A. M. 2888. A. C. 1116; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 4301. A. C. 1110. 1 SAM. i. TO THE END. nor provision with him; and therefore obtained of the high priest d Goliath's sword, which had been deposited in the tabernacle, and some of the show-bread, which the day before had been taken off from the golden table, But he avoided the blow, and retired; and the next | Ahimelech, that he was sent by the king upon a busimorning went into the fields, under pretence of shooting ness of such despatch that he had time neither to take arms with his bow and arrows, to give David the signal. To him he communicated all that had passed between his father and him; that his father was implacable, and determined to destroy him, and therefore he advised him to escape for his life: and so, having made new pro-and with these he proceeded to Gath, as not thinking testations to each other of perpetual friendship, they embraced and parted. Ever after this David was banished from court, and lived in the nature of an outlaw. The first place that he betook himself to was a Nob, where stood the tabernacle at that time, and where Ahimelech was high priest; but as he had no attendants, he pretended to against Jonathan into the minds of those about him. (Harmer, vol. ii. p. 492.) An instance of the prevalence of the same principle in Africa, which induced Saul thus to express himself to Jonathan, occurs in the travels of Mungo Park. Maternal affection is everywhere conspicuous among the Africans, and creates a correspondent return of tenderness in the child. Strike me, said my attendant, but do not curse my mother. The same sentiment, I found universally to prevail, and observed in all parts of Africa, that the greatest afront which could be offered to a negro, was to reflect on her who gave him birth."-Travels, p. 264. himself safe in any part of Saul's dominions. e He had not been long in Gath, however, before he was discovered, and the king informed of his being that great man of war in Israel, who had so often defeated and destroyed the Philistines; so that, to get clear of this information, he was forced to counterfeit madness, and an epilepsy, which he did so artfully, that by this means he evaded the suspicion of the king, and made his escape to Adullam, a town in the tribe of Judah, where his brethren and relations, together with many malcontents, and men of desperate fortunes, met him, and made up a little army of about 400 in number, 5 e It must be owned, that David, in this pretence, did not speak direct truth, nor are we from hence to take an example for speaking lies; but one thing may be said in his excuse, that as he saw Doeg there, who he knew would inform Saul of what had passed between him and Ahimelech, his pretence of business was on purpose to furnish the high priest, if he were called to an account, with a better apology for his reception of David, since he knew no other, but that he came express from the king: and accordingly we may observe, that Ahimelech insists on that chiefly. It is a melancholy consideration, however, that the wickedness of the world should be such, as to put even excellent men sometimes on the necessity of lying to preserve their lives, which cannot be safe without it.-Patrick's Commentary. d It was an ancient custom not only among the Jews, but the a There is mention made of two cities of this name, one on the east, or further side, and the other on the west or hither side of Jordan. The generality of interpreters will have the city here specified to be that which stood on the west side, and in the tribe of Benjamin. Though it is not reckoned among the number of the cities that were at first assigned to the priests, yet that it afterwards became one of the sacerdotal towns, and especially as we may imagine, when the tabernacle came to be moved thither, is evident from 1 Sam. xxii. 19. and Neh. xi. 32. and some suppose it stood about four leagues from Gi-heathens likewise, to hang up the arms that were taken from beah.-Calmet's Commentary; and Wells' Geography of the Old Testament, vol. 3. The words of our blessed Saviour, in Mark ii. 25. are these, 'Have you never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungered, he and they that were with him, how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shew-bread, and gave also to them that were with him? Now there are two things which the author of this book of Samuel asserts, quite contrary to what our Saviour declares, namely, 1st, That David was alone, and no man with him,' ch. xxxi. 1. and 2dly, that Ahimelech was at that time high priest; whereas our Saviour affirms, both that David had company along with him, and that Abiathar was then in the pontificate. Now, 1st, that David had company with him, and that Ahimelech knew it, is evident from his words in the fourth verse: There is no common bread in my hand, but there is hallowed bread, if the young men have kept themselves at least from women;' and therefore Ahimelech's meaning must be, that David had no guards to attend him, as it was usual for persons of his quality to have; or at least those that were with him might be ordered to keep at a distance, and so Ahimelech when he uttered these words, might not see them, though, when he came into a closer conference with David, David might inform him, what retinue he had brought, and consequently that all the show-bread was no more than what they wanted for their present support. 