and ſo waſte ſeveral parts I8. 23+ South-weſt frony
ſmith found throughout all
Hebrews make them ſwords or ſpears. )
mM 'This was a rome courſe of the Philiſtines, Nations have uſed. So the Chaldeays took away their Smiths, 2 King. 24+ 14 Jer, 24. I. and 29. 2 And Porſerna obliged the Romans by Covenant, That they ſhould uſe no Icon bur in the Tit
lage of their Lands, 20 But
14 But now thy kingdom ſhall not continue :* the * Pa! LORD hath ſought c him a man after his own heart d, y 20. and the LORD hath commanded e him to be captein 0- 4g ny
-. - * Heb, preſent with him, * about ſix hun- | ba
* Chap
I & 2s
the land of Iſrael »» : ( for the Philiſtines ſaid, { Leſt the 4 we mu
take thm which alſo other 999
Chap. XI} ?
J
[0
Js
| Chap. NIV. | Y —__ . ! ND . iſt;
)» Bic all the Ifraelites went downto the Philiſtines
# to ſharpen every man his ſhare, and his coulter, and
his axe, and his mattock. = | 7 Not to the Land of the Phil:ſtmes, for it 18 not ſaid ſos and that was too remote ; but to the Stations and Garriſons which the Philiſiines yet retained in ſeveral parts of Iſraels Land, though Samu- els Authority had ſo far over-awed them, that they durſt not give the 7{-nclices much diſturbance. In theſe therefore the Ph:liftnes kept "all the Smiths ; and here they allowed them the exerciſe of
their Art for the uſes here following. Heb 21 Yet they had Þ a file for the mattocks, and for the eV-
þ fie with coulters, andfor the forks, and for the axes o, and Tto
mouth!» ſharpen the goads. | + Hcebe 0 the ens is, They allowed them ſome ſmall helps to make zo Jes their Matrocks, 2nd in ſome fort to ſerve their preſent uſes —_ | thele words may be otherwiſe tranflated,and are {0 by ſome S_ ; both Ancient and Modern Tranſlators s Thus, Therefore the mouths or edges of the mattocks and coulters, &c. were dull or blunt. Or ___ thus, When ( Heb. and put for when, as the Particle and, 15s - wh times rendied, as Mark 15.25. ) the mouths or edges of the mattocks, &XCs were blunts So this paſſage very well agrees both with the WR and fojlowing words; and the whole ſenſe of the place 1s —_ thus, They went to the Philiſlines ro ſharpen their ſhares, and ma:tocks, and coulters, and ae:, when they were blunt, and ( which was my ſtrange, They were forced to go to them even ) to ſharpen their goaas. 22 Soit came to pals in the day of battel, chat there was neither ſword nor ſpear found in the hand of any of the people, that were with Saul and Janathan p, but with Saul and with Jonathan his ſon was there found. ? Qu. How could the 7ſraelites ſmite either the Gariſon of the Phil:#;mes above, wv. 3, or the Hoſt of the Ammonites, chap Is be without Arms? And when they had conquered them, Why + k they not take away their Arms, and reſerve them to their ownu ct Anſw. 1. This want of Swords and Spears 1s nor affirmed inns ing ll Iſr1el, but is reſtrained unto ti.ole 6008 who were Wit _ and Jonathan? whom God by his providence might ſuffer to " with.ut thoſe Arms, that the glory of the following Vittory mig 2 be wholly afcribed to God ; as for the very ſame reaſon God wou ; have but 3o0o Men left with Gideon, and thoſe armed only = Trumpets. and Pitchers, avd Lamps, Judge 7. There were no -_ a confiaerable number of Swords and Spears among the Iſraelites, bur they generally hid them, as now they did their pertons, from the Phil:tine And the Philiſtines had nor yet attained ro fo ens power over them as wholly to diſarm them. but thc ughr it lufh- cient to prevent the making of new Arms; knowing thar tie wy vnes wouid ſhortly be decayed, and uſeleſs. 2. There were or " Arms more commecn in thoſe times and places, than Swords al Spears; to wit, Bows and Arrows, and Slings and Stones; oY pears from Judg. 20. 16. 2 Sam I. 18, 22. 2 Kg. 3+ 25: 1 Chron. 12. 1, 2. b:fides C!ubs, and Inſtruments of Agriculture, which might eaſily be rur: ed into weap2ns of War. 3, God ſo governed the At- fairs of the Iſraelites, that they had no great num ber of Sword+, or Sp-ars, Judg. 5. 8. that ſo they might bekepr in more depettdence upon, ard ſubje&tion unto Grd, wherein their ſafety and happinels conſiſted, And therefore, thar famous ViRory obtained againft
bur only by Thunder from Heaven chap. 7. 10s [Or, fond» 23. And the || garifon of che Philiſtines went out to | inCanp. the pailage of Michmaſh 9. | | q A place ſo called, becauſe it wasnear Michmaſh, and I:d towards
Gibeah, which it ſeems, they deſigned to beſiege ; and ia the mean time, to waſte the adjoyning Country.
G- 0 A F. AF.
Jonathan and his armour-bearer ſecretly ſmiteth the Phil.ſtines army : they ſlay one a»0ther, , -—- 15. Which being perceived 16, 17 Saul purſue: h the Phil fines : the captivat-d and hidden Iſraelites joyning in the pur- ſuit, 18, 23- Sul adjurerh rhe people not to eat any thing till evening : Jonathaneateth honey the Philiſtines «r- ſmitten, 24, JL The people eat fleſb with the blood ; Saul reftrameth them . and buildeth an altar, :2,—- — 35- Deſigning to purſue the Phil tines by night :
Tonathan is taken Saul dooms him to dle © the people reſcue h. ms 36, ——=— 45+ Sauls wars, ſons, Aanghters, wife, &c. 45, — 52.
| OW || it came to paſs upon a day, that Jonathan the ſon of Saul ſaid unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over ro the Phi-
liſtines gariſon #, that 5s on the other fide þ: but he coid not his father c.
a This was a raſh and foolih Attempt, if it be examined by common Rules ; bur not ſoy if we conſider the ſingular -Promites made to the Iſraelites, That one ſhoula chaſe a thou)and, &c. and cipe= cially the heroical and extraordinary Motions whicl. were then fre- quently put into the Minds of gal'ant Men by Gods Spirit, where- by they undertook and accompliſhed noble and woriderfi! ri ings 3 as did Samſon, and David, and his Worthies. 6b Bey-nd :har Rocky Paſſeige deſcribed below, wv. 4, 13- which he pointed ar with his hand. © Leſt he ſhould hindzr him in fo improbable an Enterprize. Nor was it neceſſary he ſhould infi rm him of it, becaute he bad a Commiſſion from his Father, to fighr when he ſaw occaſich; as he had done without his Farhers privity, chap. 13. 3.
2 And Saul tarried in theattermoſt part of Gibeah d. -. Under a pomegranate tree, which 5s in Migron e : and
[| Or, there Bs: 4 day.
*Chap. the people that were with him, were * about tix hun- 13-15, dred mens d In the OQutworks of the City where he had inttench«d him- \ ſelf co