1 Samuel 19 - Introduction
_JONATHAN DEFENDS DAVID BEFORE SAUL, WHO ENDEAVOURS TO KILL HIM. DAVID FLIES TO SAMUEL: SAUL, GOING TO SEEK FOR HIM, MEETS A COMPANY OF PROPHETS, AND PROPHESIES AMONG THEM._ _Before Christ 1063._... [ Continue Reading ]
_JONATHAN DEFENDS DAVID BEFORE SAUL, WHO ENDEAVOURS TO KILL HIM. DAVID FLIES TO SAMUEL: SAUL, GOING TO SEEK FOR HIM, MEETS A COMPANY OF PROPHETS, AND PROPHESIES AMONG THEM._ _Before Christ 1063._... [ Continue Reading ]
SAUL SPAKE TO JONATHAN— Jonathan, when Saul ordered him to kill David, disobeyed the command, and, instead of murdering him, pleaded his innocence and merits as reasons for saving him. He also disclosed to David his father's design and fixed resolution to destroy him; and, in my judgment, neither wa... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAUL SWARE, AS THE LORD LIVETH, HE SHALL NOT BE SLAIN— To judge of Saul by his future conduct, we should be tempted to believe, that he swore only the better to deceive his son Jonathan. But when we consider well the character of this prince, weak, inconstant, passionate, we may suppose, without... [ Continue Reading ]
TO SLAY HIM IN THE MORNING— Calmet supposes that there was some superstition which prevented executions by night. He observes, that the Philistines acted the same with regard to Samson; Judges 16:2. The Mahometans also, to this very day, never do any thing of the kind at night.... [ Continue Reading ]
MICHAL TOOK AN IMAGE— In the Hebrew it is תרפים _teraphim;_ which teraphim, it plainly follows from hence, must have been figures of the human form; for the design of Michal was manifestly to deceive the messengers of Saul, by shewing them something in a bed so far resembling a man as to make them b... [ Continue Reading ]
MICHAL ANSWERED SAUL, HE SAID UNTO ME, LET ME GO, &C.— We have an account of an action of a woman, Polyxena, the sister of the famous Dionysius, tyrant of Sicily, which is as noble and generous as this of Michal's. Her husband was accused of treason. He fled away by means of her contrivance: Dionysi... [ Continue Reading ]
HE AND SAMUEL WENT, AND DWELT IN NAIOTH— The Chaldee renders this as if it was an appellation, _the school of learning._ This was the famous school of the prophets. As many have been at a loss to ascertain the specific nature of these schools, it will not be unseasonable to endeavour to remove their... [ Continue Reading ]
SAUL SENT MESSENGERS TO TAKE DAVID—AND HE WENT THITHER, &C.— One intent of this prophesying of the messengers and Saul was to prevent them from seizing, and him from murdering, certainly David, and probably, in the same fit of rage, Samuel, and the company of the prophets who harboured them. And whe... [ Continue Reading ]
HE STRIPPED OFF HIS CLOTHES—AND LAY DOWN NAKED— When Saul went down to Naioth he went like himself, with the military dress and distinguishing habit of a king; and when he prophesied, he put off his military habit or vestment, and thus appeared like the rest of the prophets, a plain, disarmed, and t... [ Continue Reading ]