2dly, Though it be granted that the name of high priest, in its strictest sense, did not at this time belong to Abiathar, yet since it is generally agreed, that he was the sagan, as the Jews of latter days call him, who is the high priest's vicar, he might | well enough, in a qualified sense, be called the high priest; especially considering his immediate succession to his father, and how short his father's continuance in the office was, after this interview with David. Nor can we see any great impropriety in saying, that such a thing was done in the days of Abiathar the high priest, though done somewhat before he was invested with that dignity, any more than in saying, that such things happened in the days of Henry VIII., which strictly came to pass some days before he began to reign.-Patrick's Commentary. their enemies in their temples; and in conformity thereunto, the sword wherewith he cut off Goliath's head David dedicated to the Lord, and delivered to the priest, to be kept as a monument of his victory, and of the Israelites' deliverance. And as it was customary to hang up arms in the temples, so when the occasions of the state required it, it was no unusual thing to take them down, and employ them in the public service; from whence came that saying of Seneca, "Even temples are sometimes stripped bare for the sake of the state."—Calmet's Con mentary. e David is not the only instance of this kind. Among the easterns, Baihasus the Arabian, surnamed Naama, had several of his brethren killed, whose death he wanted to revenge. In order to it he feigned himself mad, till at length he found an opportunity of executing his intended revenge, by killing all who had a share in the murder of his brethren. Among the Greeks, Ulysses is said to have counterfeited madness, to prevent his going to the Trojan war. Solon also, the great Athenian lawgiver, practised the same deceit, and by appearing in the dress and with the air of a madman, and singing a song to the Athenians, carried his point, and got the law repealed that prohibited, under the penalty of death, any application to the people for the recovery of Salamis.-Plut. Vit. Solon. p. 82; Chandler's Life of David, vol. i. p. 102. note. f It was a town in the tribe of Judah, of some considerable note in the days of Eusebius, and about ten miles from Eleutheropolis eastward, where there was a rock of the same name, in which was a cave, naturally strong and well fortified, to which David retreated; as indeed most of the mountains of Palestine were full of caverns, whither the country people generally betook themselves for safety in time of war.-Calmet's and Patrick's Commentaries; Wells' Geography of the Old Testament, vol. 2. g It appears to have been usual in ancient times for such persons as are described in this passage, to devote themselves to the perpetual service of some great man. The Gauls in particular are remarkable for this practice. The common people, who are generally oppressed with debt, heavy tributes, or the exactions of their superiors, make themselves vassals to the great, who exercise over them the same jurisdiction as masters do over A. M. 2888. A. C. 1116; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 4301. A. C. 1110. 1 SAM. i. TO THE END. After his family had thus joined him, he could not but be apprehensive that the wrath of Saul would fall upon his aged parents, and therefore his next care was to provide them with a safe retreat; which he did by putting both himself and them under the protection of the king of Moab, who was then at enmity with Saul. And with his parents he thus continued, until the prophet Gad, who attended him, advised him to leave Moab, and to return into the land of Judah; which accordingly he did, and took up his station in the a forest of Hareth, where Abiathar the priest came to him, and upon this sad occasion, brought along with him all the pontifical ornaments. During David's short stay at Nob, Doeg the king's principal herdsman, was there, and upon his return to court, gave Saul information of all that had passed between the high priest Ahimelech, and David. Hereupon Saul sent for Ahimelech, and the rest of the priests, and having accused them of a conspiracy, and traitorous practices against him, notwithstanding all the high priest could say in vindication of himself and his brethren, he commanded them to be put to death. His guards, who stood by, and heard Ahimelech's defence, would not undertake so barbarous an office; but Doeg, b slaves.'