him from being their king, and put them-

¥: 22. And the Lord faid to Samuel, &c.| By felves out of his protection, into the hands of another, and therefore it was juft to leave them to an audible voice, or by an impulfe upon his mind: hearken unto their voice, and make them a king;

fince they will have a king, let them have one, and

¥. 19. Neverthelefs, the people refufed to obey the voice of Samuel, &c.} The advice he gave not to think-of a king, but be content with the government under which they were; but to this they would not hearken, notwithftanding all the inconveniences that would attend fuch a change: and they faid nay, but we will have a king over us; they would not believe what Samuel faid concerning a king, even though they were the words of the Lord he delivered to them; and though they knew Samuel was a prophet, and fpoke by a fpirit of prophecy, and none of his words had ever fallen to the ground: but fuch was their ftubbornnefs let them know that they fhall have one: and Samuel faid unto the men of Ifrael, the elders of the people that addreffed him on this occafion, ¥. 4. zo ye every man unto his city; fignifying, they might return in peace, and be affured their requeft would be granted, and a king would be appointed in a fhort time, and which they might report to their fellow-citizens; and they might expect to hear from him quickly, as foon as he had inftruétions from the Lord, who fhould be their king, which, right he had referved to himfelf; and therefore in the mean while they might reft contented, that they would have one ina little time.

HIS chapter gives an account of Saw/, the|his perfon the Lord had appointed to be king of Jfrael; it relates his defcent, and defcribes his fon, ¥. 1,2. and how feeking his father’s affes, which were loft, he providentially came to the place ‘where Samuel dwelt, ¥.3—5. and being advifed|peop by his fervant, and approving of his advice, he moral character and behaviour. There might be as good, or better men than he, on fuch acper-jcounts, but for his outward appearance, his bodily fhape, and the dignity of his perfon: from bis /houlders and upwards he was higher than any of the e; this defcription of him is enlarged upon and explained, to fhew that he was juft {uch a per- concluded to go to him, and enquire the way he fhould go, ¥. 6—10. and being directed by fome young maidens, they found him prefently in the ftreet going to a feaft, ¥. 11—14. and Samuel having fome previous notice from the Lord of fuch a perfon’s coming to him that day, when he met him invited him to dine with him, and obliged him to ftay with him that day, ¥. 15—19. fatisfied him about his afles, and gave hima hint of the grandeur he was to be raifed to, to which Sau/ made a modetft reply, ¥.20, 21. and Samuel treated him at the feaft in a very refpectable manner, y. 22, 23, 24. and privately communed with him of things preparatory to what he was about to make known unto him, ¥. 25—27.

¥. 1. Now there was a man of Benjamin, &c.| fon the people was defirous of having king over them, fuch an one as the nations about them had; and it was ufual with the eaftern people, and fo with the Greeks and Romans, to chufe perfons to the higheft offices of magiftracy, that made a perfonable appearance fuperior to others, and is what they often take notice of, as a recommendation of them as princes. Herodotus } reports of the Erbibpians, that they judged the largeft of the people; and him who had ftrength according to his big-~ nefs, moft worthy to be king. And the fame writer obferves ™, that among the many thoufands of men of the army of Xerxes, there was not one, who for comelinefs and largenefs was fo worthy of the empire, as Xerxes himfelf; fo Ubfes, becaufe of his tallnefs, was the more acceptable to the people of Corfu"; fo Alexander’s captains, ’tis faid >,

Of the tribe of Benjamin, which had its name the youngeft fon of Jacob, and one of this tribe was the firft king of J/rael: whofe name was Kifh; whom the apoftle calls Czs, Aé#s xiii, 21. and Yofephus’, Cifes; his name, according to Hillerus *, fignifies enfnared, for, what reafon it was given him, is not certain: the fon of Adiel; in 1 Chron. viil. 33. and ix. 39. he is called Ner that begat Ki/h; and in this book, ch. xiv. 50, 51.

Kimchi thinks, Abiel had two fons, one of which was Ver; and that he had two fons, one that was called after his own name Ner, who was the father of Abner; and the other Ki/h, the father of Saul: the fon of Zeror, the fon of Bechorath, the fon of ' Aphiab, a Benjamite; of thefe perfons we no where elfe read: @ mighty man of power; not a man of riches, or of authority, neither a wealthy man, nor a magiftrate, for his family was mean and contemptible, ¥. 21. and ch, x. 27. but a man of from) might be thought to be kings for their beautiful form, tallnefs of body, and’ greatnefs of ftrength and wifdom. ulius Cafar is faid to be of high ftature; and fo Domitian’; Virgil 1 reprefents Turnus, as in body more excellent than others, and by the. entire head above them; and Auchifes, as walking ftatelier and higher than the reft; among the many encomiums Pliny * gives of Trajan, as to Ner and Kz) his outward form and appearance; this is one, proto) ceritas corporis, tallnefs of body, being higher than being! others; the Gentiles had a notion, that fuch men came nearer to the deities, and looked more like them; fo Diana is defcribed as taller than any of the beget)nymphs and goddeffes*. Solomon, according to fo/fephus", chofe fuch young men to ride horfes, or rather, as) and attend his perfon, when he himfelf rode, who were confpicuous for their height, and greatly above others, are reprefented as brethren, the fons of biel: reconcile this, it may be obferved, that Ner the elder brother, on the death of his father Adzel, had the care and bringing up of his younger brother Ki/b; and therefore when he is faid to him, the meaning is, not that he was the parent of him, but the bringer up of him;

y.3. And the affes of Kifb, Saul’s father, were /oft, &c.| Had got out of the ftables or fields, in which they were kept, and ftrayed from thence: and Kifb faid to Saul bis fon, take now one of the fervants with thee, and arife, go feek the affes; he chofe not to fend his fervants only, who might not bé fo careful and diligent in fearching for them, but his fon, and not him alone, but a fer- great {trength, an able-bodied man, and of great natural fortitude, and courage of mind.

y¥.2. And he bad a fon whofe name was Saul, &c.] Of this name was the great apoftle of the Gentilgs before his converfion, and was of the fame tribe alfo, but very different in ftature; he was a little man, this a large tall man, like his father a goodly alpect,a comely man, tall and well-fhaped, in the prime of his age, a very agreeable perfon, one among a thoufand: and there was not among the children of Ifrael a gocdlier perfon than he; meaning not for the endowments of his mind, or vant with him to wait upon him, and affift him. And it was quite agreeable to the fimplicity of thofe times, for perfons of equal or greater fub- {tance to be employed in fuch an affair; affes made a confiderable: part of the wealth and riches of men, were rode upon by perfons of quality, and were fed and taken care of by the fons of dukes and princes; fee Job i, 3. Fudg.v. 10. Gen. xXxvi. 24. The Jews” have a tradition, that this fervant was Doeg the Edomite. ¥. 4. And they paffed through mount Ephraim, &c.} The mountainous part of that tribe, which lay contiguous to the tribe of Benjamin, where it might

tribe of Benjamin, fo called from fome illuftrious but thoughg it poffible an i

4, oy. rid Saul foid vo bs f ebold, q;; I Ss. money. which it feems Sez? was not ch me fort | perfons that fet up for prophets fo di- diftance from it to the north, in the Tamuitic try; tho’ Bunting “fays, it was fituated in mount Ephraim, eight miles from Ferufalem tothe north- ‘welt: but they found them not; the affes, neither in mount Ephraim, nor in the jand of Shali/ba: then they paffed through the land of Shalim, which fome take to be the fame with Salim, where Fobn was baptizing, Jobs iii. 23. but Ferom fays, it was a village on. the borders of Elewtheropolis, to the welt, {even miles diftant-from it: and there coun-jtell whether fo eminent z nd honoura ’ a per! Samuel was did 3 it is “much he was nol known by him, who had been fo many } judge in I/rael: what foall we bring the man? i ing ufval when perfons addrefied great men t favour, to carry aprefent with them; or i n God, a prophet of the Lord, to enquire Lord by him concerning any th ing, fee Kings 3 a4 2, 3.2 Kings iv. 42. for the- bread is | pent in Our veffels; the food they brought withithem in their they were wot, the,afles could not be found there: ’ i - bags or fcrips for their journey, this wa afd be poffed through the land of the Benjamites, or rather of Femini, which was in Benjamin, fo haufted; not that he meant by it, that if they had any quantity, they might prefent it to the called from a famous man of that name; for it cannot be thought they fhould pafs through the of God, though yet fometimes “ hings wé € ‘. whole tribe of Benjamin in one day. And, aceord- done, as the inftances before’ referred’ to f that fince their ftock of bread was gone, W ing to Bunting *, trom. Gibeab, the native place ‘of Saul, through the mountain of Ephraim, and the ney they had, if they had any, matt be recruiting themfelves, and therefore could

Jand of Shalifba, to the borders of Shalim, were 16 miles; and from thence to Yemini, in the tribe none to {pare to give to the man: and there iS 20 a prefent to bring to the man of God, neit ir bread of Benjamin, 16 more: but they found them not; nti the afles. ¥. 5. And when they were come to the land of.

