m God ſo ordered the Lot ; not rhat he approved Sauls Execrati- on, v. 24. or his Oath-that the Tranſgretlor ſhould die, v. 39. nor that he would expoſe Jonathen to Death ( for he deligned 1o to rule the hearts of the People, and of Sazl alſo, that Jonarhan ſhould not die; ) but becauſe he would have the whole matter broughr to light; partly, that Saul's Folly might be chaſtiſed, when he ſaw what Dan. ger it had brought upon his Eldeſt and "Excellent Son ; partly, thar 7onathan's Innocency might be cleared ; and partly, ro ſtabjith the Authority of Kings and Rulers, and the Obedience which Subje&s owe to all their lawful Commands.
43 Then Saul ſaid to Jonathan, Teil mg what thou haſt done. And Jonathan told him, and ſaid, 1 did but tafte a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and lo, I muſt die ».
, n I am Sentenced to Death for it ; which is hard meaſure. He bad another Anſwer, That he knew not of his Father's Command : but that being ſaid. before, v. 27. it was needleſs here to repeat
It. .
44 And Saul anſwered, - God do ſo, and more al- ſo o : for thou ſhalt ſurely die p, Jonathan,
o From this, and other like expreflions of Sau!s, ſome gather that he was exceeding prone to the vice of Swearing and Curſing. p Strange perverſenets! He who was ſo indulgent, as to pare WiC- ked 4gag, Chap. 15. is now ſo ſevere as to deſtroy his own worthy Son : he that could ealily diſpenſe wich Goa's Righreous and Rea- ſonable Command, will not bear the violation of his own raſh and fooliſh Command ; becauſe his own Authority and Power is concer- ned in this, and only God's in the other.
45 And the people ſaid unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great ſalvation in Iſrael ? God forbid : * as the LORD liveth, there ſhal not one hair of his head fall to the ground : for he hath wroughr
with God 4 this day. $0 the people reſcued Jonathan, that he died not.
q 7.e. In concurrence with God,or by God's he'p he had wrought this Salvation. God is fo far from being offended with Jonathan, as
thou apprehendeſt, that he hath graciouſly owned and afliſted him in the great ſervice of this day. |
46 Then Saul went up from following the Phili- ſtines » ; and the Philiſtines went to their own place. |
r Partly,becauſe he was diſcouraged by God's refuſing to Anſwer
him, and partly, becauſe þis deliys had given them occalion to ſe- cure themſclves.
F 2 Sam. 14. I 4» I Kings LF. 52.
S4MUELKE
| Tranſlate theſe words, Exod. 17. 16. whilſt they ſtruck at that Peg
| | Chap. XV 47 4 So Saul took the kingdom /over Iſrael, and ought againſt all his enemies on every ſide, againſt Moab, and againſt the children * of Ammon, and a-* Chap. gainft Edom, and againſt the kings of Zobah z, and 1 1b againſt the Philiſtines : and whitherſoever he turned himſelf, he vexed them w. | J 7.e. Recovered it, and reſumed the adminifiration of it, afrer he had in a manner loſt it ; partly, by Samuel's Sentence, Chap. 13. 14. and partly, by the Phil;fines, who had almoſt turned him our of it.. Bur now being encouraged by this Succeſs, he returns to the exerciſe of his Kingly Office, * Which lay not far from Damaſ- cus, See 2 Sam. $8.5, u Heb. He condemned them, he treated them Iike wicked People, and Enemies to God and his People : or, he Pun niſbed them. _ | 48 And heſ] gathered an hoſt, and * ſmote the A-
þ - Or, malekites x,and delivezed Iſrael out of the hand of them Hos that ſpoiled themy mightily... x Which is here mentioned only in the genera), but is particular. * C115 94 ly deſcribed in the nexs Chapter.
49 Now the ſons of Saul were Jonathan, and Tſhui
), and Melchiſhua : and the names of his two daugh-
cers were theſe ; the name of the firſt-born, Merab, and
the name of the younger, Michal.
y Called alſo 4binadab, Chap. 31. 2. and 1 Chron. 8. 33. I1ſbb:ſbeth, Saul's other Son, is here omitted, becauſe he intended ro mention only thoſe of his Sons who went with him into the Battels here men- tioned, and who were afterwards ſlain with him.
Fo And the name of Saul's wife as Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his hoſt was Abner, the ſon of Ner, Sauls uncle.
51 And Kiſh was the father of Saul, and Ner the fa- ther of Abner was the fon of * Abjel. - Chad
52 And there was ſore war apainſt the Philiſtines al! the days of Saul : and when Saul ſaw any ſtrong man, or any valiant man, * he took himunto him.s.
& Into his Service, or Army.
Af WAP. XY.
Samuel [eirneth Saul to deftroy the Amalekites : His Army, t——, He fa vourerh the Kenites : Spareth Jgag, and the beft of the Spoil : God rejets Saul from being King, 6——11. This Samuel de(lares to Saul : He com- menaeth, excuje5h, at laſt humbleth himſelf, x2 25. Samuel is un+ moved herewith : His Mantle Rent is a ſign to Saul ef his Ruine, Gad cannot lye, 26 29. Samuel killeth Agag : Goeth from Saul, and mourne:h flr him, 30 35. |
Amuel alſo ſaid unto Saul, * The LORD ſent me to
anoint thee zo be king over his people a, over Iſra-
* Cha. $8.1 bo
* Cha. 916,
*E cr .8. el : now therefore hearken b thou unto the voice of the Wa LORD chy God. | 20+
s The Lord made thee King, and therefore thou art highly obli- ged :o ſerve and obey him. þ Thou haſt committed one Errour al- r-ady, for which God hath ſeverely rebuked and threatned : now rh:refore make amends for thy former Errour, and regain God's Fa- vour by thy exa& Obedience to what he now commands. |
2 Thus faith the LORD of hoſts, I remember :h which Amaiek did to Iſrael e, * how he laid waic for
him in the way when he came up from Egypt 4.
c I ſcem to kave forgotten, but now I will ſhew that I remem- ber, and now will revenge thoſe old Injuries done 400 years ago, which ngw I will puniſh in their Children : which was the more juſt, becauſe they continued in their Parents-cruel Praftices ; below, V. 33. 4 When he was newly come our of cruel and long Bondage, and wasnow weak, and weary, and faint, and hungry, Deus. 25. 18. and therefore it was Barbarous and Inhuman, inſtead of char pity whicheven Nature prompred them to afford, to add affliction to the afflicted; it was alto horrid Impiety to fight againſt God himſe!F, and to I:fr up heir Hand 1n a manner againſt the Lord's Throne, as forme
ple which God had brought forth in ſo ſtupend:ious and miraculous a way. :