XXIII. (1 Samuel 23:1) David Saves Keilah. — He enquires of God by means of the Urim and Thummim, and leaves treacherous Keilah. — He sees Jonathan once more. — The Ziphites Betray him to Saul. — He is Saved by an Invasion of the Philistines.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THEY TOLD DAVID.... — For this and like duties the prophet Gad (1 Samuel 22:5) had summoned David to return with his armed band to Judah. There was a great work ready to his hand in his own country at that juncture. Saul was becoming more and more neglectful of his higher duty — that of protect... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID ENQUIRED OF THE LORD. — The enquiry was not made of the priest wearing the ephod, by means of the Urim and Thummim, for, according to 1 Samuel 23:6, Abiathar, the high priest who succeeded the murdered Ahimelech, only joined David at Keilah, the citizens of which place were then asking for his... [ Continue Reading ]
HERE IN JUDAH. — This does not imply that Keilah was out of the territory of Judah, but simply that the district in the neighbourhood round Keilah was at that time under Philistine domination. The open country in times of Philistine supremacy first fell under their control; their strong places, like... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID ENQUIRED... YET AGAIN. — This second enquiry, made for the sake of inspiring his little army with confidence before embarking on the seemingly desperate attempt, was, as in the previous case mentioned in 1 Samuel 23:2, no doubt through the prophet Gad. Abiathar had not yet arrived with the eph... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH AN EPHOD IN HIS HAND. — The difficulty-here with the version and commentators is that they failed to understand that enquiry of the Lord could be made in any other mode than through the Urim. (See Note above on 1 Samuel 23:2.) Saul in happier days, we know, enquired and received replies _“throu... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD HATH DELIVERED HIM INTO MINE HAND. — There was little chance, Saul knew, of his being able to capture or slay his foe when he was roaming at large through the desert and forests which lay to the south of Palestine, and which stretched far southward beyond the reach of any armed force that he cou... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAUL CALLED ALL THE PEOPLE TOGETHER. — Such a summons to war on the part of the sovereign has been always a royal right. The plea, of course, alleged for this “summons” was the necessity of an immediate national effort against the hereditary enemies of the people.... [ Continue Reading ]
SECRETLY PRACTISED MISCHIEF. — The idea of secrecy suggested in the English translation does not appear in the Hebrew; the accurate rendering would be, “was forging, or devising.” It is likely enough that Jonathan contrived to keep his friend informed of these Court plots against him. BRING HITHER T... [ Continue Reading ]
WILL THE MEN OF KEILAH DELIVER ME UP INTO HIS HAND? WILL SAUL COME DOWN, AS THY SERVANT HATH HEARD? — There is a curious inversion of David’s questions here. In their logical sequence, of course the second, respecting Saul’s coming down, should have been put first, for the men of Keilah could not ha... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH WERE ABOUT SIX HUNDRED. — This is the only note we have in this part of the narrative of the rapid increase of the number of “men-at-arms” who joined David. WHITHERSOEVER THEY COULD. — That is, the armed camp of David was pitched without any fixed plan or aim. Probably the force was marched i... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WILDERNESS OF ZIPH. — This wilderness probably lies between Hebron and En-gedi. Some of these “stations” in the wanderings of the future king are only doubtfully identified. Cowper’s musical — though perhaps, according to our recent canons of taste, old-fashioned — lines well describe the Psalmi... [ Continue Reading ]
IN A WOOD. — Some have understood this as a proper name, Horesh. There is no trace of the wood now. The land lost its ornament of trees centuries ago, through the desolating hand of man. — _Van der Velde. _... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JONATHAN SAUL’S SON AROSE, AND WENT TO DAVID. — Some have wished to show that the account of the last interview between the friends really belongs to the secret meeting between David and Jonathan recounted in 1 Samuel 20, and that it has got transposed; but such a view is quite untenable, for th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SHALL BE NEXT UNTO THEE. — To us — who read a few pages on in the record of these times how this same generous, loving friend found a grave on Mount Gilboa instead of a home with David, whom he admired with so ungrudging an admiration — these words of Jonathan possess a pathetic interest of th... [ Continue Reading ]
_(_19_)_ THE ZIPHITES. — The words of these Ziphites, and the king’s grateful reply, show that they were very warm adherents of Saul, entirely devoted to his fortunes, and well aware of his passionate desire to be rid of David. ON THE SOUTH OF JESHIMON. — Jeshimon is not the name of a place, but it... [ Continue Reading ]
THROUGHOUT ALL THE THOUSANDS OF JUDAH. — The “thousands” (Heb., _alaphim_)_,_ as we learn from Numbers 1:16; Numbers 10:4, were the greater tribal divisions. Judah was especially mentioned by Saul as being “the tribe of David,” and where he found probably the larger number of his adherents. It was t... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE WILDERNESS OF MAON. — Still further to the south. The name of this district is still preserved in the village or small town of Main, which is built on a prominent conical hill. IN THE PLAIN. — This accurate description was, no doubt, inserted by the compiler of these books, owing to the inten... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MOUNTAIN. — Conder, in his _Tent Life in Palestine,_ identifies this spot with high probability. Indeed, his whole book is most instructive and trustworthy, and to the reader interested in these scenes in the life of David, as well as in those other many events which have taken place in the Stor... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PHILISTINES HAVE INVADED THE LAND. — This, as _Lange_ well observes, was “God’s plan to save David.” The Philistines had probably availed themselves of the opportunity which Saul’s withdrawal of his forces southward to surround the armed band of David had given them, and were invading in force t... [ Continue Reading ]
SELA-HAMMAHLEKOTH. — Literally, as in the margin of our Bibles, _the rock_ (or, still better, _the cliff_)_ of divisions._ Other scholars, with greater reason, prefer the derivation from a Hebrew word signifying _to be smooth — _the cliff of smoothness: that is, of slipping away or escaping. Ewald r... [ Continue Reading ]