Exposition of the Whole Bible

¥. 2. Saul chofe him 3000 men of Ifrael, &c.] Out of the 300,000 that went-with him to fight|was the: Ammonites, and returned with him to Gilgal, where he now was, and had ftayed as may be fuppofed about a year, fince now he had reigned two! years. Thefe 3000 men fome of them doubt-jfo. lefS were appointed asa guard about his perfon, and the reft_ were 4 ftanding « army to preferve the peace of the nation, to provect them from their enemies, to watch the motions of the Philiftines, and to be ready on any fudden invafion: whereof 2000 wer¢ with Saul in Michmajfh, and in mount Beth-el, the Michmafb, according to Bunting *, was 4 miles from Gilgal... Ferom ‘{fays, in his time it fhewn a large village on the borders of ia, or Ferufalem, retaining its ancient name; 9 miles diftant from it, near the village Kama, ddrichomius" {ays it is now called Byra, and Mr. Maundrel “ obferves, that it is fuppofed by fome to be the fame with Beer, whither Yotham fed after he had delivered his parable, Judg. ix, 21. _ majo is inthe Mifnab * celebrated for the belt wheat being brought from it, and near to it, as appears from hence, was Bethel, and the mount of that name; and fo Yerom” fpeaks of Bethel, as over againtt Michmajh; and this mount very ‘probably is the fame faid to be on the eaft of Bethel, where Abrabam built an altar, Gen xii. 8. for Michma/h lay to the eaft of Bethel: and 1000 were with Fonathan in Gibeab of Benjamin, the native place Saul, and this Yonathan was the fon of Saul, y. 16. According to Bunting* Gibeah where fonathan was ftationed was 8. miles from Michmafh:) and the ree of the people be fent every man to bis ten a garrijon of the Pbiliftines, &c.] For though i It mitten by Yonatban, yet it was by the order - of Saul, and fo afcribed to him;. it feems to be a concerted thing to fall upon the garrifons of the Philiftines, pit get them out of their hands, and deliver rae entirely from them; but it was impolitic in. Saul, if he had fuch a fcheme i in his_ head, to difband his large army, as he had lately done: and that I/rael alfo was had in abomination with the Philiftines; who were highly incenfed againft them ‘by this action, and vowed revenge ¥.- name of an Dfraelite was abhorred by them; and perhaps this action might be attended with much wasjcraft.and cruelty; and if thefe garrifons were held by agreement, they might charge them with perfidy, with breach of articles, and fo their name was made to ftink among them, as the word fignifies: and the people were > called together after Saul zo Ne by found of trumpet...

y¥. 5. ‘And the Phili iftines yathered themfelves to- Mich- i to fight with Irael, &c.| To prevent their further encroachments on them, and defigns againft them; for they perceived they intended to caft off their yoke, and free themfelves entirely from the 30,000 chariots, and 6000 horfemen; it may feem incredible, that fo fmall.a people as ao /iffines. were, who only were poflefled of five cit it or lordthips, with the villages belonging to, th except what they had taken from J/rael; and er e off if affifted by the Tyrians, as the sino ae Reclefiafficus fays, ch, xlvi. 20. though be lesa to hay. refpect not to this time, but when § mule ain {co mf. edthem, ch. vii. 10, I fay i It may fe: that they fhould bring fuch a numb er of char into the field; wherefore this muft either be un flood of 30,000. men. that fought in chariots tent; to their own houfes; or, as the Targum, to Lyra interprets it, and in. which fenfe it is cher cities; thefe were they that came at his fum iS mons, and were numbered at Bezek, and went with him to the relief of Fabe/b- -gilead, and had been and certain the word chariots is fometimes u in 2 Sam. x. 18. 1 Kings xx. 21. 1 Chron. 3 with bis ever fince, ahd now difmiffed.