•'-Cæsar's Commentaries of his Wars in Gaul, b. vi. c. 13.-ED. a Both St Jerome and Eusebius make mention of a place of this name in the tribe of Judah, lying westward of Jerusalem; of which Rabbi Solomon, upon the credit of some ancient tradition, says, that being before dry, barren, and impassable, upon David's coming, it became fruitful and irriguous, and that, in the 23d psalm, where he considers God as his shepherd, who would lead him into fruitful pastures, and under his protection, keep him safe in the most dangerous scenes, he alludes to this: 'He shall feed me in a green pasture, and lead me forth by the waters of comfort:' for surely it is impossible but that this, which was before a barren desert, might now, by a singular blessing from God upon the industry of David and his companions, become a green and well-watered pasture.-Wells' Geography of the Old Testament, vol. 3.; and the History of David, by the quthor of Revelation Examined. 6 The speech which Josephus draws up for the high priest upon this occasion is directed to Saul, and conceived in these words: "I did not receive David as your majesty's enemy, but as the faithfulest of your friends and officers, and, what is more, in the quality of your son too, and a relation in so tender a degree of affinity and alliance. For how should any body imagine that man to be your enemy, upon whom you have conferred so many honours? Or why should not I rather presume such a person, without any further inquiry, to be your singular friend? He told me, that he was sent in haste by yourself, upon earnest business; and if I had not supplied him with what he wanted, it would have reflected an indignity upon yourself, rather than upon him. Wherefore, I hope, that the blame will not fall upon me, even though David should be found as culpable as you suspect him; unless an act of pure commission and humanity, abstracted from the least thought, knowledge, or imagination of any evil intention, shall be understood to make me privy to a conspiracy: for the service I did him, was matter of respect to the king's son-in-law, and the king's military officer, not to the person or interest of David."-Jewish Antiquities, b. 6. c. 14. who had been their accuser, at the king's command, became their executioner, and with his sacrilegious hand, slew no less than d eighty-five of them. Nor did Saul's bloody resentment stop here: for, sending a party to Nob, he commanded them to kill man, woman, and child, and even every living creature; so that of all the children of Ahimelech, none escaped but Abiathar, as we said before, who came to David, and told him the dismal tidings of this massacre, which David could not but sadly condole, and in some measure look upon himself as the innocent occasion of it. However he gave Abiathar assurances of his protection, that he should share the same fate with him; and that, with his own life, he would shield him from all danger. While Saul was embruing his hands in the innocent blood of his subjects, David was employing his arms in the necessary defence of his country; for, hearing that the Philistines had made an incursion upon Keilah, a city of Judah, f he went and relieved the place, repulsed the enemy with a great loss of men, and took from them a considerable booty of cattle. Saul had soon intelligence of this action; and supposing that David would now fortify himself in this stronghold, he sent an army to invest it: but David having consulted the divine oracle upon this emergency, found that the inhabitants of the place would prove perfidious to him, and therefore he left them, and retired into a wood in the 8 deserts of Ziph, whither Saul, for want of intelligence, could not was much the same thing as to betray all divine and human rights, merely to please a tyrant.-Le Clerc's Commentary. See Josephus's Jewish Antiq., b. 6. c. 14., who has, upon this occasion, a curious descant about the use of power in kings, when at once from a low, they come to be exalted to a high station in life. d The Septuagint, as well as the Syrian version, makes the number of priests slain by Doeg to be 305, and Josephus 385, which is a large variation from the Hebrew text.-Millar's History of the Church. e This party, as Josephus informs us, was commanded by Doeg, the vile informer and murderer, who taking some men as wicked as himself to his assistance slew in all 385 persons, and in addition to these, it is thought by some, that the Gibeonites, (upon whose account there was so sore a famine in the days of David) who might now be at Nob, in attendance upon the priests, were at this time slain. It is certain, Saul was now become a mere tyrant, and against those poor people acted more cruelly than he did against the Amalekites, some of whom he spared, even contrary to God's command; but in this case he let none escape, on purpose to deter others from giving the least shelter or assistance to David, and to incite them the rather to come and give him information wherever his haunts or lurking places were.