5s Being then abſent, and inpurſuit of the Philiſtines, divers of the Iſraelites having joyned themſelves with him, v. 21. t He was re. freſhed, 2nd recovered his loſt Spirits, whereof part went into his Oprick Nerves, and ſo cleared his fight, which was much darkned by Famine, as is uſual.
28 Then anſwered one of the people «, and ſaid Thy father ſtraitly charged the people with an oath, ſaying, Curſed be the man that eateth any food thisdays And che people were || faint,
-
u Who came along with Saul, whoſe Forces were now united
with 7Jonathans.
29 Then faid Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land x: ſee, I pray you, how mine eyes have been ——_—_— becauſe I taſted a little of this honey.
X lt. E e People of the Land, the whole Army. whom by th; raſh Oath he hath greatly injured. The Zeal of = vaaniy tbhrvg A _ __ _ into _ oo Extream of accufing his Father, and that before the people, whom b 1 T:4; : —_ TY Pp m by this means he might have fliried
zo How much more, if happily the people had eaten freely to day of the ſpoil of their enemies which they found ? for had there not been now a much greater ſlaughter among the Philiſtines ?
31 And they {mote rhe Philiſtines that Michmaſh to Ajalon y : fainr.
» Either that in Dan Joſh. 19. 42. 2 Chron. 11. 16.
32 And the people flew upon the ſpoil z, and took ſheep and oxen, and calves, and ſlew them on the
.day from and the people were very
Or rather, that in Judah,
ground, and the people did eat 5hew * with the * roy
vO 26. and : when the time prefixed by Saul was ex. 19 26 a Not having patrence to tarry 11] che blood was perfectly Devut.-
blood 2.
2 To wit at Fvening, pired. gone cur efthem, as they ſhould have done. See Gen
: : - 9. 4+. Levit. (7. 14+ Deut. 12. 16. Sothey who ſeemed to make Bl cence of the Kings © ommandment for fear of the Curſe, tranigreſſing Gods Cemmand,
33 CT Then they told Saul, ſaying, behold the peo- ple ſin agair:ſt the LORD, in that they eat with he blood. And he faid, Ye have || tranſgrefſed b: roll a _ ſtone unto me ec this day.
_ 6 Heſeestheir fault, bur not his own, in givi
19. c That rhe cattel might be all + oHr, wy Noor _— 9 inſpettion of Saul, or ſome orher appointed by him for that work : and upon the ſtone, that the bloud may ſooner and better low
out.
34 And Saul faid, Diſperſe your ſelves people, and ſay untochem, Bring me hither his ox, and every man his ſheep, and cat, and in not againſt the LO the blood. And all the people his ox, 4 F with him that there.
4 And his ſheep,
words.
35 And Saul built an altar unto the LORD e
_ DF the firſt altar that he built un
among the every man and ſlay them here, RD in eating with brought every man
which is to be underſtood out of the foregoing
: | the to
ic oft ere this time. So this is noted as another Eviden I . ce of his negl& of God and his worſhip. Ir is true, Saul ſacrificed before
h: b ! T 4 : mein G:/zal; bur that was upon an old Altar, EreQted by
35 5 And Saul faid, Let us go down after ths Philiſtines by night, and ſpoil chem until the morn- ning light, and let us not leave a man. of them, And
they
Chap. XIV,
make no ſcrupleof
['Or, dut treachts
rouſly,
night, and flew zhom 4 pxeb.i his ha,
Heb mW the Lhd X gani
e Eithir for a Monument of the Viftory * or rather, for Sacri- rh fie, as the next words imply. f Though he had occaſion to do LON? =
[Or 1weary,
12: 16,
IV,
weary,
r, dub
cht«
y,
XIV- [. they ſaid, Do whatſoever ſeemeth good unto thee.
Then ſaid the Prieſt g, Let us draw near hither þ un- co God-
bring Sau?'s Contempt of God's Ordinance the laſt time, £5 _ ——p <a pm of itz and perceiving Sau! ready to run -1ro the ſame Errour again, even though he had not now the ſame Dretence of the neceflity of haſte as before, and that the people were Mward to comply with the motion ; he gives them this pious and pad ws Advice. + To wit, to the Ark, as above, v. 18. : And Saul asked counſel of God, Shall I go down after the Philiſtines 2 Wilt thou deliver them
:nto the hand of Iſrael ? but he anſwered him not thar _— r. Becauſe he was diſpleaſed with Sau! for his former negle&, v. 18, 19. where he began to ask advice of God, but was ſo rude and impious, as not to tarry for an Anſwer - and therefore ;r was but a juſt Retaliation, if when Saul did ask, God would not vouchſafe him an Anſwer. Or, 2. To manifeſt his diſlike of the violation of Oaths. For although Jonathan might have a fair excuſe from his invincible Ignorance, and urgent Neceflity ; and though Sau! had done fooliſhly in making this Oath ( which alſo God would this way diſcover, ) yet, when once it was made, God would hereby teach them, that it ſhould be obſerved ; and that they ſhould abſtain, even from all appearance of the Breach of it.
38 And Saul ſaid, Draw ye near hither all the
(hap
{Hb Þ chief of the people E: and know and ſee wherein this amr fin hath been this day. Judg-20+2* þ Jn the Name of all the People, that you may be Witneſſes, and
may ſee where the Fault lies. ; ;
39 For as the. LORD liveth which ſaveth Ifrae], though it be in Jonathan my ſon, he ſhall ſurely die. But there was not a man among all the people that an- ſwered him /. | |
1 None of thoſe who either ſaw Jonathan Eating, or heard of it, informed againſt him ; partly, becauſe th:y were ſatisfied, that his Tenorance excuſed him, and that there was ſome other reaſon of God's not anſwering : and partly, from their great Loye to Jona- than, whom they would not expoſe to Death tor ſo ſmall an Of fence.
40 Then ſaid he unto all Iſrael, Be ye on one fide, and I and Jonathan my ſon will be on the other {ide z and the people ſaid unto Saul, Do what feemeth good unto thee. : |
41 Therefore Saul ſaid unto the LORD God of If-
HHeb:Give Tal, T [| Give a perfect /ot zz. And Saul and Jonathan Aummim were taken : but the people 7 eſcaped ».
Deut.33.8- m Or, declare ( for giving, is oft put for declaring, or pronouncing, | Or,hew as Deut. 11. 29. and 13. 1, 2. Prov. g. g. ) the perfe#, or guiltle(s Per- the innocent. ſon. 3. e. O Lord, ſo guide the Lor, that it may diicover who is f Heb. Guilty in this Matter, and thar it may clear the Innocent. n To vent forths wit, the Danger, they were pronounccd Guiltleſs.
42 And Saul ſaid, Caſt Jors beeween me and Jona-
than my ſon : and Jonathan was taken .