¥. 3. And jonathan Jinote the garrifon of the Phior elle of fome fort of « ae not cha ii ‘nines. that was in Geba, &c.] Not the fame with

«iljas ot 3 oe Gud Me ts: i) eer’: to carry the baggage of their infantry, which was ery Tater and to carry away the goods and fubance of the Ifraelites; fome have thought that ‘there is a miftake of the copier, who inftead of whe three, read ww sbirty; fo Capellus, and the rather becaufe in the <drabic and Syriac verfions it is only Getre sgeaete but even this is too great a number, underftood. of chariots of war; er never any people, in the world was known to have. fo many chariots of war; Pharaoh in his targe hoft had but 600; Exod. xiv. 7: Fabin king of ‘Canaan had indeed 900, Fudg. iv. 3. and David took from the king of Zobab- 1000 chariots; but whether they were all chariots of war is not certain, 2 Sam, viii. 4. Solomon indeed had 1400. chariggs Put they don’t, appear to be chariots of war, -butfome for ufe, and fome for ftate and grandeur. ‘Wherefore if a miftake in the copy is admitted of, ‘and this can be confirmed by fome MSS. yet we ‘mutt recur to one or other of the above fenfes; fome of them mutt be underftood of other fort of carriages, or, of men that fought in thefe chario.s; and allowing ten men to a chariot, which feems to be the ufual number by comparing 2 Sam. x 18 with 1 Chron. xix. 18, then 30co men would fill 300 chariots, which are as many as it can well be thought the Philifines had.’ Zerab the Ethiopian, who brought. into the field an army of 1,000,00 men,,had no more fhan 300 chariots, 2 Chron. xiv. g- and no more had Amtice/us Eupator in his army, 2 Maccad. xiii. 2. Darius in his vatt army had but 2c0*, and in thé very Jarge one which Mitbridates brought againtt the Romaus, there was but 100; and-now 3000 men in goo chariots were but a proportion to.6c00 horfemen, which in thofe times and countries was a large cavalry: and the people as the fand which is on the fea-fbore in multt- tude, the infantry was fo large as not to be numbered; however the phrafe denotes a great multi- ‘tude of them; Fofephus fays > there were. 300,000 foot: and they came up, and pitched in Michmafh, eafiward from Bethaven,;. where Saul, before he went to Gilgal, had his quarters, ¥.2. Bithaven was a place near Bethel, on the eaft of it, 7o >. vii

2. though Bethel itlelf was afterwards fo called when Feroboam had fet up the worfhip.of the calves there, Ho/: iv. 15. it fignifying the houfe of vanity or iniquity. ¥. 6. When the men of Irael faw they were in a firait, for the people were diftreffed, &c. By reafon of the vaft army that the Péi7/fines brought into the field, greatly fuperior to theirs, and were likely to be encompafied by them onevery fide; fo that nothing but deftruction was expected, which gave them the utmoft anxiety and uneafinefs; though Abarbinel refers this laft,claufe, not.to the people of Jrael, but to the people of the Philipines, and.takes it in this fenfe, for the people drew nigh; the army of the Pbiliftines was approaching, and got - mear to them; and fo they were in great danger of being quickly attacked by them, and deftroyed, their numbers being fo great: then the people did hide themfelves in.caves; of which there were many in the land of ‘fudea, capable of receiving a large number, as the cave of ddullam, the cave of Exgedi, &c. and fuch as the J/raelites made to hide ps a when oppreffed by the Midianttes, Fudg. yi. 2. and in thickets; woods and forelts, or among thorns, as Yarchi,; where there. was a very great number. of brambles and thorn-buthes; fome, as \ Kimchi, interpret the word, of munitions, garrifons,

“B43 and fortified places, to which they betook ‘themfelves: ia-rocks, and in bigh places, and in pits; in the holes of rocks and mountains, particularly in mount Ephraim, fee ch. xiv, 22. and where there were any pits or ditches, high or deep places, where they might be our of fight, and be theltered from their enemies.. _ Ales IIS. ¥ 7. And'Jome of the Hebrews went over Fordan tothe land..of Gad and Gilead, &c.\_ ‘As far off as they could from. the Péilijlines, who lay on the welt of the Jand of J/rael, and thefe countries were to the eaft. — Kimcbi obferves, that the land of Rexben is not Mentioned, which was on the other fide Jordan alfo; becaufe that was-nearer to it than what was inhabited by Gad, and the half-tribe of.Manafjeh, and.theretore they.chole.to.go farther, © chinking themfelves cthére fafer: as for Saul, be was yet in. Gilgal; where he, ftayed cill samuel fhould come to him, as direéted, ch.x, 8. to have his advice and coyntel:. and all the people followed kim trembling; all that. were with him, the army as di= bim, and, were at his command, and were ready to go where he fhould. dire& them; but with trembling hearts when they faw the panic of the people, fleeing into holes and corners, and confidered what a huge holt the Philifines were coming upon them with, and Samuel their prophet not with them to encourage and counfel them.