-Josephus' Antiq., b. 6. c. 14. f We read of no embassy, that the people of Keilah sent to David, to desire his assistance, nor of any particular affection they had for him; and therefore we may suppose, that David undertook this expedition out of pure love to his countrymen, to let the world see, how serviceable he could be to them, in case he was restored to his dignity again, and that, what ill treatment soever he should meet with from the hand of Saul, nothing should provoke him to abandon his love for his country.-Le Clerc's Commentary. c In this they were to be commended: but much more praise they would have deserved, if they had offered up their petitions g In Josh. xv. 55. we read of a town of this name where menfor these innocent people; if they had remonstrated to the king, tion is likewise made of Carmel, and Maon, and therefore it prothat he was going to commit a thing that was contrary to all laws bably was adjacent to them. And here, in the story of David, both divine and human; and if, when they saw that neither their we find Carmel and Maon mentioned as adjoining to Ziph; so reasons nor petitions availed, they had looked upon this order as that it is not to be doubted but that by the Ziph in the wilderness, the effect of one of the king's distracted fits, and accordingly where David now concealed himself, we are to understand the seized and secured him, until the priests had made their escape, Ziph which was in the neighbourhood of Carmel and Maon, in and he returned to a better mind. For to stand wringing their the southern part of the tribe of Judah, and, according to St Jehands, while they saw so many innocent creatures murdered, rome, about eight miles eastward from Hebron.-Wells' Geoand foreign soldiers made the instruments of the king's cruelty,graphy of the Old Testament, vol. 3. A. M. 2888. A. C. 1116; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 4301. A. C. 1110. 1 SAM. i. TO THE END. pursue him; but his son Jonathan, having private no- The people of the wilderness were very officious in sending Saul intelligence where David was, and, if he would supply them with a sufficient force, undertook to betray him into his hands; but David having taken notice of their intended treachery, retired farther into the desert of Maon, whither Saul pursued him, and pressed him so close, that there was but a valley between the two armies. David's army was so very small, that Saul was thinking of encompassing the mountain, where he encamped, in order to prevent his escape, when news was brought him that the Philistines had invaded the country on the other side, so that he was forced to drop his private resentment for the public weal, and divert his arms another way but as soon as the Philistines were repulsed, he with 3000 choice men, renewed his pursuit of David, who by this time was retired into the strongholds of a Engedi. e Much about this time the prophet Samuel died, and was buried at Ramah, the place of his habitation, in great solemnity, and 8 with the general lamentation of d But how did David absolve his promise, or keep his oath with Saul, when in 2 Sam. xxi. 8. he slew so many of his sons? oath of David's could never be absolute or unconditional, because, The reply that is usually made to this is,-That this promise or upon supposition that any of Saul's family had become rebellious they had nevertheless been obnoxious to the sword of justice; that though David could bind himself with his oath, yet he could not bind God, to whose will and pleasure all private obligations must be submitted; and what is more, that this execution was not done by David's order, but at the desire of the Gibeonites, to whom God had promised that satisfaction should be made for Saul's bloody endeavours to destroy them.—Patrick's Commentary, and Poole's Annotations. e It is an old saying, and a wise one, remember not to be too credulous;' and the advice of the son of Sirach is this, Never trust thine enemy; though he humble himself, yet take good heed, and beware of him.'