_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 ]