PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel
Robert Payne Smith [1818-1895] · 500,296 words · 562 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 481
Vers. 1-44. (THE WILDERNESS OF PARAN.)-IJavid's activity and advancement. "And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran" (ver. 1). Samuel' was dead. Saul was becoming more and more incapable of fulfilling the dutiee of his high office. Meanwhile David was being prepared by Divine providence to grasp the sc…
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was very different now from what it was at the beginning of his wanderings, was manifested in his whole bearing, and especially in the marriage relationships into which he entered (vera. 42-44). 6. The increased renoum which he bad acquired. The words of Abigail (vern. 28-31) expressed the growing conviction of the god…
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those who were beneath him in social position, headstrong, and resentful of every word which his servants might say to him in opposition to his way and for his good (n\r, 17); ill_iberal t_oward the needy, unjust and ungrateful," requiting evil for good" (Yer. 21); d1sparag11:ig the charac~er an1 conduct of others (ver…
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their own ; honesty, thorough sincerity, "ae the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart." III. THE DUTY 01' MASTERS (Ephes. vi. 9; Col. iv. 1 ). 1. Equity; giving to them "that which is just and equal," and imposing upon them no unnecessary burdens (Mai. iii. 5; James v. 4). 2. Consideratwn, respect,…
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Yer. 29. (CARMEL. )-:-The bundle of life. 1. The bundle of life, or the living (the ,rnrd bnndle. tsei·or, bemg used once before of the bag or pnrse of money which each of Joseph's brethren found in his sack of corn, Gen. xiii. 35), signifies the society , r congregation of the livinq out of which men arc taken and …
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ing it and thereby preventing the net. The latter alone tmly teats and reveals the. character. And of this nature was the restraint put upon Davi,! when he was on his way to inflict vengeance on Nabal and his household for the affront which he had received. 2. His terrible purpose seems surprising after his forbeara…
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-clearncs\ of her jndgment, and '.he strength of her ~aith in not fearing the displea-· sure of N aha! or the wrath of Kmg Saul, but declanng her confident belief that the. Lord "·ould raise David to be ruler over Israel. On this ground she entreated him nol to burden his conscience or sully his name with a hastv de…
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on the hill Hachilah, while David, instead CHAPTER XXVI. of being all but caught as before, had scouts 8AtrL, ON INFORMATION FROM THE ZIPH· to watch Saul's movements, and was himself lTEB, AGAIN BEEK., TO DESTROY DAVID (vers. safe in the wilderness on the south. On 1-3). Ver. 1.-The Ziphites came unto the previous oc…
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the higher gron11tl, ns he spcnks in ver. 6 of the hend is." Like David's men in eh. xxiv. going do1rn to Saul's cnmp. And he saw. 4, Abishai sees in Saul's defenceless con- I. e. learned, was told. It was only when his dition a !?roof that it was God's will that hfr scouts brought him their report that he knew shou…
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the word mliant (comp. 0h. iv. 9). No to c_arry it to God's throne in prayer, iw special valour was needed; any one worthy D_av1d ur~es S~ul to ~e'.'k for Jhe rp1ieting of of the name of man ought to have guarded his emotions in religion. Under holy in- his master better. Who is like to thee- fluences these fierce p…
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C"om·ey the idea rather of ,exation with him- for which act God, he affirms will protect self than of sorrow for his maliciousness, yet· his life. Ver. 24 would be bett:ir translated in one point there is a sign of better things, cc And. behold! as tl~y lifo WII.S great (i~ He bids Da,id return, evidently with refer- v…
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cunning men intent on making out a consistent theory of their own. For such men would have made each document to square in detail with the one preceding, and com- pilers intent on furthering a theory handed down by tradition would hr1ve been careful to exclude all separate documents not manifestly coherent with others.…
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Vers. 13-25.-Ajflictions and rigliteousness. The facts are-I. David seeks to arou~e the attention of Saul by an appeal to Abner, blended- with reproof of his Tieghge!1ce. 2. Saul, on recognising David's voice, is answered by him in terms ~xpre_ss1ve of l_oyal homage. 3. David appeals to Saul with respect to his cond…
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Ill. That THE DEFECTIVE MORAL CONDITION OF WF.AK MINDS LAYS THF.lf OPB:N TO THE PEilNJCIOUS CONTfiOL OF P.Asr,; MEN OF STRONGER MIND. David hit the mark when he said, "If they be the children of men." The strong-willed men at the romt of Saul, and referred to in the Psalms, had obtained influence over him, and hy lies …
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-12. (T1rn HILL OF HACHILAII.)-The man worthy of the sceptre. "And David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster" (ver. 12). 1. David's innocence with respect to any evil design against Saul was fully vindicated at their previous meeting. Saul himself was melted…