-Ecclus. xii. 10, 11. f The Jews are of opinion, that Samuel died only four months before Saul. But by the generality of Christian chronologers, he is supposed to have died about two years before the death of that prince, and in the ninety-eighth year of his age, twenty of which had been spent in the government of Israel, (though Saul's inauguration, after which he lived about eighteen. He Sir John Marsham will have it no more than sixteen,) before was indeed, while he lived, an excellent governor, and through his whole administration above vanity, corruption, or any private views. Those that attend to his life may observe, that he was As Saul was on his march, he happened to turn into a cave by the way-side, where David and some of his men lay hid. His men, when they saw the king entering alone, thought it a lucky opportunity that providence had put in their hands, and accordingly instigated David to dispatch him. But David rejected the offer with abhorrence: God forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed;' and only, to show Saul how much he was in his power, went softly, and e cut off the skirt of his robe. When Saul was gone out of the cave, David called to him at a distance, and show-modest without meanness, mild without weakness, firm without ing him the skirt of his raiment, declared his innocence in such tender terms, and with such submissive behaviour, that he made the king's heart relent. So that with the a Engedi (now called Anguedi) in the days of St Jerome, was a large village, situated in the deserts, which lay upon the western coasts of the Salt or Dead Sea, not very far from the plains of Jericho: and as the country thereabouts abounded with mountains, and these mountains had plenty of vast caves in them, it was a very commodious place for David to retire to, and conceal himself in. Eusebius makes it famous for excellent balm, and Solomon, in his Song, for vineyards, which, in all probability, were planted by his father, during his retirement in this place; and therefore so peculiarly celebrated by the son.-Calmet's Commentary; Wells' Geography of the Old Testament, vol. 3.; and The History of King David, by the Author of Revelation Examined. This one example of David's, under all the provocations he had received from Saul, abundantly shows us, that the persons of kings are sacred and inviolable. "The authority of powerful kings is over their own flocks, that of Jove is over kings themselves,"-Hor. Od. c If it be asked, how David could do this without Saul's perceiving it? The answer might be, that this possibly might be some upper loose garments, which Saul might put off, and lay aside at some distance from him upon this occasion; and that as there were several rooms, or particular cells, in these large caverns, which might have secret passages from one to another, Saul, at the mouth of one of these cells, might lay down his upper garment, which David perceiving, and knowing all the passages of the place, might go some secret way, and cut off some small part of it. Nor could the noise which David's motion might make be well heard by Saul, because it must have been drowned by a much greater noise which Saul's army, waiting for him at the mouth of the cave, may be supposed to make.-Poole's Annotations. obstinacy, and severe without harshness; or as the author of Ecclesiasticus has recorded his actions, and consecrated this eulogy to his memory.-Samuel the prophet of the Lord, says he, beloved of the Lord, established a kingdom, and anointed princes over his people. By the law of the Lord he judged the congrega tion, and the Lord had respect unto Jacob. By his faithfulness he was found a true prophet, and by his word he was known to be faithful in vision. He called upon the mighty God when his enemies pressed upon him on every side, when he offered the sucking lamb; and the Lord thundered from heaven, and with a great noise made his voice to be heard. He destroyed the rulers of the Syrians, and all the princes of the Philistines. Before his long sleep, he made protestations in the sight of the Lord, and his anointed, and after his death he prophesied and showed the king his end.'-Ecclus. xlvi. 13, &c. But besides the things that are recorded of this prophet in the first book of Samuel, there are some other passages concerning him in the first book of Chronicles; as, that he enriched the tabernacle with several spoils which he took from the enemies of Israel during his administration, ch. xxv. 28. That he assisted in regulating the distribution of the Levites, which David afterwards prescribed for the service of the temple, ch. ix. 22. And, lastly, That he wrote the history of David, in conjunction with the prophets Nathan and Gad. But as he was dead before David came to the throne, this can be meant only of the beginning of that history, which by the other two prophets might be continued and concluded. There is great probability, indeed, that he composed the twenty-four first chapters of the first book of Samuel, which contain the beginning of David's life, and several historical facts wherein he himself had a large share; but as for the latter part of it, it was impossible for him to write it, because, in the beginning of the 25th chapter, there is mention made of his death. g When they saw the disorders of Saul's reign, they had great reason to lament their loss of Samuel, and their sin in rejecting so great a prophet, and so good a magistrate.-Millar's History of the Church, A. M. 2888. A. C. 1116; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 4301. A. C. 1110. 