¥.8. And he tarried feven days according to the jet time that Samuel had appointed, &c.] He tarried to.the feventh day, but not to the end of it, or towards the clofe of it, as he fhouldhavedone: Jat Samuel came not to Gilgal; {> foon as Saul expected: and the people were fcattered from him; many deferted him, the Pdilzftines drawing nigh, and Samuel not coming, as Saul expected, and had given the people reafon-to expect.

¥.9. And Sau! faid, &c.|, Being impatient, and feeing the people deferting him apace, and unwwilling to engage in a battle without Arft facrificing to God, and imploring his help and aMfiitance: ding hither a burnt-offering to we that is, a creature tor a burnt-offering, a bullock, fheep, goat, or lamb; and peace-offevings; which alfo were either of the herd, orof the flock: and be offered the burnt-ofering; either he himfelf, or by a prieft.. In this unfettled time, while the tabernacle, altar, and ark, were at different places, and not yet fixed, it is thought: that fuch who were not priefts, might offer, and that in high-places, and where the tabernacle and altar were not.

¥..10., And it.came to pafs, that as foon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, &c. And

before he could offer the peace-offerings: behold Samuel came; and it was told Saul that he was come: and Saul went. out to mect him; \eft off facrificing, and would proceed no farther, leaving the relt tor Samuel, and out.of refpecét.to him, and to prevent achiding of him, he went forth to meet him.: that he might, falute him;.or blefs bim* s congratulate him on his.coming, afk of his health and welfare, and wifh him ali, peace and profperity.

y. 11. And Samuel faid, what bajft thou done? &c |. This queftion he putto bring him to a confeffion of what he had done, otherwife he gueffed - at it by his countenance; or rather by the prophetic fpirit he was endowed with, he knew it certainly that he had offered the. facrifices without waiting for him: and Saul faid, becaufe I faw the people i, ie wand ad benedicendum ei, Montanus.

were feattered from me, they were deferting, and he feared if he ftaid any longer, they would all leave

‘him; this was one reafon of doing what he did: and that thou cameft not within the days appointed; feven days were appointed, and becaufe the feventh day was come, though it was not gone, he con-

‘cluded Samuel would not come at all 3 and that was ‘another reafon why he did what he.did; and by this would have laid the blame on Samuel, as if he did not keep his time; whereas it was Sau/’s impatience that hurried him to this aétion: and that the Philiftines gathered themfelves together to Michmafb; where his ftation before was, and from thence he might quickly expect them at Gilgal; and this was another reafon why he haftened the facrifice.

y. 12. Therefore faid I, &c.] That is, within himfelf: the Philiftines will come down now upon me to Gilgal; on a fudden unprepared for them, efpecially in a religious way: and I have not made fupplication to the Lord, for his direction and affittance, and for fuccefs in the wars; which it feems went along with facrifices, or was implied in them: I forced myfelf therefore, and offered a burnt-offering; it was reluctant to him, it was againft his will, as well as the command of Samuel, to offer before he carne, he fuggefts; but fuch were the circumftances he was in, that he was obliged to it; thefe are the reafons or excufes he made, and fome of them have a fpecious appearance in them.

y.13. And Samuel faid to Saul, thou baft done might feem a {mall thing, fince to offer the facri fice was not criminal; but doing it befor time, a little before it fhould have been done, not waiting long enough for the prophet; yet it being againft the command of God, or in neglect of i it was finful, and feverely chaftized; and ther, that it might be an example to all fu kings how they offended, or broke the |

God’s commandments; and this being the fir king of Z/rael, he was made an example of to th