nor moriey, without’ which’ he feems to intiniate would be to no purpofe to‘go to him: what ba Zuph, &c.| In which was Ramathaim zopbin, the native place of Samuel, ch. i. 1. and;:fo the we? Saul knew he had none, he had fpent what” _ Targum here, ** the ‘land in which was the pro- he brought out with him for the journey, ‘and he — put this queftion to try what his fervant had; un lefs it can be fuppofed it was the cuflom now, as— phet:” Saul faid to the fervant that was with him,; come, and: let us return; home, defpairing of finding the afles after fo long a fearch in divers places:

49 a hw i shh Pree Fi ry afterwards among the Romans?; for férvants to. abies a) ie 1) igh hy pee pees carry the purfe, and as it was with ‘the Jews. left my faiber leave caring for the affes, and take thought for us; fearing, fome evil fhould have be-

Chrift’s time, ‘obw xii. 6. though this may hay fallen his fon and his fervant, in comparifon of refpe€t not to a price of divination, but to th com-_; whom, and efpecially his fon, the affes would be of no, account, and fo,give himfelf no coneern for mon cuftom in eaftern countries, and which con-— them, bat.be in great, care,and uneafinefs for his.

tinues to this day with the Turks, who reckon it uncivil to vifit any perfon, whether in authority, or an inferior perfon without a prefent 5 and even, the latter are feldom vifited without | prefenting a fon and fervant; wherefore Seu/ thought it moft advifeable to return. home as foon as poffible, left his father fhould be over-whelmed with grief and flower, or'an orange, and fome token of refpect to. the perfon vifited*. — 8 a y y. 8. And the fervent gnfwered Saul again, an

¥. 6. And.be foid unto him, &c.} That is,| Saul the fervant of Saul: behold now, there is 7# ibis city a man of God; a prophet of the Lord, as the Targum; fuch were. called men of God, becaufe not only partakers of the grace of Gog but, of extraordinary gifts, which qualified them for the office of prophets... The city near to which they now were was Kamab, the place where Samuel lived, and he is the man. of God here meant: and be is an honourable: man; of great efleem among men for his wifdom and, knowledge, integrity and faithfulnefs,.and particularly for his gift of prophecy,.being.a. true prophet. of the Lord; forthe argu, * and,he is a man that prophefies truth,” and that made him honourable, and gave him great credit: all, that he faith cometh furely. his prophecies concerning £4’s family, and other things, which were well known to have had their accomplifhment, and this had gained him. univerfal eftcem, fee ch. ili, 19. now let us go thither; being very near it, within fight of it, infomuch that the fervant could point at it, and fay ¢his city, as in the preceding part of the verfe: peradventure * De locis,\Heb. fol. 89.K.

* ‘Travels of the Patriarchs, &c, Pp. 126. propofed to returfi home, by telling him the re was an honourable man of God in the city” near 2 hand, that might poffibly be able to direettnatet RAR way they fhould go to find the affés; fo he aitwersy him again with refpeét to the prefent it was proper to carry with them, and what he had in his hands to make: debold,'I have bere at hand the fourth part ofa fhekel of fiver; a zuze of filver, as the Targum, four of which made a thekeh! about t fi pence half-penny of our" money, and much that will I give to the man of Ga ‘Le us cur way; that they fhould go to find the which he would give him very free y. th pofe: both Saul and his fervants o a mean opinion of prophets, and me to pafs, asyand efpecially of fo great’a man as Sam fhould be employed at any time in dire fons in fuch cafes, and take money ft and fo fmail a gratui though it feems as if, at f this kind was done by prophets ien of God which might be permitted to keep the people from going to diviners an | -_¥ Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p.129.; _ © A, Gell, Noét. Attic. 20. GBs 8 2

Chix.nk9o—13, I SAMU EF Tf, Arp ¥.9. (Before time in Ifrael, when a man went to enquire of God, &c.] To afk doctrine of him, as the Targum, to be taught by him, to have his mind and will in any affair of moment and importance, -which was ufually done by applying to fome man of God, eminent for grace and piety, and a {pirit of prophecy: thus be /pake, come, and let us go to the feer; aman ufed to fay to his friend, when he wanted fome inftrudtion or direction, let us go together to fuch an one, the feer, and. afk countel of him what is proper to be done in fuch an affair: for be that is now called a prophet, was before called a feer; for though thefe names are ufed promifcuoufly of the fame perfons, both before and after this time; yet now the more common appellation which obtained was that of a prophet; cuitom, and the ufe of language varied at different times, though the fame was meant by the one and the other; fuch men were called feers, becaufe of the vifion of prophecy, becaufe they faw or forefaw things tocome; and they were called prophets, becaufe they foretold what they faw, or delivered out their predictions by word of mouth. This verfe is put in a parenthefis, and is commonly fuppofed to be the words of the writer of this book: hence fome draw an argument again{t Szuel being the writer of it, as, Adarbinel does, who concludes from hence, that it was written by Feremiab, or fome other perfon long after Samuel, or that this verfe was added by Ezra; but as this book might be written by Samuel in the latter part of his life, he might with propriety obferve this, that in his younger time, and quite down to thel anointing of Sau/-king, both when there was no open vifion, and afterwards when there was fcarce any that had it but himfelf, he was ufed to be called the feer; but in his latter days, when there. were many that had the vifion of prophecy, and there were fchools fet up, it was more common to call them prophets; tho’ perhaps thefe are the words of Saul’s fervant, fpoken to encourage Sau/ to go to the man of God, and enquire of him, fince in former times, as he could remember, being perhaps an old fervant, or he had heard his parents fo fay, that fuch men ufed to be called feers, becaufé they faw what others did not, and declared and made others to fee what they did; and therefore there was a probability that this man of God, who was a feer, might fhew them the way they fhould go to-day he comes into the city® that is, he comes out of his own houfe into the city, and was then juft coming out; fo that if they made hafte, they micht meet him in the ftreet before he got to the place of facrifice and feafting’: for there is a /acrifice of the people to-day in the high place; whether it was'the new moon, or fome feftival they obferved, though the tabernacle was not there, is not certain; at which, befides the offerings required, free-will-offerings and peace- offerings were brought by the people, on part of which they feafted with their: friends; and very probably, as Samue{ was acquainted by the Lord, that he who was to be king of [/rael would be with him that day, he might add to the facrifices of the people, to make the entertainment the more grand and liberal; fince he had a principal concern in ordering the guefts, and dividing the portions, as well as. bleffing the food, which indeed he might take upon him, as being judge, prieft and prophet: this was an high place where this facrifice or feaft was; for Shiloh being deftroyed, and the tabernacle removed elfe- to find the affes. where, and that being in one place, and the ark y.10. Then faid Saul to bis fervant, well faid,\in another, and they not together, no «diftinétion &c.} Or good is thy word*, thou haft well fpoken;| of places was made, none being yet chofen, all it is a good propofal thou haft made, and thou art| were fit; and particularly high places, which were very generous to give all thou haft to the man;/always reckoned the moft proper for divine fervice and very promifing it is, that fince he is a feer he|and facrifice. — may inform us where the affes are, or which way | ¥.13. As foon as ye come into the city, ye fhall we muft take to find them. ‘Things look feafable' fraightway jind bim, &c.} By which it feems that enough: come, let us go-to the city, and to the) the houfe of Samuel was at that end of it, at which they man of God there, and hear what he will fay tol entered 5 and with which agrees what is obferved us, and what information he will give us: /o they in the preceding verfe, that be was defore them, went unto the city where the man of God was; to his houfe was in fight of them: defore be go up to Ramah, where Samuel dwelt. \tbe high place to eat; intimating they would, if _ wean, And as they went up the bill to. the city, they made hafte, come up to him before he got -&c.}. For the city was built upon an hill, from thither to fit down and eat with the people; for if whence it had the name of Ramab, which fignifies they did not, they would not be able to fee him, high and lifted up: they found young maidens going and fpeak with him for fome time, if on that day: for out to draw water; going out of the city, toafoun- rhe people will not eat until he come; partly out of tain which was at the bottom of the hill; and this affection and veneration for him, being their chief was the ufual bufinefS of maidens in thdfe cdiintries to fecch water for the fervice of the family; fee Gea, XXIV. 11, 153 16. and the notes there: R Akidne makes this obfervation, that whenever a man meets maidens coming out of a city before he goes into it, it is a token of profperity to him and inftances in the cafes of ddraham’s fervant, of Facob, and ot Mojes, and here of Saul; who was intormed of a kingdom, and anointed for it, fee Gen. xxiv. 14, 21. and xxix, 10, 11. Lwod, ii. 16. and faid unto them, is theyeer bere? meaning, is he in the city? or is he at home? or is he injthe country?) ¥.12. dnd they anfwered them, and. faid, be is, &c.] Thatis, he is in thecity, atc home, and to be {poken. with: dehold, be is before you; bis houfé is ftraight before you as you go along, you can’t mils of it. Some Yews/d. writers lay ‘, they gave a token to know it by, that.there was a-cloud af, the door, and when they faw that, they might know it was the feer’s houfe: hafle now, for he came taday to the city; from the fuburbs to it, or from his country-houfe, or from the other Ramah, for there were two of them, one over-againtt the other, fee ch. i, 1. for that he was juft now come off a circuit, is not fo probable, fince he was now old, and paft riding his circuits; and indeed the means ing may be no more than as it: may be rendered, magiftrate, as well as feer or prophet, and partly for the reafon following: decaufe be doth ble s the facrifice; afk a bleffing upon it, upon the meat of the peace-offerings before it was eaten; for as this was ufually done atevery common meal, then much more at fuch a folemn feftival as this. Farchi gives us the form of bleffing ufed on fuch an occafion, ‘* blefled art thou, O Lord our God, the king of the world, who hath fanctified us by his commandments, and hath commanded us to eat the facrifice:” and afterwards they eat that be bidden, for when a man offered his peace-offerings, he not only had his family with him, but invited his friends, and the poor, and the fatherlefs, the ‘ftrangers, and the Levites, to partake with him, fee Deut. xii. 18. and xiv. 29. and xvi. 14, the “number of the guefts at this time, fee in y. 22. Now therefore get ye up; afcend the hill as fait as ye can: for about this time ye foall find him; that is, by the time they could get up the hill into the city, they would find him coming out of his houfe to go to the facrifice: or as this day*; fo fure as the day is, fo fure fhall ye find him. ¥.14. And they went up into the city, &c.) Saul and his fervant went up the hill to the city of Ramab: and when they were come into the city, were within it, within the walls of it: debold, Samuel.

