counter{cited this Madneſs, that he might procure, both their Pity, and their Contempt; that they being freed trom jealouſies and fears of future Miſchicf from David, and from his wife Conduft, of which chey had ſad experienc?, might be ſecure of him, and ſo ſpare him. f i. & Whilſt he was in their power, and before TaENL,
14 Then ſaid Achiſh unto his ſervants, Lo, ye ſee the man || is mad g 5 wherefore then have ye brought him. to me h 2? |
o And fowere 4chiſh and his Men too, to be ſo ſoon cheated. But this muſt be aſcribed to the Wiſe and Powerful Providence of God ; who, in anſwer to Davids prayer now made, which is Recorded, Pſalm 34. #n4 56. did infatuate them, as he hath done many others in I:ke caſes h What Service can I expe& from him? Or, What cauſe have I to fear him ? R
15 Have I need ofmad men 3, that ye have brought this felt to play the mad man in my preſence 2? ſhall this fellow come into mine houle & ? £
j | need wiſe Men, not luch fools, or mad Men, as this is. & Iwill nct have my Court diſgraced with entertaining fuch Fellows.
CC i A FP. 200
David cometh to Adullam, where companies reſort to him, 1, 2. He goeth to Mizpeh and commendeth his parents to the King of Moab, 3, 4. Adme- niſbed by Gad he returneth #0 Judah : Saul purſu:th him : complaineth of his ſcrvants unfaithfulneſs, 5, 8. Doeg accuſeth Ahimelech : Saul ſentenceth him, the high prieſt, and the reſt of the prieſts, to die : Doeg ſlayeth 85 prieſts : the city Neb ard all in it is laid waſte : only Abiathar the prieſt remained alive flying to David, 9g, 20, David acknow-
ledgeth himſelf to be the cauſe hererf, 22, 23.
Avid therefore departed thence, and * eſcaped to the cave of Adullam « : and when his brethren, and all his fathers houſe heard iz, they went down thi-
ther to him 6b.
a A v'ac? of conſiderable ſtrength, 2 Sam. 23. 13. 1 Chron. 11. 15; in the Land of Judah, Joſh. 15. 21, 35: which being his own Tribe, and the Tribe to which God had firſt promiled the King- dm, Gen. 49. 10. he hop?d for ſome Protection andAſſiſtance there. b Partly to comfort and :fſiſt him; partly, to ſecure themſelves at the preſent from Sauls R:ge, which they k:i.ew to te Fierce and Crue}, and :choughnt he might extend it to Davias Friends ; eſpeci- al'y, becauſe they had ſo lately enterrain-d him, chap. 209. 6, 29. And partly, thac they might ſhare with David in his Honour and Advancemeat ; which they now concluded certain, and near, taough it wa> interrupted with ſome difficulties. :
2 And every one that was in diſtreſs c, and every
-
H:b. had one that | was in debt d, and every one rhat was Þ dil-
acreditor. tHeb bite ter of ſoul.
contented e, gathered themſelves unto him, and he be- came a captain over them f: and there were with him about four hundred men-
c Through Want, or Oppreflion, or otherwiſe. 4 How could David rec:1ve, and co'ntenance ſuch Perſons to the wrong of their Creditors ? 4nſ[w. 1. David might be ignorant of their Debts ; and it is moſt likely they concealed that, aud pretended other Cauies of their coming '0 him, as the Pxo'<Qtion ofthe Innocent, and the De- fence of his juſt Rights, &c. 2. T';ey might be, and probably were, poor D »t>rs ; whom their Creditors were obliged ro ſpare, and favour, Ex'd. 22. 25. And though rheir perſons were with Da- wid, yet their Lands and Goods were liable to their Creditors. e Or, bitter in ſoul; 1. e. In an affl:&e4 and calar.itous Condition. f He did not juſtific, nor maintain any Injuſtice or Wickedneſs, which ſom: of them poſſibly might be guiity of; bur on the contrary, he initructed, and ob.1ged taem to the prattice of all Juſtice and Ho- neſty ; as appears from chap. 25. 15, And he on!y uſed them for his juſt Defence. ;
3 © And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab g, and he ſaid unto the king of Moab þ, Let my father and my mother z, I pray thee, come forth, ans be with you, till I know what God will do for me &.
g Socalled, to diſtinguiſh it from that M:zpeh, 1 Sam. 7.5. hPart- Iy, becauſe he was related to, and delcended from one of his peo» ple, Ruth 4. 10. And parcly, becauſe he was Sauls Enemy, 1 Sam. 14. 47. and therefore more like!y ro be Davids Friend. i Who be- ing very aged, were not able to endure thoſe Journeys and Hard- ſhips which David foreſaw that he was likely to be expoſed to. k Till I fce the accompliſhment of Gods promiſe made to me.
4 And he brought them before the king of Moab /,
and they dwelt with him all the while that David was
in the hold .
1 Tnto his Preſence that he might ſee them, and give them leave to dwell in his Dominion. m2 Either, 1. In Mizpeh of Moab, which was a very ſtrong Hold. Burt it is apparent, he ſpeaks of ſome Hold, where his Father and Mother were expoſed to fear and dan- ger from Saul ; which thcy were not in the King of Moabs Royal City. Or, 2. In the Cave of Adulam ; mentioned above, v. .. Or, 3. In Holes ; the Singular Number bei:g pur for the P:ural ; as is frequent ; z, e. as long as David was forced to goſrom place to place, and from Hold to Hoid, to tecure himicif : for it concerned Da- v:d to ſecure his Farher, and he did doubtleſs ſecure him for all thar time ; and nor only whilſt he was in the Hold of M:zpeh, or of Azulla; n, which was but a little while.
5 'T And the prophet * Gad ſaid unto David, Abide notin the hold ; depart, and pet thee into the land
of Jizdah o. Then David departed and came into the forr eſt of. Hareth p.
» Donot thut up thy ſelf in Holes, and Holds. + Go and ſhew thy 1elf in the Landrt Judah, that thou maiſt publickly pur in thy Cl: 3m to the Kingdum after Sauls Death ; and rhar thy Friends may be invited and enconraged to appear on thy b:zhalf. Hereby alſo
G od would exercite.Davias Fiith, and Wiſtom, and Courage ; and. ſr prepare him for the Kingdom, 2nd uphold, aid increaſ: his Re»?!
J] aration among tlie peop:e. p Where there were many Caves and } arking Places.
i S4MUOEL
4 | Chap. XXIN
| 6 © When Saul heard that David was diſcovered, i [|| and the men that were with him: (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a |] tree in Ramah 9g, having his ſpear in his hand ”, and all his ſervants were ſtanding about him. )