¥. 15. And Samuel arofe, &c.] Seemingl in wrath and difpleafure, not ftaying to offer up the peace-offerings which remained; and though no mention is made of Sau/’s going with him, yet it feems as if he did, or at leaft quickly follc him, as appears from the next verfe: and got bim up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin, the native place of Saul, thereby directing Saul where he fhould go, and which might be a ftronger place than Guilgal; or however where he might expec to be joined by more perfons of his own tribe, as well as inthe firft place protect and defend that; and it looks by Samuel’s going thither, though he was difpleafed with Saul, yet that he did not intend to forfake him direétly and entirely: amd Saul numbered the people that were prefent with him, about 600 men; which was done either before he left Gilgal, oras foon ashe came to Gibeah; fo greata defertion was there from him, that of the 3ooo firft chofen by him, and of the people after called and foolifbly, &c.] Not by intruding himfelf into the priefts office, with that he is not charged, but not waiting the full time till “Samuel came; which gathered to him at Gi/ga/, only 600 remained with him; a {mall number indeed to encounter fo large an army the Pdili/tines had brought into the field, fhewed his impatience, difregard to Samuel, and diftruft of God; and though he thought he had acted wifely, and taken the proper precautions in his circumftances, yet he acted foolifhly; and though a king, Samuel being a prophet of the Lord, and in his name, fpared not to tell him fo: thou bajt not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee; by his prophet, that he fhould wait feven days for his coming, who would then offer facrifices, and tell him what he fhould do; and not to keep the commandment of God, was acting a foolith part: for now would the Lord have eftablifhed thy kingdom upon Ifrael for ever; that is, for along time, on his foh, and fon’s fon; and then, according to promife and prophecy, it would come to one of the tribe of Judah; but now feeing he had acted fuch a part, it fhould not continue long in his family, no longer than his own life, and quickly come into other hands. | ¥.14. But now thy kingdom fhall not continue, &c.] That is, in his family, nor in his tribe, but be removed to another: the Lord hath fought him aman after his own heart; who was David; tho’ as yet’ Samuel knew him not, he knew by divine revelation that there was one pitched upon, to whom the kingdom would be given; a man every way agreeable to the will of God, and who would fulfil his will, though he knew not particularly who he was: and the Lord bath commanded him to be captain over his people; that is, had appointed him to be king over J/rael.. God’s decrees have the force of a Jaw in them, and mutt be fulfilled; and can’t be refifted fo as to be fruftrated: becaufe thou baft not kept that which the Lord hath commanded thee, it matters not whether the thing commanded is greater or lefs, it is difobedience to the command that is the fin, and is refented: this and which therefore Sau/ could not face. ¥. 16. And Saul and fonathan bis fon, &c.| Who were now joined to their men, on Sgul’s coming to Gibeab: and the people that were prefent with them; the 600 men before numbered: abode in Gibeah of Benjamin; being perhaps a ftrong fortified place, not choofing to go forth to meet the army of the Philiftines, fo vaftly fuperior to them: but the Philiftines encamped at Michmafh, the old quarters of Saul before he went to Gilgal, y. 2. as

¥. 17. And the fpoilers came out of the camp of the Philiftinesin three companies, &c.| Saud not daring to come out to fight them, and there being none throughout the land to oppofe them, they fent out three companies of foldiers to ravage and fpoil the country; of fo little ufe and fervice was a king to J/rae/, they were fo extremely defirous of; and this was fuffered to convince them of their vain confidence in him, and that their cruft ought to be in the Lord their God; never was their country more expofed to rapine and violence than now: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah; a city in the land of Benjamin, of which fee Fo/h. xviii. 23. and lay fouth-weft from majo, where the army of the Philiftines were: unto the land of Shual; which the Largum) para) hrafes ** the land of the fouth;” it feems to have had its name from the multitude of foxes in it, Shual | fignifying a fox. « sok ee ¥. 18. And another company turned the way