came out againft them; came out of a door of his houfe upon them, juft as they came up: or ¢o meet them‘; his way.to the high place lay where they were coming; unlefs it can be thought he went out purpofely.to meet them, having, as in the following verfe, an intimation, that about that time one from the tribe of Besjamin, who: fhould be king, would come to him, and fo made this his way, knowing that one coming from that tribe mutt come that way; but it feems moft likely that this was his readieft way: for to go up to the high place; or place of fitting down, or featting, as the Targum, and fo on y¥. 12., fee the note there.

¥.15. Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear, &c.] In a private manner, whifpering in his ear, telling him in a free, familiar, friendly way, as a fecret; @ day before Saul came; that he might prepare for the entertainment of him, and not be fur-: prized at his coming, as well as hereby be. affured he was the perfon: defigned to be king of J/rael, when he fhould come: /aying; as follows.

¥. 16. To-morrow about this tine I will fend thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, &c.]. Who without any thought or! defign of his own, bur merely directed by the providence of God,° fhould ¢ome to him, not expecting a kingdom; at moft only to hear of his father’s afies, and which way he fhould take to find them; miffing the finding of which would and did bring him thither: and thou foalt anoint him to be captain over my people Jjrael; the leader, ruler and governor of them; to which high office he. was to be appointed by pouring oil upon him, and was the firft king on whom this ceremony was performed, and from whence he was called the Lord’s anointed: that be may fave my people out of the bands of the Philiftines,; who fince Samuel was grown old, made incroachments upon them, built garrifons on their borders, and made, it)is very probable, incurfions upon them, and ravages and opprefiions of them: for J have looked upon my people; with,.an. eye. of. pity. and reafon of the oppreffions of the Pédilifines, and the war they were threatened’ with by the Ammonites 5» though déarbinel thinks «this refers to their i =) tunate cry, fupplication and requeit to have a king” let over them. 9 > Ty iD y.17. And when Samuel faw Saul, 8c.) Who could not but take’ notice of him for his height,” and which might give him a fulpicion he was: the® man the Lord had fpoken of to him; and the ra-’ ther, becaufe this was the exact time?in which he’ was to be fent to him, and therefore he fixed*his’ eyes upon him: and that he might be affured it

}was' he, and be left at no uncertainty about: ity tbe.

Lord Jaid unto bim; by a till fall voice, or by an impulle upon his mind: bebold, the man whom L fpake to thee of; yefterday,. this'is he: this fame: foall reign. over my people, be their king, as they have delired: or /hall reftrain* them, keep them) in due bounds, in the difcharge of their duty to God: and man;'and keep them from doing that which is evil, or walking in evil ways, whieh is the bufinefs of a good king; or who-thall reftrain them’ from having their own will, bat fhall*raie over them in an abfolute manner, according to his own arbitrary will and: pleafure. 1. BON ¥.18. Then Saul drew near to Samuel-in the gate, &c.] Either at the door of his own houfe, juitas he was coming out: of it, or within the gate of the city; as Sau/ entered that, Samuel came to it} in order to go through it to the high place, which it is probable was without the city; wherefore ie is very properly faid, that Samuel canie out to meet them, v.14. and faid, tell me, I pray thee, where the feer’s boufe is; one knows not which to wonder at moft, the fimplicity and humility of Sa muei to be in fo plain an habit, unattended by fer= vants, and yet going toa publick feltival, fo that he feemed to be no, other than a common! man to be enquired of, whereabout. his houfe was; or the ignorance of Saul, ‘who. had lived 4 long in the world, and fo near Samuel, and yét' had never feen, and knew not the: chief magiitrate-in the nation, famous both for-his:civil and religious charagtesy * ¥. 19. And Samuel anfwered Saul, and laid dam the feer, &c.} For heduppofed by enquiring for his houfe, that his buGnefs was with! him’? whereforei this he faid, not as boafting of his charactepand office, ‘or,in the pride! and vanity of his mind, ‘but merely. for information-fake: go up before me unto the high place, in{tead of returning home with him, he invited. him: to’ go*to the place f. feaftingy as the Largum, whither she was going t6®pardake? of the entertainment there; and her bids hit go®before him, either becaufe: he was)an old ‘man, and could not'go his pact, or-he had bufinefs to do by the way, or this was in honour to’ Saaijwhonithe knew was to be king of J/rael: for ye foall cat with me to-day, he and this fervant, at chepablic feats be infifted upon. his: dining, or it’ may’ betrather fupping with himy and to-morrow Twill Tet shee go; for it being in the’evenina wher this feat was, he could not depart thate night; but mutt ftay ell morning; and then» he-promifed’to ditmils im: and will tell thee all thateisvinithine heart’; anfwer all queftions he had» in shis° mind to'afleihim, for which: he came igto the city, and enquired houle, » The Fews! haveoa tradition,: chat ait was in. the heart of Sawdthatshe fhould be a kingy hav-— compaflion: decaufe their cry is come unto me; by * E51 invenietis eum tam certo quam certum eft ing in a vifion feen himfelf placed on the topofa hunc diem effe,’ Drufius; fo jarchis® °° Eee palm-tree, which was a fign of royalty, and Samuel told him.

‘y¥.20. And as for thine affes that were loft three days ago, &c.] Which, according to Kimchi, is to be underftood not of the time from whence they ‘were loft, but to be reckoned from the time that Saul had been “feeking of them; Jo the Targum, ‘sas to the bufinefs of the afles, which are loft to thee, and thou art come to feek them to-day. thefe three days:” though it is probable enough that the fame day they were loft, Sau/ fer’ out to feek them: ‘Now Samuel telling him of the afles that were loft, and of the time of their being loft, or of his feeking them, fo exactly, before ever he faid a word to him about them, muft at once convince him that he was a true prophet, and which miuft prepare him to give credit to all that he fhould hereafter fay to him: fet not thy mind on them, fer they are found, of the truth of which he could not doubt, after he had faid the above words; and which he {aid to make his mind eafy, that he might the more chearfully attend the featt, and be the more willing to ftay all night: and on whom is all the defire of Ifrael? which was to Have a king; in this they were unanimous, and who fo fit and proper as Sau/ it is intimated, whom Samuel knew God had chofen and appointed to be king over them? is it wot on thee, and on all thy father’s boufe? not that the J/raelites had their eye on Saul, and their defire after him to be their king, though he was fuch an one as’ they wifhed for; but that as this defire of theirs was granted, it would iffue and terminate in him and his family; he fhould be advanced to the throne, which would be attended with the promotion of his father’s houfe, as Abner particularly, who was his uncle’s fon, and was ‘gnade the general of the army.

y. 21. And Saul anfwered and faid, am not Ta Benjamite, &c.] Or the fon of Femini, the name of one of his’anceftors, fee ¥. 1. or rather, as the Targum, *a fon of the tribe of Benjamin: of the Jinalleft of the tribes of Ifrael? having been greatly reduced, even to the number of 600 men,’ by the fatal war between. that tribe and the reft, on account of the Levite’s concubine, and is called little Ben- hy his tefpeét to him, he placed his fervant, his mini« fter, alfo in the chief place with him; what was reckoned the highett and moft honourable places at table, fee the nore on Matt. xxiii. 6. The guefts were placed by the mafter of the feaft according to their rank; and the dignity of the perfon, asfar - chi obférves, was known by his manners and place of fitting + which were ‘about 30 perfoxs; more or lefs; Fofephus"fays 70, difagreeing with the text, the Ta:gum, Syriac and Arabic verfion, but agreeing with the Septuagint.