1 SAM. i. TO THE END. the people during which time, David took the opportunity to remove from En-gedi, and to retire farther into the wilderness of Paran, not far from Maon, where he had been once before. been in, he was so terrified at the thoughts of it, that e he turned quite stupid, and in the space of ten days died: whereupon David sent for his wife and married her, as he did likewise another woman, whose name was Ahinoam, a Jezreelite; for his first wife, who was Saul's daughter, by her father's command, d was at this time given to another. In the neighbourhood of this place, there lived a wealthy man, whose name was Nabal, but himself was of a surly and morose disposition. While David abode in this wilderness the time before, he had taken great The Ziphites, as we said before, were always forward care to restrain his men from doing any injury to Nabal's to give Saul information where David and his men were flocks, and now in the time of his sheep-shearing, (which concealed; and therefore, understanding from them, in these countries was always a season of great festivity that he was somewhere about the mountain Hachilah, e and entertainment,) he sent messengers to him, that in he took 3000 men, and went in quest of him. David consideration of the many civilities he had shown him, had intelligence where Saul's army lay encamped; and he would be pleased to send some provisions for the therefore, going first of all privately himself, to reconsupport of his army. But Nabal received the messen- noitre it, he took with him at night his nephew Abishai, gers very rudely, and with some opprobrious reflections and entering the camp, found Saul and Abner, and all upon David himself, sent them away empty, which so the rest of the host fast asleep, Abishai, would have exasperated David, that in the heat of his resentment, gladly made use of this opportunity to despatch the he vowed to destroy all Nabal's family before next king, but David would by no means permit him, for the morning, and with this resolution he set forward. But same reasons that he had saved his life in the cave; only Abigail, Nabal's wife, who was a very beautiful woman, the g spear, and cruise of water, that were at his bed's and in temper the very reverse of her husband, being informed by her servant of what had passed, took this expedient to divert his ire. She ordered her servants immediately to pack up two hundred loaves of bread, a two bottles of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five measures of parched corn, an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs; and with this present she made haste to meet David. David was marching with all speed, to put in execution his rash vow; but Abigail when she met him, approached him with that respect, and addressed him in such moving language, that she soon disarmed him of his rage, and stopped the effects of his indignation; so that they both parted with mutual satisfaction; he, for being thus prevented from shedding of blood, and she, for having thus happily succeeded in her embassy. When she got home, she found her husband rioting and drinking; so that she deferred telling him of what had passed until he was a little soberer the next morning. But when he came to understand the danger he had a It must be obvious to every reader, that two bottles of wine would bear no proportion to the other parts of the present, nor answer the exigencies which David's army might be in, if they 'be understood of such bottles as are now commonly in use with us: but in these eastern countries, they used to carry and keep their wine and water in leathern bags, made on purpose to hold liquid things, which vessels they called, or at least we translate, bottles. Such were the bottles which the Gibeonites brought to Joshua's camp, which they said were worn out, and torn in their pretended long journey, Josh. ix. 13. And of such as those it is not unlikely, that our Saviour speaks, Mat. ix. 17. where, in the marginal note of our old Bible, bottles are explained by bags of leather, or skins, borachios, wherein wine was carried on asses or camels; and that two such vessels as these might hold a quantity of wine proportionate to the rest of the present, which Abigail carried with her, needs not to be disputed.-Howell's History, in the notes. The speech which the sacred historian puts in Abigail's mouth, upon this occasion, is certainly an artful piece of eloquence, full of fine turns and insinuations; nor is that of Josephus, especially in the conclusion, much amiss;- Be pleased, Sir, I beseech you, to accept of the good will of your poor servant in these small presents, and upon my humble request, to pass over the offence of my husband, who has so justly incurred your displeasure; for there is nothing so well becoming the character of a person, whom providence designs for a crown, as clemency and compassion.'