Bethoron, &c% Of which name there were two cities, the upper and nether, and both in a north-weft from the camp of the Pbiliftines at Michmafh; 8 miles from it, according to B; ting *: and another company turned to the way border, that looketh towards the of toward the wildernefs; fome take this to be the Zedoim which was deftroyed with Sodom and Gomorrab,; and the wildernefs, the wildernefs of ‘Yordan; but as that, fo the valley in which it ftood. was turned into a bituminous lake; this feems to be a city in the land of Benjamin, Neb. xi. 34.:near towhich was a valley, and this towards the wildernefs of Fericho, and fo lay ealtward; the Targum calls it the valley of vipers, perhaps from its being infefted with many; and fo David de Pomis ° {ays it is the name of a place where plenty of ferpents were found, and which, he fays were called fo becaufe of the variety of colours in them; with which agrees Kimchi’s note on the place; they feem to mean ferpents fpotted ", as if they were painted and dyed of various colours, as the Hebrew word which is thus paraphrafed fignifies: according to Bunting®, it was eight miles from Michmafp. ¥.19. Now there was no {mith found throughout all the land of I/rael, 8c.) The Pbiliftines when they ruled over them, having removed them into their own country, and forbid:any to learn orexercife that trade in J/rael: for the Philiftines faid, Jeft the Hebrews make fwords or fpears;, this they did to prevent their having arms, and the ufe of them, that they might notrebel againft them, and fight with them, and overcome them; it was a piece of policy to keep them fubjec to them; -fo Nebuchadnezzar, when ' conquered the Fews, and carried them captive, ‘took care particularly to carry away their fmiths, and left none but the pooreft fort of people in the land, 2 Kings xxiv. 14. Fer. xxiv. 1. and Porfena, king of the Etru/ci, when he madeacovenant with the Romans, upon the expulfion of their kings, made this a condition of peace with them, that they fhould ufe no iron but in hufbandry®.. When this courfe was taken by the Péiliftines with the J/raektes, and how long it had continued, is not certain; it is probable it might be in the fpace of forty years they ruled over J/rael, in which Samfon was born, for we never read of any fword or fpear that he made ufe of; and though there were two battles in the times of £li, in both which J/rael were beaten, they might make ufe only of bows and arrows, flings, and ftones, clubs, &c. as alfo in the battle of Saul with the Ammonites; and as for the defeat of the Philiftines in the time of Samuel, it was by thunder; and though the Phriftines were then fubdued, yet as Samuel grew old, they regained their power in a good meafure, and the J/raelites had not pirit enough to oppofe them, nor-diligence and induftry to learn and revive the trade of finiths among them; not even for what was neceffary to hufbandry, as the following verfe fhews.

y¥.20. But all the Ifraelites went down to the Philifiines, &c.] Were obliged to go into Pale to fome one or other of the cities of the Phili tine, intines, or to their garrifons, where the trade of a fmith was exercifed: to /harpen every man his fhare and his coulter; which are the parts of the plough made of iron, with which the earth is cut and thrown up: and bis ax and bis mattock; or pick- the ce are dug; and each of thefe for their feveral ules needed fharpening; and when they did, they were obliged to goto the Philijtines to have them done, they having no fmiths among

MW. 21. Let they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters,.and for the forks, and for the axes, &¢,

Thofe that would not go.to the Pdiliftines, or were not able, or,thought it too much trouble, thefe kept files by them to fharpen thofe feveral inftruments with upon occafion; though the words are by fome rendered in connexion with the preceding, to this fenfe, that they went to the Pdiliftines to fharpen them, when the mouths, or edges, of the mattocks, coulters, &c. were dull; or blunt, and fo needed fharpening:. aud even to fharpen the goads; with which they pricked and pufhed on the oxen in ploughing, when fluggifh and remifs. ~