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ever on the alert, and he watched while others slept (vers. 4, 16). 3. Courage. "Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?" (ver. 6). Even the brave Hittite dared not accept the challenge, and or,ly Abishai (afterwards David's pre- server-2 Sam. xxi. 17) would accompany him. They went fearlessly (like Jonathan and …
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sceptre of uprightness." The highest realisation of these principles appears in One greater than David, and alone" worthy to recei,-e" the sceptre of universal dominion { eh. ii: 10; 2 Sam. xxiii. 2; Phil. ii. 9; Heb. i. 8; Hev. v. 5, 12).-D. Vers. 13-16. (THE HILL OF HACHILAH.)-illanliness. "Art not thou a man?" {-er…
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camp-fires, together with the intense silence of the place, would enable the quick eye and enr of David to perceive its position and defenceless condition. And it may have been early morning when, on his return from his adventurous and successfol -enterprise, the voice of David rang across the ravine which separated hi…
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or jmlgment on the impenitent" (Kmtz). 3. Fervent enti·eaty of an enemy t<>· a 1,(llid7.n/1iaS unjust, unpitying, and 1tnworthy d~signs. "Now, therefore," &c. (ver. 20). 1 lns speech of David was thoroughly smted to sharpen Saul's conscience and lend him to give up h;~ enmity, if he st!ll l~ad an ear for the_ voice …
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He seems as one whose footsteps halt, Toiling in immeasurable sand, And o'er a weary, sultry land, Far beneath a blazing vault, Sown in a wrinkle of the monstrous hill, The city sparkles like a grain of salt" (Tennyson). D. Ver. 21. (THE HILL 011' HACHILAH.)-Playing the fool. "Behold, I have played foe fool, and…
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clumsy C'Ompiler. The reduplication is in harmony with Biblical usage· nay more. it is in harmony with historiC'al trnth. ' ' ' II, HISTORY IS FULL OF RErETITION. In private life the same conditions recur with start.ling precision; and in public affairs the same emergencies occur again and again, and lead to the same …
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ing that if he followed him in to Philistine CHAPTER XXVII. territory he would provoke a war, for which DAVID AGAIN SEEKS PROTECTION AT GATH he was not now preparecl. It has been (vers. 1-4). Ver. 1.-David said in his pointed out that David probably introduced heart. Hebrew, "to his heart," to himself from Gath the s…
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Yer. i.-A full year. Hebrew, "days." David great reno:rn, for in 1 Chro_n. xii. 1-22 Rnshi nrgues in fav0ur of its meaning .~ome wo read of warriors from far dIStant tiibea days, nnd Josephus snys the time of David's coming to him to swell his forces and the st.ny in Philistia was "four months and enthusiasm for him…
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HOMILETICS. Vera. 1-4.-Loss of faith. The facts are-1. David, fearing lest he should fall Jy the hand of Saul, deems it better to go to the land of the Philistines. 2. He and hie family and attendants are received by Achish at Gath. 3. Saul, hearing of this seeks him no more. There is II latent thought in many minds t…
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Vers. 5-12.-The perils of expeduncy. The facts are-1. David, being unwilli11g- to live in the royal city, seeks and obtains Ziklag as his place of abode. 2. During- his stay there he makes war on neighbouring tribes. 3. He gives .Achish the im- pression that be was acting in hostility to Judah, and so creates the be…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-Unbelief and its 1tnworlh'/f device. This history metes out equal justice, -and, having shown to us the perversity of Saul, immediately exposes to us the fault of David, for he also, though no fool, returned to folly.· In both cases equity and •-charity allow some 'plea of extenu…
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he trt under a cloak of-seeming goodness? The real clue to his misconduct lies here- that he lost hold of Goel and fell through unbelief, allowed himself to doubt whether God would or could keep him in some strait, anrl took to trusting and keeping himself. So he fell into unworthy company, or betook himself to unworth…
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DiYi11e proYidC'nce has appointed his lot. The fearful am! faithless shrink from·. difficulties which in a better stl\te of mind they encounterc<l boldlY. II. "'nEREDY IT 1s OCCASIONED. The infl1icnccs prodllctive of it are partly-1. E:r:ternal and physical. Numerous perils, long hardship, constant watchfulness, gr…
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Vera. 3-12. (GATH, ZIKLAG.}-David's residence among tlie Pliilistines. David: had taken the decisive step, croRsed the border, and passed with his 600 men and their families (" a little ambulant kingdom") into the Philistine territory. His position was very different now from what it had been five or six years befor…
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hrethren of Brnjamin' -evidently from dissatisfaction with the turn which things h:~d taken (see a~so 2 Sam. xv. ~6-23). "As a matter of fact, David in this city laid the foundation of all 111s kingdom. Here he could already rule with greater freedom and indrpendence, collect fugitives and deserters around him in la…
