m Heb. Teraphim, which was an Image made in hiimane ſhape : which ſhe might keep ſecretly, either out of a ſuperſtitious regard to it, or out of meer curiofity. 'Lhis ſtratagemi ſhe uſed, becauſe knowing her Fathers unquier, and jealous, and furiovs Temper; the ſuſpeCted he might come or ſend, roſee wherher David was there ot no» n Or, put great Goats hair updn his bolftey ; 7. e. Upon the head and face of the Image, which lay upon his Boliter, that it might have ſome kind of reſemblance Of Davids head and hair, at leaſt in aſick mans Bed; where there uſeth ro be but a glimmering light. Goats 1s here put for Goats hair, as it manifeſtly 1s, Exod. 25. 4. and 26. 7. and 35+ 26. Ir is acknowledged by learned Writers,
that in thoſe Eaſtern Countries, Goats had much longer hair than |
ours have, and were fhorn like Sheep, and that their hair was not unlike to a Mans or Womans hair ; as may alſo be gathered from Cant. 4. I. thy hair is as @ flock of Goats ; i. e. As the hair of a flock of Goats. And as there was Goats hair of ſeveral colours, ( as the Wooi of Sheep in divers parts isof very differing colours, as white, or black, or yellow, &. ) ſo it is moſt probable ſhe took that co> Jour which was likeſt the colour of Davias Hair And ſhe, rook this rather than the hair of another Man, becauſe the procuring and or- dering. of that would have taken up ſeme time ; whereas ſhe had Goats hair of all ſorts at hand, as being uſed in Spinning or Wea- ving, &c. Or, the fenſe may be this, according to our Tranſlati- on, Thar ſhe put a Pillow of the lotteſt part of Goats hair under the Head of the Image, as they uſed to pur under the Heads of fick Men ; whereby alſo the head of the Image fiaking into the Pillow, might be leſs diſcerned, eſpecially when it was either, wholly or In part covered with a Cloth. And all this Art was uſed, that Da- vid being ſuppoſed, ind by ſome perſons who were ſent roenquire, perceived, as they thought, to be in the Bed, Sau! might be hindred rom purſuing and overtaking him before he had got into ſome ſecure place. 0 Upon pretence of his being ſick, and needing ſome ſuch covering, bur reaily in deſign to prevent the diſcovery of her Deceit, | 14 And when Saul ſent meflengers p to take David, ſhe ſaid, He 3s ſick. :
> To wit, other Meſſzngers in the morning, ſuppoſing the for- mer to be either flow o' perfidions. | :
15 And Saul ſent the meſſengers again to ſee David 9;
MEYINSs Bririg him up to me in the bed, that I may flay 1M
. 9 Or only, to ſee David, which they did not before, but went a- way ſatisfied ( as it was fit they ſhould ) with her Report and Teſti- mony of his Sickneſs, |
16 And when the meſſengers were come in, behold,
there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats |
bair for his bolſter. | 17 And Saul ſaid unto Michal, Why haft thou decei-
yed me 1o, and ſent away mine enemy, that he is eſca- | ped? And Michal antwered Saul, He faid unro me; |
Ler me go : Why ſhould I kill thee r ? « r If thou doſt not permit me to — c
be forced for my own defence to kill thee. Though it is moſt lke- ly, this was a Lye, and a Fiftiorf of her own.
18 © .So David fled, and eſcaped, and came to Samuel ro Ramah /; and told him all that Saul had oo to him; and he and Samuel went and dwelt in
aioth.
# Parly, fox Comfort and DireQion in his great Diſttsſs; and
r
ky
( nw
. without diſcovery, I fhall |
M TE: O partly, for ſafety, tupp: ſing that Saul would be aſhrmed to execute his bloody Deligoas in the' preſence of ſo venerable a Per{cn 3s Samus l, who had laid ſo great Obligations upen Saul, and had {uch great and juſt Reputarion with the people. ;
19 And it was told Saul, faying, Behold, David « at Naioth in Ramah z.
t Or, near Ramabh : the Hebrew prepcſition beth, in, being ofr puc for near, as it 1s apparently uſed, Numb, 33. 37, 38 Job. 5+ 13. Jer, 20. 2. and 32. 7. Naioth was either an Houſe or Coll dge in the Town of Ramoyv, ora Village in the Territory cf Ramah, or near ro the Town of Roman; in which there was a Colledye of the Pre» phers, amecngit whom Samucl thought David might be ſecure. _
20 And Saul ſent meſtengers to take David «: and when they ſaw the company of the prophets prophe= ſying x, and Samuel ſtanding as appointed over them y, the ſpirit of God was upon the meilengers ot Saul, and they allo propheſied % _. TEES
#« Thus Sauls Wickedneſs and fury increaſed ; and he that at firſt uſed only ſecret PraCtices againſt David,. now breaks forth into oper ard impudent Hoſtil:ties ; plainly declaring, that he neither feared God, nor reverenced man. He would have puniſhed Samuel, as afterwards he did Ahimelech, for giving David Entertainment, bur that be feared the p:ople, who had ſo gicat and unanimous a Vene= ration for him. x #z.e. Speaking of God, or cf the things of God by Divine Inſpiration ; either praiſing God, or inſtructing Men.” Compare Nrewnb, Ie 25, I Sam. 10. go J To.inftru&, moderate and dire& them in thoſe Holy Exerciſes. For though they propheſjed by Divine Inſpiration, w hich Samuel could nor govern; yer they were both to prepare and dilpoic themſelves for it before-hand, and to make gocd impiovement of it afterwards, in both which they needed Samuels Counſel and Afiſtance. And whereas ſome might falfly pretend ro thoſe Raptures; or the Devil mighr transform himſelfinto an Angel of Light, and convey ſome evil or fa.ſ: Sug- geſtions into ſome of their Minds, Samuels Preſence and Judymentr was neceſſary ro prevent and.to dere& ſuch Impoſtures. Beſides, Samuel would by his preſent ConjunQtion with them in thoſe Holy Exerciſes, encourage them, and ſtir up ethers to rhe coveting of thoſe Gifts, and the performance of ſuch Religious Duties. z Bes ing inſpired by God to do ſo, as wicked Balszmalſo was ; that being wrapt vp into ſuch Extafie, their Minds might be wholly taken up with thoſe matters, and quite taken off from their D:fign of ſeiz- ing David. 2 ;
21 And when it was told Saul, he ſent other meC{- ſengers, and they prophelied likewiſe: and Saul ſent meſſengers again the third time; ant] they propheſied alſo. | | |
22 Then went he alſo to Ramah, and came to a great well that i: in Sechu: and he asked, and faid,; Where are Samuel and David 4? And one ſaid, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah. _ BE
a For, his Mcfſengers nor returning, he knew notexaQly where they were. ER | =