W. 22. So itcame to pa/s in the day of battle, &c.

‘When that drew near, and they were called co it, and obliged to fight or flee, or furrender: shat there qwere neither fword nor {pear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and ‘fonathan; which was not owing to their leaving them behind in the camp, or cafting them away from them through fear, as they followed Sau/ with trembling, but to the caufe now mentioned. In what manner fome preceding battles were fought with the Phiiifiines and Ammonites notwithftanding, have been accounted for on ¥. 19. but it is ftrange that the Tfraelites did not. furnifh themfelves with the arms of the Péiliftines at the defeat of them in Eden- Ezer, ch. vii. 10,.11. and with the arms’ of the Ammonites at fabefh Gilead, ch. xi. 11. and that fach a warlike prince as Saul appeared at his firft fetting’out to ‘be, fhould not inthe firft place take care to provide armour for his men by fome means or another; for that thofe that left him fhould have arms, and not thofe that abode with him, does not feem reafonable.. It may be the Benjaminites, being expert in flinging, were indifferent to and neglected the ufe of any other weapon, or method of fighting: but with Saul and with Fenathan his fon was there found, {words and fpears, and with them only.

¥. 23. And. the garrifon of the Philiftines went out to the pafjage of Michmafh;| According to Farchi thefe two places, Michmafh where the Philiftines were, and Gibeab where Saul and Jonathan were, lay on two hills over againfteach other, and there was a valley between them; and the garrifon of the Pbiliftines. drew nigh to the paflage of Michmajo, which led to the fide of Gibeah, to the. vale ley between them, either with an intention to befiege Gibeah, or to dare J/rae] to come out and fight them: but rather it feemsto be fome {trong pals between the rocks near Michmajh, where the garrifon placed themfelves to. guard and keep againft any fudden furprize; feech. xiv. 4. The Targum is, ‘* the governor of the. Philiftines went out to the ford or paffage of Michmajh;” and Kimchi interprets it of the princes or generals of the army; thefe might go to mark out a camp, and pitch upon a proper place to draw up in a line of bat- ax; with the one wood is felled and cut, and with tle.

retufe itaque erant acies vomerum, V, L. quandcquidem acies cultrorum aratri, &c. obtufe erant,

ot; C0 |. aay.: ie 4634 iw, orb Snag BE - be '< i re #H. A P. XIV. rr Yo t od. Sa we oly ¢.: ' ‘. eo ad aL 2) (aw “a7 HYS chapter gives atraccount of an adventure (P of Jonathan and his armotr-bearer, fmiting a carrifon of the Philifines, y.1—14. which with| other circumftances ftruck terror ‘into the’ army; which being obferved by "Sais fpies, he and his men went out againft them, afid being joined by others, purfued them, and obtained a'com~- plete victory, ¥. 15—23.

glory of the day, was'a th of Seul’s, adjuring the people not to eat any food till evening, which ‘fonathan not hearing of ignorantly broke, y¥. 24—-31. and which long fafting made the people fo ravenous, that they. (lew their cattle,‘and eat them with the blood, contrary to the law of God, for which they were reproved. by Saul, y. 34. upon which he built an altar, and enquired of the Lord.whether he fhould purfite the Pdili/tines all that night till morning, but had no ‘anfwer; which made him conclude fin was committéd, and which he enquired ‘after, declaring that'if it was his own fon ‘Fonatban that had committed it fhould furely die, 3. 35—39. the people being filent, he caft lots, and the lot fell upon Yonathan; who had it not been for the refolution of the people that refcued him out of his hands, becaufe of the gréat falvation he had wrought, muft have died, y. 40—46. and the chapter is clofed with account of Saul’s battles with the neighbouring nations in general, and of his family, ¥. 47—52: — /i#ines, but remained in the furtheft part of Gideab, at the greateft diftance from the camp of t e F ifines,°in the ttrongeft part of the city, orc wholejintrenched in the outer part of it in the felc tite | dera pomegranate-tree; where werehis head quarters; his tent or pavilion was erected under a lange fpreading pomegranate, which protected him from. - butywhat fullied the;the heat of the fun: or under Rimmon; the rock, Rimmon 5 under the fhelter. of that, and in the caverns of it; where a like number of Benjaminites: he now had with him, formerly hid, themfelves,. Fudge. xx. 47. which is in Migros 3 a part of Gi-, beah, or rather of the field of Gibeqh fo called; for: near it it certainly was; and is alfo mentioned. — 32, 33, along with Michma/h, and as lying in the way of the march of Sennacherib, king of Affria, to Feru-. /alem, Tf. x. 28..and the, people: that were with bim were abort 600 men; which is obferved to thew. that no addition was made. to his little army; it was the fame it was when ‘he came:thither, the people hejdid not flock to his affiftance, being in fear of the army of the Philipines, which was f0 powerful 5. lee chyxiil. 15. ayer via ee '¥. 3. Aud Abiah the fon of Abitub, Ithabod’s brether, cc.| Ichabod. was, the child that Phinebas’s wife was brought to’ bed of, on hearing the news anjof the ark being taken, and of the death of her hufband: and father-in‘law, which name fhe gave himvon that account, and died; fee chsivs 19—22.