¥. 23. And Samuel faid unto the cook, &c.| That dreffed and prepared the food for the ‘entertainment of the guefts: bring the portion which I gave ‘hee, to drefs; for part of the provifions of the feaft was Samuel’s, and the other part the peoples that brought the peace-offerings: of which I faid unto thee, fet it by thee, don’t bring it in with the eft, but keep it in the cook-room till called v.24. And the cook took up the fooulder, and that which was upon it, &c.] Meaning either, as fome think, fomefauce that was poured on it, or garnifh about it; or the thigh, as the Targum, and lo Farchi, Kimchi, and others or rather the breatft, as a more ancient Few fince this joined to the fhoulder before feparated, and in facrifices went along with it; though moft think this was the left-fhoulder and breaft, becaufe the right-fhoulder and breaft of the peace-offerings were given to the prieft, to be eaten by him and his fons, Lev. ‘vii..4. but in t&ofe unfettled times, with refpect to facrifices, many things were difpenfed with; and Samuel, though a Levite, might officiate as a prieft, and fo the right-fhoulder and breaft belonged to him as fuch-; and this beft accounts for his having the difpofal of it; and upon this extraordinary occafion Saul, though not the fon of a prieft, might be admitted to eat of it, it being the choiceft part, and fit to be fet before one defigned to be king; and to fhew that he. was to live in friendthip with the priefts of the Lord, and to take care of and protect the minifterial function: and fet it defore Saul; by the direction of Samuel no doubt, as a token of honour and refpect unto him;. it bein jamin, Pf. \xviii. 27. and my family the leaft of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? the {malleft in number, had the leaft fhare of authority in the tribe, and of land and cattle, wealth and ‘fubftarice: wherefore then fpeakeft thou fo to me? Saul prefently ufual in other countries to commend the beft difhes, or beft pieces of flefh to the more excellent and worthy perfons at tabler; and this was, as Yo/ephus a'calls it, a royal portion: the arm or fhoulder, efpecially’the right-arm, being a fymbol of underftood Samuel’s meaning, that he fhould, be chofen king of J/rael, the affair of a king being at this time in every one’s mind and mouth; but could not believe that one of fo fmall a tribe, and which f{prung from the youngeft fon of Yacob, and of fo mean a family, would be raifed to fuch dignity, but that a perfon of great figure and character would be pitched upon; and therefore he took Samuel to be in joke, as ‘Fofephus™ fays, and not in earnett. "oS y.22. And Samuel took Saul, and bis fervant, wand brought them into the parlour, &c.). The dining-room of the houfe, which belonged to the high place: and made them fit in the chiefef? place among them that. were bidden 5 and who very probably were the» principal: perfons in the city 5 and ftrength, may denote that ftrength which was neceflary for him to bear the burden of government, to protect his people, and fight in defence of them; and the breaft being the feat of wifdom and prudence, of affection and love, may fignify how neceflary fuch qualities were for kingly government, to know how to go in and out betore the people, and be heartily concerned for their good: and Samuel faid, bebold, that which 1s left; not by the guefts, and’what they could not eat; for till Samuel came they did not begin to eat; and as for this part, it was but juft brought in, and was never fet before the guefts, but it was left by Samuel in

‘the hands of the cook, and referved for the ufe of

Saul: fet-it before thee, and eat; it was already fet before him, but he would have him keep it by yet Saul was placed at the head of ‘them by muel, to convince him that what he had faid‘to him was in earneft, and to do him«honour before all the people and for the fake ofshim, and to fhew Sa-jhim, and eat of it, and make his meal of it, it being the beft difh at the table: for unto this time hath it deen kept for thee; by which he gave him to underftand, that he knew of his coming got hand, and thetefore had made this provifion for him and which might ferve to perfuade him of the truth and certainty of what he had hinted to him: fince J faid 1 have invited the people; not the thirty perfons before-mentioned, for it does not appear that they were invited by Samuel, but rather by thofe who brought the peace-offerings, who had a tight to invite any of their friends they thought fit; but by the people are meant Saul and his fervant; for in the eaftern languages two or three perfons, and ‘even one, are called a people; and this Samuel had faid to his cook, when he bid him fet by the fhoulder, and what was on it, becaufe he had invited fome, for whom he had defigned it: fo Saul did eat with Samuel that day; they dined defire of all J/rael being upon him, and for the, - honour done him at the feaft, and becauie of the — converiation they had together afterwards: and i came to pajs about the Jpring of the day, or the— afcents of the morning x, when day was about tobreak, before the fun was up: that Samuel called Saul to the top of the boufe, where they had converfed together the evening before: /aying, up, shat L may fend thee away; meaning not rife up from his bed, for he was rifen;, but that he would prepare to‘fet out on his journey, that Samuel might | take his leave of him for the prefent, whem he had accompanied him fome part of his way, as he intended; and he was the more urgent upon him, becaufe there was fomething to be done before peo- together. ple were ftirring: and Saul arofe, and went out both

¥. 25. And when they came down from the hieh place into the city, &cc.| After the feaft was ended; and though Ramah itfelf was fituated on aneminence, yet it feems this high place was higher than that, being without the city upon an hill, andjto therefore they are {aid to come down from the one to the other; or they came down from the high place, and then afcended the hill to the city: Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the boufe of Samuel’s houfe; when they were come thither, Samuel took Saul up to the roof of his houfe, which was flat, as the roofs of houfes in this country were; fee Dewt. xxii. 8. on which they could walk to and fro and converfe together; hence you read _of preaching and praying on houfe-tops, Matt. x. 27. Adis x. g. what they communed about is not faid, but may be gueffed at, that it was about Saul’s being made king; of the certainty of it, by divine defignation; of the manner of executing that office wifely and juftly; about the objections Saul had made of the fmallnefs of his tribe and family; and of Samuel’s willingnefs to refign the government to him, with other-things of the like of them, be and Samuel, abroad; out of Samuel's houfe, without doors, into the ftreet. ¥ y.27. And as they were going down to the end of the city, 8c.] ‘That end of it that led the way the place where Seu/ was going. As this city was built on an hill, going to the end of it was a declivity, a defcent: Samuel faid to Saul, bid the /ervant pa/s on before us; being another man’s fervant, he did not chufe of himfelf to bid him go on, but defired his mafter to order him to go before them, that he might not hear what Samuel had to fay to Saul, or fee what he did unto him; for as the choice of Saal to be king was to be declared by lot, as coming from the Lord, ail thofe precautions were taken of rifing early, and going abroad, and fending the fervant before them, that it might not be thought thar Samuel did this of himfelf: and be paffed on x his mafter bidding him: but frand thou flill a while, that he might hear the better, and more attentively than in walking; fuch a pofture was moft fitting alfo for what was to be, - done, anointing him with oil: shat I may fhew thee she word of God; tell him more of the mindof God ° kind. concerning his being king, and declare more fully

¥. 26. And they arofe early, &c.) Neither of them being able to fleep, as Abarbinel fappofes; not Samuel for thinking what he was to: do the next morning, anoint Sau/ king over J/rael; nor the word, will and decree of God about that matter, by an action which would put it out of all doubt, that he was the man God defigned to be. king, as in the following chapter.

Saul for what Samuel had hinted to him about the

N this chapter we read of Sau/’s being anointed king by Samuel, y. 1. and of certain figns given as confirming the fame, which fhould come to pafs, and did, before Saz/ got to his father’s houfe, y. 2—13. of his arrival at his father’s houfe, and of what. paffed between him and his uncle there, y. 14-16. of Samuel’s calling all [/rael together at Mizpeb, and of the election of Sau] by lot to be king, and of his being declared fuch, ¥. 17—25. and of his return to his city, being refpected by fome, and defpifed by others, ¥. 26, 27. [this was not an horn but a vial, which held a fmiall quantity, and was brittle; and they obferve, that, Sau/ and ebu who were. anointed with a vial, their reigns were fhort, whereas David and Solomon who were anointed with a horn, their reigns were long 5 and as oil is a fymbol of the gifts and graces of the Spirit, it may denote a fmaller méafure conferred on Saul than on David and Solomon: and Aiffed him congratulating him on the dignity he was raifed to, and-in reverence and refpeét to himy becaufe of the high office he was atrived to; and as a token of fubjection and homage, and to tefs

¥. 1. Then Samuel took a vial of oil, &c.] Out of his pocket very probably, which he brought along with him on purpofe for the ufé he made of it: this, as the ews” fay, was not the anointing oil that was in the tabernacle, which was at anothet and diftant place, and with which only the kings of the houfe of David were anointed; but common oil, or, as they fay, oil of balfam,; and tify his well-pleafednefs in his being king, and that he readily, willingly, and with pleafure réfigned the government to him: and faid, is it not becaufe the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over bis imberitance? the people of I/rael fo called, Deur, xxxii. 9, and which is obferved here to fhew, that though Sau/ was anointed king over them, they were the Lord’s poffeffion ftill, and he was accounts

