The first section of ch. 23 (w.iiJ) carries on 22" and belongs to the earlier narrative. V.fl is ob%'iou8ly out of place a^fter v.a, and is probably a gloss designed to introduce v.^^, while the first question in v.^f is repeated by error from v. I'.
V.i« properly forms the commencement of ch. 26 (or, accord- jig to the view of Budde, etc., of 23i9f). Vv.Ub-i8 (the inter- view between Jonathan and David) are clearly a redactional Insertion, similar to 2011-17. 40-42*. To the redactor must also be assigned 23id^(* in thewoodttn the bill of Hachilah, which ts CD the south <h the desert'), which Is Inconsistent with v.^,
and the phrase 24i6 (and Saul $aid, Is this my $on David f\ added from 261^ for harmonistic purposes.
23"-ia-2S, which have no parallel m the earlier narrative (ch. 26X contain a local tradition explaining the ori^n of the nama Sela-hammahlekoth (prob. = 'The rock of divisions').
The order of 24*-7 is apparently at fault ; and Gaupp, followed by Comill and Budde, would rearrange the verses as follows : 4ft. a. 7ft. 4b. 6. 7b, Possibly the disorder has arisen by inten^ola* tion (H. P. Smith, p. 217 f.). and we should omit vv.4i'-*nthe incident of the skirt). 24^3 is omitted by Wellh. and Budde as a gloss : the latter also regards w.30-22ft as due to the redactor.
The notice of the death and burial of Samuel (251*) jg clearly a redactional insertion borrowed from 28^-' ; it is out of place here. The rest of the chapter connects naturally with 23"-^, and fills up the interval of time required by that verse : it is prob- able, therefore, that the earlier narrative also contained some account of the incident narrated in 2'S^-^. The present position of ch. 25 is doubtless due to the desire to separate the two accounts ^2318-23 24. 20). 2528-31 have probably been expanded by the writer from the point of view of his later knowledge.
2"! David's decision to take refuge with tlie Philistines fol- lows quite naturally after ch. 26, and the whole chapter clearly belongs to the earUer narrative with 23l-l'*» 25. 26 : with this agrees its silence as regards any previous visit of David to Gath (2110-15), and the oracle of 225.
(6) 28 (E). 29. 30 (J). The Philistines prepare for battle with Israel (28^- ^) ; Saul being unable to obtain a Di\'ine oracle, seeks out a woman with a familiar spirit at Endor, who conjures up Samuel (28^'^) ; in spite of the confidence expressed by Achish, the other Philistine leaders mistrust David's loyalty, and insist on his dismissal (29^""). On his return to Ziklag, David finds that his city has been sacked by the Amalekites ; he hastens in pursuit, and recovers all that the Amalekites had taken : the rest of the booty is equally divided among his men, part being sent as a present to * the elders of Judah ' (ch. 30).
281- 2 carry on the narrative of ch. 27, which is continued in chs. 29 and 30. 283-^ are usually regarded as out of place. According to 28-* the Philistines are already at Shunem (in the plain of Jezreel) ; but in 29^ they are assembled at Aphek in the Sharon valley, and only advance to Jezreel in vM ; similarly the Israelites in 291 are encamped by the spring which is in Jezreel, and presumably only fall back on Gilboa before the advance of the Philistines ; whereas in 28* they are encamped at Gil boa.
Budde (who is followed as regards the order by Driver) solves the difficulty by placing 2S325 after chs. 29. 30. He further assigns the incident to the same source (J) as the rest of the section, arguing (1) that Samuel is here represented aa a seer (9lf), and not aa a judge or prophet ; (2) that the general content* of the passage agree with tne earlier representation, and (3) that it has many points of contact with ch. 14 : the undoubted reference in w.iv-ifl* (to Philistine*) to ch. 16 he re- gards as a redactional insertion. Buddes theory, however, fails to give any reason for the present order of these chapters, which admits of a perfectly simple explanation, if we assign 'JS'^^ftto the Later narrative. In that case the historical introduction in 28* will be parallet to and independent of the similar notices in 281-2 29111, and the section as a whole will form the sequel to ch. 15 (Wellh., H. P. Smith). On this view we might retain w.i7-ifc (with H. P. Smith), but they are more probably to be regarded as a redactional expansion, suggested oy v.ifl, which point* hack to 1623N-28 (gee Ldhr, p. xlix). As in the case of ch. 15 (Saul's war of extermination against the Amalekites), a genuine historical incident has been utilized for the purpose of mculcating a moral lesson from the prophetic standpoint.
(7) I 31-11 1 (J. except II l^"***- "•"). Death of Saul.
The defeat of Israel on Mt. Gilboa and the death of Saul and his three sons (31*"'). The Philistines carry off the bodies of Saul and hia eons to Beth-shan, whence they are removed by the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead (vv. **-*). The news of the death of Saul and Jonathaa is con- veyed to Da%'id at Ziklag by a fugitive Amalekite, who describes how he slew Saul (2 S V'^% David fasts till evening, and then orders the execution of the Amalekite because he had slain ' the Lord's anointed' (w."""). The lament of David over Saul and Jonathan (w."-^).