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x xxi. 7, if not confined to the valley of word" ventriloquist," and is followed by most F,sdra.elon, as in 1 Chron. x. 7, were never- modern commentators. Wizards. Hebrew, rtheless nil of them to the north of Mount "knowing ones," from the verb to know; ,GiJboa, thus leaving Ephraim, Benjamin, just as wizard comes fr…
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up n f]"('sh sanctuary, perhaps at Gibcon, dismissed as due to tho imagination of '1ith Zadok, of the family of Elcazar, as high painters. As the journey was vory dan- priest. This would account for Zadok being gerous, Saul disguised himself, and went joined "·ith Ahimclech, the son of Abiathar, by night, accomp.'\u…
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the risk of his life, to seek help from a sor- Vers. 15, 16.-Why hast thou disquieted ceress, he bears it all that he may at least me l I. e. Why h'lSt thou caused me to be for a, few minutes see the spirit of the true disturbed by th~ incantations of this woman r though stern monitor, whose memory once Neither by prop…
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Dand"s head. In this dire extremity his from bodily exhaustion, as he hnd gone all the one wish is to pry into futurity aud learn his day and all the night without food. It was fate. There is no submission to God, no this long-continued violent emotion of feeling soi-row for disobedience, no sign of even a which had dr…
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to speak so n.s not to be objects of suspicion. To say exactly what we mean and to act with singleness of purpose is to approximate towards the "simplicity that is in Christ" (cf. Rom. xii. 8; 2 Cor. i. 12; xi. .3). II. UNTIMELY TROUBLES. Troubles are in the way; at any time, but there are seasons when their presen…
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easily cond\1cted in proportion as men are honest and simple in word and deed. 8. Those only who learn the lessons of trouble in their early stage will escape later evils. 4. We should be thankful to God for hedgi11g our erring steps with difficulties. 5. It is a comfort to the holy that the principles ruling in the…
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at the request of such a man as Saul, and through an agency condemned in the Bible, Now on this difficult subject it may sulJice for our purpose to observe-I. A revela- tion of God's purpose towards mankind in connection with and by means of the history of a race is natural only in so far as it embraces what the chi…
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st.i!ion ,u-e evidence of the po,wr of the religious sentiment in man. Thousands of men have done much to crush it out, but it has reasserted itself in seasons of distress. Ileranse man is formed for religion, and carries within him feelings which crnve for the_ unseen and ~ternal, therefore he of-ten_ becomes the slav…
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poaea of God had brought the unhappy man to a time a.nd position in which no action on hie part could rever8e the judgment impending. Too late I So is it in hum;in life still. Men may pereist in evil ways at home or in business till ruin of domestic peace and of prospects is inevitable, and no course is open for ret…
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oursel_n•s. The escape from so awful a position is by fleeing now for refuge to Christ our Righteousness. The dumb consent of Saul to the truth of Samuel's worde is in keeping with the acquiescent silence wherewith, in the future life, the wicked are represented as bowing to the sentence of the Judge (cf. Matt. ,·ii…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-6. (GILBOA.)-Darlcening shadows of retrwutum. "And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled" (ver. 5). 1. The end of Saul was now approaching. How long he reigned is not stated (" forty years," Acts xiii. 21 ; perhaps a round number, …
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3. The foreboding of approaching d-Oom. Conscience II exerts itself magisterially, ar,d approves or condemns, ... and if not forcibly stopped, naturally and always, of c·,Htrse, goes on to anticipate a higher and more effectual sentence, which shall here- after second and affirm its own" (Butler). 11. IMPELLED TO SEEK…
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to make disclosures concerning the future, and dwelling in them and speaking through them in hollow tones of voice, Isa. viii. 19 ; xxix. 4; ventriloquists, LXX. ; necromancers) "and wizards" (sorcerers). And when his inquiry of the Lord we.a not answered, he resorted to one of these, in the expectation of being told ,…
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(yrrs. 7,_ 8). " 1 hn_t extra~:_dinary pains ?omen sometimes undergo in the practice of snpcrst1tion I (1 Kmgs xnn. 28). 2. A.fleet darkness and secrecy, and necessitate the • a<loption of undignified, mean, and sh,unefnl courses. They are carried out under the cover of night, which is favourable to deception. Saul …
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II. Tm: FOLLY OF FAITHLESS NEGLECT, of which it is a confession. "How hav1J I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; and have not obeyed the vnice of my teachers, nor inclined _mine ear to ~hem that instructed me I " (Prov. v. 12, 13). "How many who have despised the advice of a father or a mother, and griev…