Ch.x.v2—4¢ LSAMUEL ap able to him for his government and ufage of them, over whom he was to be a captain, leader and commander, to go before them, and fight their battles for them, of which his being anointed with oil was a token; and therefore it is faid, 2s 7¢ mot, or doft thou not fee by this? or knoweft thou not, as R. I/aiah fupplies it, that this is of the for it was the Lord that anointed him, or Samuel by his orders; and fuch queftions as thefe, as Kimchi obferyes, are for the greater confirmation of what is fpoken; and if Sau/ had any doubt| upon his mind, as perhaps he might, becaufe of his meannefs, and the high honour defigned hereby, not only this queftion is put, but three following figns are given him, whereby he might be affured fcribed, the words related exprefsly they fhould fay to him when he met them, and thefe exactly coming to pafs, would moft clearly prove Samuel to be a true prophet, and confirm Sau/ in the belief of what he had faid and done to him concerning the kingdom. Another fign follows. Lord?) 4.3. Then fhalt thou go on forward from thence, &c.]_ From Zelzab and Rachel’s fepulchre there: and thou fhalt come to the plain of Tabor; not that which lay at the bottom of the famous and well-: known mountain Yador; for that was in the tribe of Zebulun, at a great diftance from hence; but a plain, fo called perhaps from the name of the owner of it: and there fall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel; the fame with Luz, where of the truth of it. Facod built an altar, and called upon God; and y¥. 2. When thou art departed from me to-day, \ &c.] Not as foon as he was departed, for he had fome few miles to go from Ramab to Rachel’s grave near Bethlehem: thou fhalt find two men by| Rachel's fepulchre, in the border of Benjamin, at Zelzah, the Fews move a difficulty here, that Rachel’s fepulchre fhould be faid to be in the border of Benjamin, when it was by Bethlebem-ephrath, the tribe of Fudab, Gen. xxxv..19. Mic. v. 2. and which they folve by obferving, that thefe men were now, at the time Samuel was {peaking, by the grave of Rachel, but as they were coming on he would meet them at Ze/zah, in the border of Benjamin~; but there is no need of this, Rachel’s grave was not at Bethlehem, but in the way to it; and befides, as thefe two tribes were contiguous, and this city being on the borders of both, it might be faid at one time to be in the border of Benjamin, and at another in the border of Judah, or in Fudah, without any contradiction. Of, Zelzab we no where elfe read, but it is plain it was near the fepulchre of Rachel, and perhaps nearer than Bethlebem...The Arabic geographer * {peaks of Rachel’s grave, as in the mid-way between Feru/alem and Bethlebem, and fays, there were 12 {tones upon it, anda ftonearched vault over it; and the fame is afirmed by Benjamin of Tudela®, who makes it to be but half a.mile from Bethlehem. ‘Farchi would have Zelzab to be the fame with Feru/alem, which is not probable: and they will fay unto thee, the affes which thou wenteft to Jeek are found; as Samuel had before told Saul they were, ch. ix. 20. and lo, thy father bath left the care of the affes; or had left all thoughts about them, and concern for them, not minding whether he heard of them or no, and this before they were found; or otherwife it would have been no ftrange thing to drop all thoughts about them, when they were found: and forroweth for you; for Saul, and his fervant; fuch was the anxiety and diftrefs of his mind left any evil fhould befal them, having been gone fo long in queft of the affes, that he had as it-were forgot them, and loft all care and concern about them, in comparifon of his fon and fervant; but efpecially his. forrow rofe high for his fon, as follows: /aying, what fhall 1 do for my fon? though he was concerned for his fervant, yet moft for his fon;

o Elobim-Beth-el here, is the fame with E/-Betb-el, Gez. xxxv. 6, 7. Here was an high place as at Ramab, whither in thofe times, when there was no fixed place for worfhip, the tabernacle at one place, and the ark at another, the people went up to worfhip; and they might the rather chufe this, becaufe it was a place devoted to the worfhip and fervice injof God by their father Facob; fo the Targum paraphrafes it, ‘* going up to worfhip God in Bethel;”!o0 Fo/ephus *, they were going thither to pray, and as it feems by what follows, to facrifice: one carrying three kids; which were ufed in facrifice, and were a pretty heavy load if carried far; though, according to Fo/epbus*, it was but one kid: and another carrying three loaves of bread, for the minchah, the meat-offering, or rather bread-offering, Zev. ii. 4. and another carrying a bottle of wine 5 for the drink-offering, the fourth part of an hin of wine being required for each kid, Numb. xv. 5, 11. This bottle, Ben Melech fays, was a bottle made of fkin, a leathern bottle or bag, or a potter’s veflel or pitcher; the Targum renders it, a flagon of wine.

y.4. And they will falute thee, &c.] _ Not as king, of which they knew nothing, but in a common way; and though a ftranger and unknown to them, yet finding their hearts difpofed and affected towards. him, would enquire of his welfare, and wifh him all happinefs, peace and profperity: and give thee two loaves of bread, which was pretty. much that they fhould give him two out of three, and leave but one for themfelves, and efpecially if ° they were going to facrifice,; but perhaps they knew they could buy more bread at Bethel, and fo were difpofed to give two of their loaves to Sau/, one for himfelf, and another for his fervant; tho’ Kimchi thinks, that thefe are not the fame before called loaves; and indeed the word Joaves is not in the text, but cakes of bread, which were lefler than loaves, and which'they carried for their own ufe, befides three loaves of bread: which thou /balt receive of their hands being fent out by Sazuel early that morning without eating any food, ° and having travelled fome miles, might become weary and faint, and which the three men might difcern, and fo had compaffion on them, and rehe might havejlieved them; and Sau/ was not to refufe the offer of them, but take them at their hands, though he was anointed to be king and this was to teach him humility, and to be kind to the poor and needy, and relieve them when he was in more elecertain place de- vated circumflances. All thefe aétions alfo were another fervant, and not another fon, and Sau/ feems to be his only one, which made his grief for him the greater, fee 1 Chron. viii. 33. and ix. 39. Now as thefe were contingent events here foretold, as meeting with two men at a.

man; for the Spirit of God would not only operate on him in that way, as to fit him for compofin; and finging pfalms and hymns, but-inipire hi with wifdom, and prudence, and greatnels of mind, © and with every qualification neceffary for a king} fo that he would appear quite another man’ than he was before, in his ‘outward behaviour, as well as in the endowments of his mind; and from a ruftic, an ‘hufbandman, ‘a’ farmer’s: fon, would appear with the’ air’of a prince, and in the ‘majefty of aking; and, as Procopius Gazeus, have’a royal’ mind or heart given him. + ie Yo! And let it be when thefe fiens are come unto. thee, &c.] © And are all) fulfilled, efpecially the’ - laft: that thou do as occafion fall serve thee; as his circumftances would require, and ‘as he in his’ great wifdom and prudence, with which he fhould now be furnifhed,| would fee neceflary to prepare for his \taking upon him ‘the kingdom he was anointed to) and would’be in a little time openly choien to, and invefted with. Some underftand this of royal ornaments befitting a king, or of preparing larms for the defénce of tae kingdom: for’ God is with thee, or the Word of the Lord is help, as the Targum,. and’ therefore he need not fear’ engaging in any enterprize that might be for the’ glory of God, and good of the kingdom. ©) 7" ¥. 8. And thou fhalt go down before me to Gilgal,’ &c.] Notimmediately; for the firft fummons of the’ people, and of ‘Sa#/, and the firft meeting of them’ by Samuel were at Mizpeb, where Saul was chofen’ by lot; nor the firft time’ of Sal's being at Gil’ gal, when the kingdom was renewed’; ‘for Sau} had no:need'to wait feven'days there, finée he and? Samuel went together, ch, xi. 14.) rather at the? fecond’ time’ of ‘his being there, where not flaying”

contingents, and, when they. ‘came to» pafs, as they did, mutt be {till more confirming than the former