' he, it feems, had an elder brother, called Abituby - ¥. 1. Now it came to pafs upon.a day, &c. certain time, a little after the garrifon of the liftines had made the movement, ch. xiii. 23. it ig not to be taken ftri€tly for the day-time; for it is probable it was in the night that the propofal was made,’ and’began to be carried into execution; for Yo/ephus* {ays it was day-light) when Youathan and his armour-bearer came to'the camp of the Pbiliftines; he-had formed his {cheme perhaps the night before, and he and his man fet out in the night-time, and by break’of day came up to the garrifon as after related:\ that Fonathan the fon of Saul faid unto the’ young man that bare his armcour; as was ufual in‘thofe times for'generals of armies to have fuch, and fo in after times; fuch were Automedon to Achilles, and Achates to Aineas, as Grotius obferves: come and let us go over to the Philiftines garrifon that is on the other that is, go over the valley which lay between Michmafh and Gibeah, tothe Philiftines, that lay on the“other fide the valley beyond it; and fo was not in it, but at a pafs on the hills, “at the’ bottom of which. this. valley lay, ahd could be feen at a diftance, and pointed at with the finger, as Yarchi notes: but be told not bis father; left he fhould difapprove of his projeét, and hinder him from fuing ic; and had not his fpirit been ftirred up to this by the Lord, of which he was fully perfuaded, he would have acted riot only a rafh part, but contrary to military difcipline, in engaging in an en- At ajwho died young, and- this dbiab was the fon of Péi-jhim; for not he, but 4bitud, was Ichabed’s bro« andjther: the fon of Phinehas; fo Ichabod was: the fom of Eli; fo Phinehas was: the Lord’s prieft iw Shi4 following lob x-this refers not to dhiah, for he was not now prieft in Shiloh, which was deftroyed; and befides, he was now in the camp of Szau/; but to Eli, who when living exercifed the prieft’s office in Shilob > - twearing an epbod; as Ahiah now did; not fuck as common priefts wore, but the ephod the high: — prieft wore, which had the breaft-plate of judgment, the Urimand Ihummim in it, by which enquiry was made, y. 37. the meaning of. all this is that. the high-prieft was now with Sau/, and the ark alfo, which and the high-prieft might be fent for on this occafion, ¥..18. end ithe people knew mor that Fonathan was gone; or they would have gone fide; with him, namely, the military men that were particularly with him; he and Sea/ were in two different parts of Gidead, with diftin@ bodies of men whether the thoufand that Yonartber firft had with him all continued is:not'certain; it feems probable they did not; it cam hardly be thought he thould have more with him, than were with Sau/; fee ch. xiii 2. thoughfrom y.17. they feem mow to pur-jhave been together, 5 ©) 0): ¥. 4, And between the pafjages by ewbich Fonathan, /oaght ‘to go over unto the Philifiines garrijon, 8e.4 One of which ig ‘called «the paffage of Adichmafhy ch. ‘xiii. 2 3./and was that by which they went.from terprize without the knowledge and direction of his veneral; -unlefs we can fuppofe he had an unlimited commiffion from his father, to attack the enemy, at difcretion, at any time, and any-where. ¥. 2. And Saul tarried in the uttermoft part of Gibeab,8ec.] Not daring to go out againft the Phi- called the paflage of Gibeab, was that by which © they went from Michmajb to Gibeah, and in effeé - was but one;. and this was feized by the earr; of the Pbiliftines, on that part of it Which was tc wards Michmafh; fo that there ob £ ac-

Gibeah to Michmajfo, the other, which might be