-Jewish Antiquities, b. 6. c. 14. c The words in the original are, he became a stone;' but our translation has wisely supplied the particle as, which should always be done, when the Scripture affirms something of another that is not absolutely of the same nature. We may observe however, that this manner of expression is very common among profane authors. Thus Ovid brings in Ariadne expressing her griefs and astonishment at the loss of Theseus, who had left her in the island Dia: "Cold and wan I sat on a rock, gazing on the sea, and as much as the stone was my seat so much was I myself a stone."-The like expression is used of Hecuba, when she saw the dead body of her son Polydorus: "Like the hard stone she stood dumb and torpid." But in the case of Niobe, who is said Questions, observes, that this fable only represents her perpetual to be turned into a statue of stone, Cicero, in his Tusculan silence in mourning: and accordingly Josephus tells us of Nabal, that when his wife told him of the danger he had escaped, he was struck with such an astonishment, that he fell into a dead numbness all over his body, of which he soon died.-Le Clerc's Commentary, and Dis. de statua salis. d The reason of Saul's putting this indignity upon David, was to extinguish as far as he could, all relation and kindred, and to cut off his hopes and pretences to the crown upon that account: but as the Jewish doctors are of opinion, that this Phalti, to whom she was given, was a very pious man, and would never approach her, because she was another man's wife, and as David had never been divorced from her, he received her again, when he came to the throne.-Poole's Annotations, and Calmet's Commentary. e The inconstancy, falseness, and implacable rage of this prince is really inconceivable. Not long ago, he was obliged to David for his life, and acknowledged his error, and made David swear that he would be kind and merciful to his posterity; and yet now he openly declares himself again his enemy, and goes in pursuit of him to kill him.-Patrick's Commentary. f This may seem a bold and strange attempt for two persons to go into the midst of an army of 3000 chosen men; but in answer to this, many things may be considered: as that, according to the accounts of many credible historians, several gallant men have attempted things of no less danger and difficulty than this was; that David had all along assurance given him, that God would preserve him in all dangers to succeed in the kingdom; and that at this time, he might have a particular impulse and incitement from God to go upon this enterprise, and might possibly be informed by him, that he had cast them into a deep sleep, that he might give him this second opportunity of manifesting to Saul his innocence, and the justness of his cause. Not to say, that as secrecy, at this time, was the great point, David might think himself safer, in this respect, with one single companion, than with more.-Poole's Annotations, and The Life of King David, g That it was customary for warriors, when they laid them down to rest, to have their arms placed in order by them, is evi A. M. 2888. A. C. 1116; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 4301. A. C. 1110. I SAM, i. TO THE END. head, a he bid him bring with him, that he might show | king of Gath, a safe-conduct for himself and his retinue, the king how much his life had been at his mercy and he, for some time, lived in the royal city; but not liking accordingly when they had got at a convenient distance, his accommodation here so well, as he grew in favour David, with a loud voice, called unto Abner, and, in with the king ever more and more, he obtained of him an 6 ironical manner, upbraided him with this neglect of at last to have the town of Ziklag assigned for his hapreserving the king's life, since his spear, and the cruise bitation, and, as soon as he was settled here, several of of water that were so near his bed's head, were so easily Saul's best officers and soldiers came over to him. taken from him: and when Saul, upon hearing his voice, David at first had some suspicion of them; but having, came out of the camp, and spake to him, he expostulated for some time, made trial of their fidelity, he received with him, much in the same manner as he did after his them into his service, and gave them commands: and escape from the cave, with this additional complaint, with this accession to his army he was enabled to make that by thus expelling him from his own country, he several excursions against the Amalekites, and other forced him to converse with infidels, and, as much as in nations, in which he was accustomed to kill all, that him lay, to embrace their religion. Whereupon Saul, none might carry information, and, at the same time, by accusing himself of cruelty, and applauding David's certain ambiguous expressions, made the king believe, generosity, confessed his guilt, and promised, for the that the booty he brought back with him, was taken from future, never to make any further attempts upon his the Israelites, which