127A. awcrt vi » Steet bluow *, 02 xn: ren 5. After that thou fhalt come tothe bill of God, &c.].The.Largum isthe hill. in which was the ark of the Lord, and that was in the houfe of 4éinadab,, on.a hill. in, the city of Kirjath-jearim, ‘ch. vii. 1, and, fo the\fewif commentators generally interpret this, hilh of God of Kinjath-jearim,, but rather it. was Geba, a city of Benjamin, partly becaufe by this. time! he muft, have got out of the tribe of. Fudab into the tribe of Benjamin, and even almoft,to,the end) of his journey, apd among thofe, that were his relations, \y\11; 14) and partly, bes caufe it is. certain there was a garrifon\of) the PAiliftines iat. Geba, ch. xiii.|.g. as there: was at this place, as\follows:,cwherg is the garrifon of the Philiftines 5 which they were allowed by thevterms‘of peace.made) between, J/reel and them; er which’ through, their growing, power over them in the latter days of, Samuel they placed’ there, and which yet they kept, without giving»the people any moleftation in their worfhip and fervice: and it: ball come. to, pals when thou.,art,.come thither, to the city; tothe city, Geba, or nearits set thew foalt meet. a company.of prophets;, of Scribes, asthe Tar+ gum, which.were, \as, Kimchi. obferves;) difciples 5 for the difciples of the,wifemen were called Scribes; and thefe were the. difciplesof-prophets, the fame with the fons, of the. prophets);\:and the prophets that wereat this\ time, \as he fays, from £4 to. David, were Elkanah, Samuel, Gad;\ Nathan, Afeph, Heman.and Feduthun; here, was a f{chool, or college of young prophets,,, where they: were trained) up under the’care! and. tuition; of one, or -other of the above prophets, in the knowledge of the 'word ‘of God, in pfalmody,, and,éther) religious exercifes; for though,.the,wordvof,the Lord was) fearcer and precious in the beginning of Samuel's time, yet throughrhisindnftry,, influence and encouragement divine knowledge. was; gueatly: promoted, and many were, trained up and. qualified,'to inftruét the peoples; whoj, thoughithey;had snot: thei'gift of foretelling future events, or of the vifion of prophecy, yet had,gifts\qualifying, for the edification of the peoples and outof thefe fchools.and colleges God fometimes, raided wp -prophets | in theyhighelt fenfe, who, foretold |things, to| come,;and) to:whom. the Lord, appeared in \dreams and vifions.., And this company Saul, would |\meetncoming, down fromthe high. plage,s,where,they dad »been to. \worfhip; ‘to facrifice, orto) pray, for here; was an high place for fuch fervice,) as well,as,at Ramah: with a pfaltery, ond..a tabret,\and a pipes and.aiharp before them; which were feveral inftruments of mufic uledin finging, praifes; to\God, in, thofe times } sandethey shall propbesrs oF praife,| as, the, Largum\; fing praifes was two years after this, ch. xiii. 1, 8,13. though” it:may. be this was a general rule to’ be ob‘erved* by Saul, that whenever any thing turned up of? importance to the ‘children ‘of J/rae), “and*was a’ difficulty with him, he*fhould'go to'Gilgal, and theie® wait feven days tor Samuel, trom the time he gave* him notice of it; who-would come at ‘the appoint-" éd timey and would’ give him whart/ad¥ice “and jh’? ftruétions were neceflary’; ‘and this place"was “the? rather appointed, becauteit was the place® where * the Vraelites. firft pitched their camp when: they’ came: over ‘¥ordan,:and-where the ‘tabernacle firft® was; and where prayer and facrifices were wont to ’ be made and where the’ kingdom of Saaz? was ‘re-" newed }'and’ which’ lay ‘convenient for all the tribes, both on the one and the other fide of Fordad? and’ bebold, Twill come down'to thee 'to offer burnt-offer-* ings; and tovfacrifice: facrifices of peace-offerings; 10™.

he'did when the kingdom'‘was renewed, and Sau/* was confirmed in it;'ch.'xi. 15. but two years after,! Sul nov ftaying the full time, he offered them him- ’ {elf by another, for which he was -reproved, ‘ch. i xiii, g—~13! feven days foalt thou tarry, till T come vv | to thee, either from the time of the notice he fhould * ¥. 6. And: the fpirit of the Lord will | come, upon thee,. Sic. }.45 As \a, {pirit of, prophecy, f the: Targum whereby +he would 'be;enabled at-once to compofe pfalms,and: hymns of spraife, and) fing them in}a proper manner,| though he had not been: trained up in,this;exercifg jn the {chool, of the prophets; which made.it.more-wonderful to.thofe that! knew him,;, and thou fhalt prophefy with them; or praife with them, as the fame Zargum; join with them in d tur) finging.praifes, and perfortm: this. fetvite.imian orderly manner, as if he-had* been inftruéted in it, and ufed to it: and Logit be turned into another back'to'go\from Samuel) 8c.) Wher‘he had ' his leave of him, and‘fet forward on his journ God gave him another heart; notin a moral of his artival there; for it can by no means be uns" derftood as from the.time of his’ prefent departure” from him, ‘forthe reafons before given: and fhe’ thee what thou foalt do sin the then prefent df gency-or difficulty on his hands, and this’he faid * government laid upon him. ne ¥. 9. And it was fo, that when be had turned bis give to Samuel of his going thither, or from the time.

to encourage him under the weight ahd burden of —— ritual fenfe, not a new heart, and new a fpirit, as in converfion, but in a civil fenfe, aright,heart, a heart fit for governments, filled with wifdom and prudence to rule a people; with courage and mag: nanimity to proteét and defend them againft their enemies, and. fight for them;\a heart not taken up with the affairs of hufbandry, with care for his father’s.afles, and looking aftershis herds, but filled with. concern. for, the, civil welfare of J/rae with fchemes and contrivances for their geod, and with warm refolutions to deliver them out! of the hands of their enemies\: and all thefe. figns came to pas that days the two firft which are notiparticularly mentioned as fulfilled, being mora private, as finding two men ac Kachel’s tepulchre, and. meeting withi three, others, going, to |Betbel,, which:came to pals juft, as. they were defcribed); and the third, which was more public, and gave Sau/ more.reverence and refpect among the people, is next partiwas the cafe of Anos: therefore it became a pros verb, is Saul-aljo among the prophets? that when a perfon of a mean parentage, and of a low life and jeducation, Was’ raifed up to any degree of dignit in facredyand civil things, they ufed to apply this proverbial expreffion to him, or fpeak of him in this manners)7s Saud among the prophets? \ ¥.13. dnd when be had made an end of prophefy~, and |img, &c.] For, as Procopius Gazaeus oblerves, he had’ not the’ gift of prophecy always; it did not continue with him; but like that’ of the feventy elders in the times of Moj/es, it was defigned to make him refpeétable among the people, and to be taken notice of as a perfon that God had honoured with 4 peculiar gift, that fo when he fhould be chofen king, they would the! more readily receive him $ e came to the high place, to return thanks to God for the gift beftowed on him, and for that high honour and dignity he was raifed unto, of which cularly obferved. he had private knowledge; and to’ pray to God y¥..10. When, they came thither tothe bill, &c.] Or to. Gibeab, as the Largum, and fo Fofephus*: Lebold, a.company of prophets met hims as foretold,

¥. 5..and the [pirit of the Lordicame upon him, and he prophefied among them); the {pirit.of prophecy, as the Targum, and he. fung praifes:among them 5 he joined with, them in their pfalmody, and performed it as regularly as if he had. been’ brought'up with them, The ews. fay‘, he prophefied of the world to come, of, Gog and Magog; and of the rewards of the righteous, and. of the punifhment of the wicked), © byte’ lund, 1 ner, whom -he loved ia D1. And it. came, to pals, that whenvall:that knew. bim, before -time, 8c.) As there muft:bemany that. perfonally knew. him, and were acquainted with him, | fince Gibeab, the place he was. near: to, was his native place:, faw;, that bebold, bexprophefied among, the prophets;,or praifed among'them,‘as the Zargam, fung pfalms and, hymns with them: what is this that. is come unto the fon of Kifo?’a ruftic, a plebeian, that never was in the {chool of the prophets, or Jearned. mufic, and yet is as‘dextrous jat.it as any of them: is Sau/ al/o among. the prophets 2 an hufbandman,an herdfman'that looked to:fit-him’ more and’more for government, and to affift him in it, and help him to difcharge his office in a wile and faithful manner.

y.14. And Saul’s uncle fatd unto him, and to bis /ervant, whither went yé? &ec.] Since they had been abfent-fo long a time.* ‘This was. his‘ father’s brother, as the Targum, and fo Agud/a; whofe name. was Ner, the father of Abner, ch. xiv. 50, 51. who met with him at-the high place, or found him in the city, in his father’s houfeitmay be. Fo/ephus * fays, Sea/ went into the’ houfé of’ his kinfman _4- above all his relations, and that it wasche that difcourfed with Saul, and afke him the queftions before and after related: and be /aid, to feek the affes; he firft obferves the end of rheir going,’ the bufinefs they went upon, in which \ not fucceeding, then he anfwers more directly ta’ the queftion: and when we faw that they were no where; could not fee them, nor find them any’ where, or hear of them where they. went; we came to Samuel,.at Ramab, to enquire of him, if he could direct us which way to go, and what methods to take, to find the affes.

he had ‘been’ with Samuel, and perceiving fo great among the prophets of the Lord; bearing his part with «thera, and. performing it as well: as: any ‘of them: this, was matter of wonder to thofe: who Isnew his perfon, family, and,,education;:andfo:it was equally, matter of admiration that Saul the fecutor,,one,of the fame tribe, fhould:beamonp an alteration'in Saa/, perhaps he began to fufpect fomething’ about the kingdom; it being what every~ one was talking of, and fufpecting every day to hear from Samuel who fhould be‘king, according per-| to the. Lord’s appointment: tel? me, I pray thee, what Samuel faid unto you; the earneftnefs with’

‘uc|whichhe put this queftion feems to confirm the’ y¥.12, dnd one of the fame place anfwered, and feid, above conjecture.