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agency was concerned in what took place. 11 The woman saw Samuel," and she ulone (ver. 14), "and she cried out" (in refll or feigned surprise and feflr), "Why h11t1t thou deceived me? for thou art Saul." There is no intimation that the name of Samuel or the distinguished stature of her visitor had previously suggest…
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help from the prophet of the Lord, who was the exponent and executor of his will. No rlirection was given "what he must do," and no ground of hope afforded ~hat he might find mercy with the Lord himself if he sought it in aright spirit. "The belief that Samuel had come to revisit him from the dead so worked upon Saul's…
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ir,-1. Pervei·ted religiousness. Iler history might have shown that she possessed ,1 1,1on·than ordinary measure of the religions sentiment prevalent in women, and tl,at it had been (as it often is) misdirected by the influences under which she fpll She was at first a Yictim of superstition, and llfterwards, finding he…
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cause ull tlwse who had any measure of propl,etic gift. 1N e hear tl1e wail of a per- turbed spirit-" I am sore distressed ; " but 110 confession of sin, no accent of repent- ance. This is an ominous characteristic of Saul, that he never fairly faces the r1ues- tio:1 of his own misconduct, always palliates his sin, alw…
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before us the site of Jezreel, on a knoll 500< CH.APTER XXIX. feet high. The position is very peculiar, for MA.Ren OF THE PHILISTINE All.MY (ver8. 1 whilst on the north and north-east the -5). Ver. 1.-The Philistines gathered, &c. slopes are steep and rugged, on the south The narrative, broken off for the description…
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RENDER TllE REALISATION OF Gon's runrosE UNCERTAIN, IF NOT IMP0SSIDLE. The pro- pl,et Samuel had declared it to be God's purpose to bring David to the throne as 0 man worthy of the confidence of the nation. The arrangement that had been 'made on tl~e accessio!1 of Saul. t? P?wer l_iad bee1_1 modified in harmony with…
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customs may have laid upon him was removed, and the prospects of his being welcomed us king in Israel were brightened ; yet in his own heart he was made to feel all the pain and shame of being regarded as a man o~ trea~herou_s c~aracter. He could not but smart under the contempt of heathen princes 1f, as 1s hkely, he k…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-11. (ON THE MARCH TO APHEK.)-A good man in bad compan11. "Wht.1.t do these Hebrews here?" (ver. 3). The results of the wrong step whicn David had taken in going into the country of the Pl1ilistines now became manifest. In the war 'CH, XXIX, 1--11.] THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. 541 a…
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Vers. 1-11.-Achish. David had, in the course of his life, friendly relations with several heathen princes. One of these was Achish (elsewhere called "Abimelech Ps. xxxiv., inscription), son of Maoch, and king of Gath, one of the five royal cities' the seats of the princes of the Philistine confederacy. What is recor…
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all the more that he was obliged to hide his unwillingness, and to affect a zeal ao-ainst 0 Israel which his heart disowned. See in this story- l. THE ILLUSTRATION Oil" DIVINE PROVIDENCE. While David wrought himself intO" a most critical position, and an apparently fatal embroilment with the Philistines the Lord wrou…
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priest to ask counsel e.nd guidance of God by CHAPTER XXX. the ephod. DAVID UPON HIS 'RETURN FINDS Zlll:LAG DAVID'S PURSUIT OF THE AlllALEKITES JIURNT BY THE AMALEKITES (vers. 1-6). (vers. 7-16). Vers. 7, 8.-Looking only to Ver. 1.-0n the third day. David evidently Jehovah for aid, David sends for Abiathar, could n…
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the name of Cherethim nncl Pelcthim. We clay," literally, "of (or for) their morrow," here find the Chcrethim inhabiting the seem to prove that it was in the evening southern portion of the land of the Philis- that Davi<l arrived. Moreover, in the morn- tines, 11,nd such was still the case in the days ing they woul<l n…
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hearki,n unto you in this matter 1 Literally, Ver. 28.-Aroer, a dilforent place from "this word," this proposal of yours. David that on the eastern side of the Jordan mon- then enacts that those left to guard the bag- tioned in Josh. xii. 2, is probably th~ rnin gage are to share in the booty equally with 'Ar'arah, …
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protection of Acliish. We know how groundless was his fear; but, apart from that events proved tliat tliough the dreacle<l evil was escape<l, another most terrible on~ came. Nor is there much defence for the self-chosen policy in saying that his own life wa~ secure, for escape from Saul gave no immunity from <leath …
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Yers. 11-20.-Tlie consequences of lcindness. The facts are-1. Pursuing the Amalekites, David finds an Egyptian slave in distress, and administers to him food and drink. 2. On being questioned, the man states that his master, who was one of the force destroying Ziklag, had left him there three da_vs before. 3. On pro…
512 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.