_JONATHAN AND HIS ARMOUR-BEARER CLIMB A ROCK, AND KILL TWENTY OF THE PHILISTINES; THE REST, BEING TERRIFIED, FLY: SAUL PURSUETH THEM: JONATHAN, IGNORANT OF AN ADJURATION WHICH SAUL HAD MADE, EATS HONEY, AND IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH BY HIS FATHER; BUT IS DELIVERED BY THE PEOPLE._ _Before Christ 1065._... [ Continue Reading ]
A POMEGRANATE TREE, &C.— _A grove of pomegranate trees,_ [Hiller. 144.] _which is by Migron._... [ Continue Reading ]
JONATHAN SAID TO THE YOUNG MAN THAT BARE HIS ARMOUR— We are to consider this whole exploit as undertaken and carried on by the immediate impulse of God. Josephus supposes that Jonathan went away in the night. _Do all that is in thine heart,_ in the next verse, signifies, _whatever thou devisest and... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT FIRST SLAUGHTER, &C.— The expression in this verse, possibly, was proverbial. It imports only, that this slaughter was made in a very small compass: that Jonathan slew twenty men within the space of half an acre of ground. This sudden and unexpected attack of Jonathan's threw them into a panic... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID SAUL—NUMBER NOW, &C.— Though, Saul must easily have missed Jonathan, he could not suppose that he would fall upon the Philistines without a number of resolute persons to assist him. But when he found that his armour-bearer alone attended him, desirous to enquire into the reason of the matt... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, THE HEBREWS, &C.— Our translators have well expressed here the sense of the text. But it seems hard to allow them the liberty of inserting so many words as they have done, which are not in the Hebrew. To make out the sense they have put in the words _that,_ and _from the country,_ and _tur... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MEN OF ISRAEL WERE DISTRESSED, &C.— Houbigant renders this verse in the following manner: _On the same day, after the Israelites were assembled together, Saul bound them by the following oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food before the evening, until I be avenged of mine enemi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE PEOPLE WERE COME INTO THE WOOD, &C.— Wild honey, which was part of St. John Baptist's food in the wilderness, may give us an idea of the great plenty of it in those deserts; and that consequently, by taking the hint of nature, and enticing the bees into hives and larger colonies, a much... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE—HOW MINE EYES HAVE BEEN ENLIGHTENED, BECAUSE I TASTED— _See—how my eyes have_ {_sparkled_ / _shone_} _since I tasted._ Waterland.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID, YE HAVE TRANSGRESSED: ROLL A GREAT STONE UNTO ME— The people were so extremely faint through want of food, that they flew upon the spoil, 1 Samuel 14:32 like ravenous birds, and forgot to pour out the blood upon the ground, according to the precepts of their law: to prevent the repetiti... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SAME WAS THE FIRST ALTAR THAT HE BUILT UNTO THE LORD— In the Margin of our Bibles, _that altar he began to build unto the Lord; i.e_. he laid the first stone himself. Houbigant after the Arabic reads, _and when he had begun to build an altar unto the Lord,_ 1 Samuel 14:36. _He said, Let us,_ &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAUL ASKED COUNSEL OF GOD— The people being ready to go down with Saul, the high-priest advised him first to take counsel of God; to which he readily consented. The high-priest, doubtless, had his reasons, as the event shews; for, in consequence of Jonathan's involuntary offence, no answer could... [ Continue Reading ]
GIVE A PERFECT LOT— There is nothing for _lot_ in the original, and our Marginal _shew the innocent,_ is rather an explanation than a version. The following is Houbigant's version: _And Saul said unto the Lord God of Israel,_ [_shew unto us why thou hast not answered thy servant Saul this day. If th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PEOPLE SAID UNTO SAUL— Lowman, speaking of the authority of the congregation or general assembly of the people of Israel, observes, that "like the popular assemblies of other governments, they had some jurisdiction in criminal causes. When Saul had adjudged Israel not to eat any food till th... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE SONS OF SAUL WERE JONATHAN, &C.— i.e. three sons, who signalised themselves in the wars here mentioned. _Ish-bosheth,_ mentioned 1 Chronicles 8:33 under the name of _Esh-baal,_ was too young to go to war, and therefore he is omitted in this place. _REFLECTIONS ON 1 SAMUEL 14:36_.—1st. Saul... [ Continue Reading ]