: yii06. And Saul faid unto his uncle, &c.] In pany, that,exprefled, theizyadmiration at, what. was’ arifwer-to his queftion: be told us plainly the affes come to, Sau/,,and,atywhat;he did, and wondering were found; or in telling told us*;'not only plainly how he cameyinto fuch company, and to have fuch:

ereateft’ certainty that the affes. were found, and is) their father?. the father, of.

fathers were, not prophets,-no nore than Saul’swass' the prophets;ctheir) we need® not’ give ‘ourfelves farther trouble about them: bat of the matter of the kingdom, whereof

Samuel [pake, he told bim uot;' he faid not one word owas, able, to,teach, Sau/, and beftow on him the gift about.that;' which is commonly afcribed to his moof prophecy; as well as dn,them;\:and fo the:Zar- defty s°orhe might concéal it, as Fo/ephus * ob- Lui, 2bo,is their mafter &, or teacher; they | might, have an, under-mafter or teachery/ for though ferves, beeaufe hé thought it would not be believed as:

by hig rélationsy or might’réate in them envy to Samuel, or, another prophet, cyet their:chiefiteacher:

him’; ‘and’ befides;-he knew it was the pleafure of was God,;;who could and.did:givé:men the gift of prophecy, and even-in, the higheft fenfe, who had Samuel that it fhould’ be ‘kept a fecret until. the! eleétion by lot was over, left it fhould be thought neither prophets for their)fathers,:nor: were indeed.

to proceed from! Samuel himfelf; and Sau? chofe: it trained yp in. any.of the/{chgols of the prophets,which ger oy Yo #9199. ji ls si] DNS MOWkIU U9 AH! -o 1 fhould-remain fo; that it might not be thought to’ OStOms d oJ yy aes be of his own feeking; and by keeping it from his relations and friends, it would be a clear cafe, that he did not make intereft for it.

y. 17. And Samuel called the people together unto the Lord at Mizpeb.] Not that in Gilead, but in the tribe of Benjamin, where the people had been before convened on a certain occafion, ch. vil. 5- and the people called together could not be every individual of the nation, but the heads and elders of the people, their reprefentatives, and who were fummoned by the orders of Samue/, perhaps by an to come.near, 8cc.] The heads and reprefentatives of them, to the place where the lots were caft: the tribe of Benjamin was taken; the lot fell upon. that tribe for the choice of a king out of it; not the tribe of Reuben, who was the firft-born, nor the tribe of Fudab, to whom the kingdom was promifed, but the tribe of Benjamin, the leaft. of all the tribes, and which fprung from the youngeft fon of Facob, contrary, as it were probable, to the expectation of all. |

¥. 21. Adnd-when he bad caufed the tribe of Ben- herald making proclamation and cry of the fame, jamin to come near by their families, 8c.) By the as the word fignifies; and thefe were gathered together to the Lord, to, have the following affair tranfasted before him, and under his guidance and dire@tion; the prieft perhaps being here with the Urim and Thummim, as Kimchi thinks, and who alfo conjeétures, that the ark might be brought hither at this time, the fymbol of the divine prefence; though where-ever the church and people of God were gathered together in his name, in a folemn manner,-there the Lord was.

y¥. 18. And faid unto the children of Irael, &c.] In the name of the Lord ufing the phrafe which the prophets ufed when they fpoke in the name of the Lord: thus faith the Lord God of Ijrael; the great Jehovah, the Being of beings, the Covenant- God of his people J/rael: I brought up Ijrael out of Egypt; when in bondage there, with a mighty hand and ftretched-out arm, by means of figns and wonders done by the hands of Mofes and Aaron; the Lord working mightily with them, and thereby enclining Pharaoh and his people to let them go: and.delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians; at the Red-fea, drowning them in it, when they threatened J/rae/ with an utter deftruction: and out of the hand. of all kingdoms, and of them that oppreffed you, as the Arabic writers, the kingdoms of Og and Ba/ban in their way to Canaan, and the Mefopotamians, Moabites, Canaanites, Midianites, Ammonites and Philiftines, 1n the times of the judges; all which is obferved to fhew their ingratitude, and aggravate their guilt. _ ¥. 19. And ye have this day rejected your God, &c.]. As their king, by defiring another to be heads of them, to have lots caft for them, out of which of the families the king fhould be chofen: the family of Matri was taken; that is, by lot; the lot fell upon that family for the choice of a king out of them: in the account of the families of the tribe,of Benjamin, 1 Chron. viii. no mention is © made of this family, nor any where elfe, and yet no doubt there was fuch a family, and Saul was of it; it feems to have its name from the butt or mark arrows were fhot at; fome of the Benjaminites being famous for their fkill in darting and flinging, and perhaps this family might be fo: and Saul the fon of Kifh was taken, the lot being caft upon the men in the family of Mairi, though it is not exprefled, fell upon Sau/; for ‘though he was not there, as Farchi obferves, the lot fell upon him; for their names were written ona piece of paper, and put into a box, and the prophet put in his hand and took out one, and on that was the name of Saul, and this was the manner of the lot: and when they fought him, he could not be found; becaufe he had hid himfelf, as in the néxt verfe; it is very probable, and indeed plain, that he was in this affembly at the firft opening of it; and knowing” what Samuel had faid and done to him, and perceiving in what way the lot was going concerning: the fame, the tribe of Benjamin being taken; he concluded show it would iffue, and therefore left the affembly, and hid himfelf, as follows.

¥.22. Therefore they enquired of the Lord farther, &c.] Or again, by lot, by which they knew” who the perfon was that was chofen king, but they did not know where he was, and therefore enquire fet over them: who himfelf faved you out of all your adverfities and your tribulations, that they had been in at.any time in Zgyp/, in their paflage thro’ farther how they muft come at him; ‘and this ‘en=" quiry was. made either before the high-prieft by Urim and Thummim, ‘or by Samuel the’ prophet of the wildernefs to.Canaan,-and after they were fet- the Lord: and the enquiry was, if ‘the man fhould tled there; ye bave faid unto him, nay, but fet alyet come thither; whether he was alréady come, or king over us; they did. as good as fay God-fhould not be their king, but they would have one fet over them like the kings. of the, nations. about them; Samuel reminds them of. this their requeft and refolution to have a king, which they, had exprefied fome time ago, that it might, appear to them that this was wholly of their own, feeking; the motion came from themfelves, and not from the Lord, nor from. Samuel, and therefore whatever ill confequences might follow upon it,-: they had none to blame but themfelves: now. therefore prefent. yourfelves before the Lord by your tribes, and by your thoufands; by the heads of their tribes, and by the rulers of the thoufands into which their tribes were divided, that.it might be known either by Urim and-Thummim, or rather by cafting lots, out of which tribe, and out of which thoufand, houfe and family in it, their king was to be’chofen; which method, as it would clearly appear to be a choice dire¢ted by the Lord, fo it would prevent all contention and difcord among themfelves..

¥. 20. And: when Samuel bad caufed all the tribes would come there, and if not; what methods they muft take to find him: axd the Lord’anfwered, be=° hold, be bath bid bimfelf among the fiuff; the word fignifies houfhold-ftuff, -veffels, utenfils arms, &@¢.

which the people had brought along with them for | their ufe, and were laid up in fome one place; and. among thefe baggages Sau/ hid himfelf, hoping that if he was not found they would proceed to another. choice, fo free from ambition was he, and fuch was his modefty; nor-does this feem to be affected and diffembled, but real; though afterwards, when ‘he was fettled in the kingdom, he did not’ care to. part with it, and fought to kill David, ~ whom he looked upon as his ‘rival: there were» many things which how concurred, that made him © unealy and unwilling to affume the government of the people; partly the envy and ill wilkof fome’ ~ of them, which he muft expect; thiefly the fenfe —— he had of his own unfitnefs for fuch an office, be-— ing of a mean family, and having had fo mean:’ an education, and fo little knowledge of the maxims of government; and befides, muft at once, as _ foon as on the throne, enter into a war with the

Ammonites; but what might moft of all diftrefs him, he perceived by Samuel's {peech to the people, that the affair of a king was dilpleafing to the -Lord, though he condefcended to grant the peo-|p ples requeft; and therefore what comfort ‘and happinefs could he expect in fuch a fituation?

then writer, fays, that Saw/ was made king by Sarecourfe might be had to it, at any time, at leaft by a prieft, and where it would be fafe, and be preferved to future times: and Samuel fent all the peoe away, every man to his houfe; for though Saul was chofen king, he did not take upon him the exercife of ‘government directly, but left it to Samuel to difmils the people, who had been for many proclaim years their chief magiftrate.

¥. 23. And they ran and fetched bim thence; 8c.] Being in hafte to fee their king elect, and him: and when be frood among the people, being brought among them, and prefented to them he was higher than any of the people, from the fhoulders, and upwards; which made him look very graceful and majeftic; height of ftature, and comely form, as Kimchi obierves, recommend to royal dignity; and make the people ftand more in awe of a prince, and have always been reckoned ameng all other nations to’ make a prince venerable, fee the note on ch. ix, 2.)

y.26. And Saul alfo went home to Gibeah, &c.] His:Jnative place, where was his father’s houfe, to which he retired; where were no royal palace, or princely court, nor any of the enfigns of kingly majefty; aland whither it does not appear that he was followed by the nobility or princes of the tribes, only accompanied by a few men, as next obferved: and there went with him a band of men an army, or part of one; they feem to be military men, at leaft ~ men of ftrength, valour and courage; gallant men, who, in honour to their king elect, freely theloffered themfelves to be his body-guard, however, whichjuntil he was come to his houfé at Gideah; the Tareum is only, * fome of the people:” whofe heart God had touched; and inclined to thew honour and | Eupolemus *, an hea- refpect to their king; the Targum defcribes them, ** men that feared to fin, and in whofe hearts the

¥.24. And Samuel faid to all the people,. fee ye hin whom the Lord hath chofen, &c.} For choice being made by lot, the difpofal of is of the Lord, it is: properly attributed to him, and the people could not object to it, but muft allow it was the Lord’s doing.