was no unpleasant news. life. But notwithstanding these specious declarations, David, who knew the instability of Saul's temper, and how impossible it was for him to live in safety, while he continued in his dominions, determined at last to go over to the Philistines; and having obtained from Achish, dent from what Silius Italicus tells us of Mago, Hannibal's brother. "He, following the warlike custom of his forefathers, lay resting his wearied limbs on a bull's hide, and in sleep forgot the heavy cares of life; not far from the hero was his sword fixed in the earth, and on its hilt was suspended his tremendous helmet, while around him on the ground his shield and coat of mail and spear, and bow, and sling, lay huddled together."-B. vii. But long before Silius, Homer describes the Thracians sleeping in this manner in their tents: "The toil-worn heroes slept and near them their beautiful armour hung in graceful order," &c. Il. x. a 1 Sam. xxvi. 7. A description very similar to this is given by Homer of Diomed sleeping in his arms with his soldiers about him, and spears sticking upright in the earth. Without his tent bold Diomed they found, All sheath'd in arms, his brave companions round; A wood of spears stood by, that fixed upright, Iliad, iii. 89.- Pope.-ED. This speech, which David makes to Abner, according to Josephus, is to this effect. Are not you a fit man to be a prince's favourite, a general of his army, to take upon you the guard of his royal person, and under all these honourable obligations, to lie dozing, and stretching yourself at ease, when your master's life is in danger? Can you tell me, what is become of the king's lance, and the pitcher of water, that were this night taken by the enemy out of his tent, and from his very bedside, and you, in the mean time, all snoring about him, without knowing any thing of the matter? Whether this was neglect or treachery, it is the same thing; you certainly deserve to lose your head for it.'-Jewish Antiquities, b. 6. c. 14. c Whether this was the same Achish, mentioned 1 Sam. xxi. 10. with whom David took shelter at his first flight from Saul, or some successor of the same name, is a matter of some conjecture: His being called Achish, the son of Maoch,' seems to imply that he was a different person; because, in the nature of things, these words can have no use, but only to distinguish this Achish from another of the same name. But whoever it was, it is highly probable, that he either had invited David to come thither for his security, or that David had sent beforehand ambassadors to treat with him, and to obtain his royal promise of protection. And this we are the rather induced to believe, because both found their advantage by this alliance: David secured himself against the persecutions of Saul; and Achish, knowing David's valour, and the number of troops which came along with him, thought he should give a powerful diversion to the forces of Israel, if he could at this time attach David to his In short, to such a degree of confidence was he grown with Achish, that he proposed taking him along with him to the war, which the Philistines had at this time declared against Saul; but some of the chief men about him declaring against it, as being apprehensive that in the day of battle he might possibly turn against them, prevailed with the king to dismiss him. This was an agreeable turn to David; yet he so far dissembled the interest. But whether David did well or ill in either suing for e In 1 Sam. xv. 7. we read, that Saul smote the Amalekites, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword;' and yet we find here David making frequent incursions upon the Amalekites; and therefore the meaning of the former passage must be, that Saul destroyed as many of them as fell into his hands; for several of them might make their escape from Saul into the deserts that lay towards Arabia Felix, and upon his retreat, return and repossess their old habitation.-Le Clerc's Commentary. The words wherein David answered this question of Achish, Whither have you made a road to-day?' are these, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites,' (1 Sam. xxvii. 10.) By which nations David, in reality, meant the Geshurites, and the Gezerites, who were both of them relicts of the Canaanites, whom God ordered to be extirpated, and who did, in truth, live to the south of Judah; but Achish understood him in a quite contrary sense, namely, that he had fallen upon his own countrymen. So that since the formality of a lie consists in our imposing upon those with whom we converse, we cannot but allow, that though David's answer may not be called a downright lie, yet it is an equivocation with an intent to deceive, badly comporting with that honesty and simplicity which became David, both as a prince and professor of the true religion, wherein he is no way to be excused, and much less to be imitated.-Poole's Annota tions. |