XXVI. (1 Samuel 26:1) The Ziphites again Betray David to Saul — David surprises Saul asleep in his Camp, but once more Spares his Life, simply taking away the royal Spear and a Cruse of Water — Saul is again Moved by David’s Nobleness.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ZIPHITES CAME UNTO SAUL. — There is grave difficulty connected with the recital contained in this chapter. Is it another account of the incident told in 1 Samuel 24, 26 by a different narrator? This is the opinion of some modern expositors of weight: for instance, Ewald and the Bishop of Bath an... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAUL AROSE, AND WENT DOWN TO THE WILDERNESS OF ZIPH. — We assume, then, that after the marriage of David with Abigail he and his armed band returned again to his old neighbourhood in the south — in the desert of Judah — the district named after the Hill of Hachilah being, no doubt, in all respe... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT DAVID ABODE IN THE WILDERNESS. — The former incident, when David spared Saul’s life, happened long after the information of the Ziphites brought the king to the hill “Hachilah, on the south of Jeshimon.” _Then_ David, on hearing of the march of Saul and his army, retired into the wilderness of M... [ Continue Reading ]
AND DAVID AROSE. — Immediately after the scouts informed him of the purpose of Saul, and of the near proximity of the royal army David seems to have resolved upon that night adventure which resulted in the episode told in this twenty-sixth chapter. IN THE TRENCH. — The English Version (Margin) has,... [ Continue Reading ]
AHIMELECH THE HITTITE. — The Hittites were one of the old Canaanitish peoples; we hear of them round Hebron in the time of Abraham (Genesis 15:20). The conquering Israelites subdued, but did not exterminate them; and gradually, in the days of the weakness and divisions which succeeded the first conq... [ Continue Reading ]
WITHIN THE TRENCH. — As above, in 1 Samuel 26:5, “within the barrier of the wagons.” HIS SPEAR... AT HIS BOLSTER. — “Bolster,” literally, _the place where his head is,_ better rendered _at his head;_ and so in 1 Samuel 26:11; 1 Samuel 26:16. The same Hebrew word occurs in the narration of Jacob’s dr... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL NOT SMITE HIM THE SECOND TIME. — The meaning of _the_ savage words of Abishai is accurately given in Lange’s paraphrase, “I will pin him to the ground so thoroughly with one blow that it will not need another to kul him;” “_et secundo non opus erit”_ as the Vulg. well renders it.... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAINST THE LORD’S ANOINTED. — David — taught, no doubt, by the prophet Samuel — looked upon the person of Saul as made sacred and inviolable by the royal anointing. Through the anointing Saul had become the possession of Jehovah; only Jehovah, then, could lawfully take away that sacred life. This h... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID SAID FURTHERMORE. — David suggests three possible cases in which the Divine arm might smite the “anointed of Jehovah.” The first, the Lord “shall smite him” by some sudden death from disease — no doubt, the recent death of Nabal was in his mind; the second by what is termed “natural death;” an... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPEAR. — The spear was Saul’s especial sign of royalty. “This taking away of the spear from Saul’s head as he slept was an omen of the transfer of his royalty to David.” — _Bishop Patrick,_ quoted by Wordsworth. AND THE CRUSE OF WATER. — “A very ancient usage explains why the cruse of water is h... [ Continue Reading ]
NO MAN SAW IT, NOR KNEW IT, NEITHER AWAKED. — The Hebrew is more graphic: “And none saw, and none knew, and none awaked.” A DEEP SLEEP FROM THE LORD. — The inference here, at first sight, certainly is that an unnatural, or rather, a supernatural drowsiness had fallen on the camp of Saul. Still, it i... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID WENT OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE. — That is to say, after taking the royal spear and cruse of water from beside the sleeping king, David with Abishai left the camp of Saul, then, crossing the deep ravine, re-ascended the opposite hill or mountain — there was then a deep gorge between him and the ca... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO ART THOU THAT CRIEST TO THE KING? — The Vulg. rightly interprets with “Who art thou that criest and disquietest the king?” that is, disturbs the king’s rest with your shouting.... [ Continue Reading ]
A VALIANT MAN. — The English translators have rightly emphasised the Hebrew _ish_ here by rendering a “valiant” man. _Ish_ was used not unfrequently in this “nobler” sense; so in Psalms 49:2, when the _b’ne adam,_ as “the poor mean ones,” were contrasted with the _b’ne ish, “_the noble ones.” (See a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAUL KNEW DAVID’S VOICE. — The account is most natural throughout. 1 Samuel 26:7 speaks of the enterprise being undertaken “by night,” when the soldiers of Saul had fallen into “a deep sleep” (1 Samuel 26:12). When David on his return stood on the opposite ridge, it was still, no doubt, the dawn... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT HAVE I DONE? — The whole address of David to Saul is intensely reverent, even loving. The conspicuous trophy of his late “night raid” was in his hand; we can imagine the first rays of the morning sun lighting up the glittering royal spear grasped by David. Saul could not help recognising that a... [ Continue Reading ]
LET HIM ACCEPT AN OFFERING. — The words here are difficult ones in a theological point of view. If, however, we are content to interpret them with Bishop Wordsworth according to the Arabic Version of the Chaldee Targum, the difficulty vanishes: “If the Lord hath stirred thee up against me for any fa... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE THE FACE OF THE LORD. — Better rendered, _far from the presence of the Lord._ The same thought dwelt upon in the last verse is here enlarged. “If this savage persecution continues,” David goes on to say, “sooner or later I shall fall a victim to one or other of the countless perils to which o... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE PLAYED THE FOOL. — There seems something more in these words of Saul than sorrow for the past. He seems to blame himself here, as the Dean of Canterbury well suggests, for putting himself again in David’s power through overweening confidence in his own strength. He reproaches himself with the... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT BOTH DO GREAT THINGS. — “Saul is here again ‘among the prophets,’ and foretells David’s exaltation and victory. _‘_Vicisti Nazarene!’ was the exclamation of Julian.” — _Bishop Wordsworth._... [ Continue Reading ]