muel by the counfel or will of God; and Samuellfear of God was put.” appeals to their eyes for the goodnels of the choice, a better could not have been made: that there is none like him among the people, fo graceful, ftately, fo prince-like and majeftic; they wanted to have a king like fuch the nations had; and Sau/ was fuch an one, had all the outward appearance of grandeur that could be wifhed for, and which in other nations recommended perfons to the imperial dignity: and all the people foouted; general buzza: and faid, God fave the king, or let the king live’; they owned and faluted him as their king, and prayed he might live long to reign over them; the Targum is, ‘let the king profper;” let his reign be profperous and glorious, and let him enjoy all health and happinefs, peace and pro- y. 27. But the children of Belial faid, &c.} Wicked, diffolute, lawlefs perfons; men withfolout a yoke, as the word fignifies, who did not care to be under the yoke of government, at leaft not under the yoke of Sau/; and thefe might be men of wealth, and of largér tribes, and better families than Seu/ was of, and therefore envied him, and thought themfelves fitter for government made ajthan he was; and in a jeering fcornful manner aid, how fhall this man fave us? whofe family is fo mean, and whofe tribe is fo fmall, that they can give but little affiftance to deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, the Pdiliffines and Ammonites; intimating, that a king ought to have been of a rich family, and a large tribe, and a fperity. prince in it, whofe intereft and influence were great,

¥.25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, &c.) According to Ben Gerfom, he laid before them the power a king had over people, and the punifhment he might inflict upon them, if they rebelled againft him; and fome think this is the fame he delivered in ch. viii. concerning the arbitrary power of their kings, and how would be ufed by them; and which he here re-| peated, and then wrote it, that it might be a mony ayainft them hereafter;

Lord, as Kimchi; or rather by the ark of the Lord, on one fide of it, as Ben Gerfom; or bett of all, as not only in his own tribe, but in others, which would enable him to engage in war with an enemy, hisjand protect the: people; but what, as if they fhould fay, can be expected from ¢his man? this mean contemptible man, of no birth nor fortune, brought up in an obfcure manner, and altogether: theyjinexpert in things civil and military? and they depifed him; on account of the above things, not tefti-Jonly in their hearts, but fpared not to fpeak out, with which what Yo-land ufe opprobrious language, and with which their a€tions and conduét agreed: and brought kim no pre/ents; as others did, and as it was ufual when aja king came tothe throne; nor were any vifits made viii.funto him, in token of their fubjection to him, and complacency in him, and by way of congratulation of him, fee 1 Kingsiv. 21. 2 Chron. xvii. ige*the Zargum is, they did not falute him, or afk of his welfare: but be held bis peace; or was as one that is deaf and dumb°, took no notice of what they {aid, as if he was deaf and heard it not, ‘and was as filent as if he had been a dumb man, which fhewed his wifdom and prudence; for had he in the ark of theltaken notice of them, he mutt have punifhed: them, and he judged it more advifeable to ule lenity and mildnefs, and not. begin his reign with contention

Jepbus™ {ays pretty much agrees, that in the hearing of the king he foretold what would befal them, and then wrote it, and laid it up, that it might be witnefs of his predictions; but that in ch. Samuel faid, was the manner of their king, or how he would ufe them, but this the manner of the kingdom, and how the government of it was to be managed and fubmitted to, what was the office of aking, and what the duties of the fubject; and yet was different from, at leaft not the fame with that in Deut. xvii. 15, 16, 17. for that had been written and laid up already: and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord;

Fofepbus", in the tabernacle of the Lord, where!and bloodthed,;

Vatablus 5 fuit quafi obmutefcens, Drufius; veluti tacens ans filens, fo fome in Vatablus; fo the Targum, i; Wher, A 3 inne eth rive ne Bo sina 9 Hepees ee: beni ih Bs

Lake Tt fly Cee Negt or arene “he aa Lae grag, bf he: s diye PL x 2 OI arimo genie nah! By or

UR eat ee eT a ee.; \ HIS: chapter Bape sek diftrefs.

tants of ‘Fabeh-gilead were in on account of, to the Ammonites, ¥. 1—3. upon which they fent meffengers to Sau/, whofe fpirit was immediately ftirred up to help them, ye 4—6. and. prepared for! ai I ir, and came (up foon enough for their relief, flew their enemies, ¥. 71k which gained. much honour and reputation among the people, and occafioned the renewal of the kiggném tohim, the fe tee fout, dey wouldibe asrblind men; he-di nufe have both their eyes thruft out, for them they could have been of no. ufe and fervi flaves or tributaries: and lay it fora re rael; that they did not come up te and! of their brethren, and defend them, and fy him ing that they muft. all expect. aes fame} treatment fromhim. 0 «) fe

¥. 3. 4nd the elders of Fabelb mais ‘bree

Youd DHig. inp magittrates and principal men of the city: give us i yw leven days refpite, that we may fend meffengers to i

¥. 1, Then Nobaft the Ammowite came up, and encamped againft Fabefe-gilead, 8c | A month ter, as in the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin verfions, that is, a month after Sau] was chofen king; fo Jofephus »: this prince was preparing for war Lfrael before, which they hearing of, requefted they might have a king: to go before them in bat tle, ch. xii..12. but now he actually marched from his own country, and befieged Fabe/h gilead, a city in the land of Gilead, from whence it had its name, and lay in the half tribe of Manajéb, on the other fide Fordan, fee Jude xxi. 8. It lay near to the Ammonites, and was part of the country they laid claim to in the times of Jephthab, which they now fei d, and attempted to gain.it by force. This Jakafe was king of the Ammonites, as he is called in fe 8 Targum, “and by Jofepbus *, and. fo in the Arabic verfion, fee ch. xii: 12. and all the men. Fabefo-gilead foid unto Nabafh, make a covenant with us they defired tobe his allies and confederates, live-in peace and friendfhip with. him, and enjoy their religion and liberties on certain conditions they were willing to come into; and this was the fenfe of them all, or at leaft the which fhewed a mean and abject fpitit 1 in them, to! &c. make no defence of themfelves, but as foon as befieged to move for a capitulation This doub:lefs the coajts of Ifraels that is, ceafe from befieging — af-jthem, from throwing in doslied into the city, or othe: *miffive » weapons, and from attempting, break open the gates, or break vee of A apaintt it, and ftorm it; fuch a fpace of time defire, which was as little as could be granted and — return in, and without this it would 4 proach to all L/rae/, if they were ill ufed by fince they had no knowledge of «their caf time to come up to their affiftance: amd 1 there be no man to fave us, we will come out to and fubmit to be ufed. at thy pleafures » Ar feems that. this was granted by Nabafo bravado, and to reproach and-infult alle//rael, bid them defiance; with whom he fought to rel, having a defign- upon their land, and ing very well their condition, being: awed of Philiftines;; and having juft chofen a king, ai an: unexperienced man in the affairsyof ¥ had no army; nor was itJikely that one ¢ afiembled in fo fhort a time, and: come to lief of this people, and therefore he thought felf fafe enough in granting their requefte: greateft part, |» 4. Then came the meffengers to Gibeab of Saul, | Where he was:born, and brought up, and now dwelt; and he being elected king, it brought — an honour to >thie aa and irom. hence fee 2 areite from-a fenfe of their weaknefs, not being able d to hold it out long, and from an apprehenfon that their brethren the Urachites, on the other fide For. dan, could give them+no_affiftance, being in an uniettled condition, |having chofen a king, and>he fcaree on the: throne, and the PArdsfines having. great power over them 3,a#d we will ferve thee, not.as flaves, but as tributaries 5 they were willing to bay a yearly tax to him.

\Ma.2.. And Nabajfh - the Almmonite anf fend sich Bec. } tae avery haughty and feornful manner: on” this condition will ] make. a covenant with you, that Tnay thruft out all your, right eyes; fome Fewifh writers go into a myfti¢al:and allegorical fenfe of thefe-words, as thatdVaha/b ordered the book of. the law to be brought,’ whith was their right eye, the might erafe out of itsthele words, at Ammonite or Moabite fhall not enter into the congregation of the Lords others underftand it of the Senhedrim, which cals eyes of J-aels,and. others,; which come a little nearer to the fenfe, of the» fingers» and archers, the defire of che once of he; ple lift up theix voices, and. wept; shoved wi that pathy to. theirvbrethreny and who bythe marriage with thenw were nearly related sto and who might fear they would not having) taken | that »place;, wouldex and come’ tb: themy and ufe them sin. Hi like the thought ofwwwhich: an RE and rerhe, Sheth 2x6) sco cay ered np he as ay te iala d beth oor gee fengers from aes came hither directly, t al 2 they knew that Saul, the chofen king, dwelt.h and the Benjaminites, of all the tribes, had reafon:to thew regard to them, fine it; was thence they had 400 wives, whenthey werete to 600 men only, in: ‘order to raife, up their. t and told. the tidings in, the ears of the: being not at home imthe city; but; ineythe’ 1 they, “reported to them the»hardfhips heir cit under, being befieged bysthe Ammonitet,, and ened that if not relieved in faucha aitney. right eyes. would beoplucked: out:.and.lall