g i.e. In the Territory of Gib:ah, in, or near ( for ſo the Hebrew Particle is oft vſzd ; as hath b:en ſh:-wed ) Ramah. Or, in the Town of Gibeah nan high place ; for ſo the word Rameh unque- ſtionably ſignifies ; ard fo it is here rendred by ſome, both Ancient and Modern Interpreters. r Either as an Enſign cf Majeſty, for in old times Kings carried a Spear inſtead of a Scepter ; as Juſtin and
others note ; cr, as an Inſtrument of Self-defence or Cruelty, as occaſion required.
7 Then Saul faid unto his ſcrvants that ſtood about Wl him, Hear now, ye. f Benjamites s, will the ſon of + Heb: | Jeſſe give every one of you fields, and vineyards, and /o"s of 7 of make you all captains of thouſands, and captains of 7” hundreds z : | : Pt.
s You that are of my own Tribe and Kindred; from whom Da-
[| or, a"
i n f
| the ſon of Ahitub, and all his fathers houſe a, the prieſts
vid deſigns to tranſlate the Kingdom to another Tribe, £ Will he diſtribure Profits and Preferments amongſt you Benjamites, as T have done, and inrend ſtill to do? will he nct rather prefer thoſe of his own Tribe before you ? |
8 That all of you have conſpired againſt me, and there is none that Þ ſheweth me that my ſon hath made a league with the ſon of Jefle u, and there is none of you that 1s ſorry for me, or ſheweth unto me, that my ſon
hath ſtirred up my ſervant againſt me to lie in wait, as at this day 2 |
u Thus he ſuſpefted, partly, from Jonathans paſſionate Love for David, which he had formerly, and conſtantly declared; and from his ate diſcontent and departure from! his Father, mentioned, chap. 20. 33- and partly, from Davids Confidence, in Invading rhe Land with four Hundred Mer, which he theught he wouldnever preſume to do, without iome Encouragement or promitle bf Afſſiſt- ance from Jonathan, » i. e. ToDelſign againſt my Crowngand Life; ( which will appear to be a moſt groundleſs Suſpicion, and falſe
Acculation. ) | 8 ſwered * Doeg the Edomite (which * Pſal-
+ Heb: | |
uncoverethi mine ear.
9 © Then an | was ſet over the ſervants of Saul ) and faid, I faw the 5*
ſon of Jefſe coming to Nob y, to Ahimelech the ſon'of .
* Ahitub. y See on Chap. 21. 7.
10 And he enquired of the LORD for him z, and | * eavehim victuals, and gave him the ſword of Goliah © Chp- | the Philiſtine. -
z This is not Recorded, Chap. 21. and therefore ſome thigk, | that Doeg to curry favour with Saul, feigned this; for it i; certain, | David chargeth him with the Sin of Lying, Pſa-m 52. 3. though ir | is not improbable, that he ro}d other Lyes alſo, nor here expreſſed ; | and withal, he was guilty af concealing parc of the Trurh, which in this caſe he was cblidged to declare for 4himelechs juſt Defence; co wit, the cunning Pretence and Artifice whereby David circum- vented Alimelech. Others think this was rrue, becauſe; 4himelech ſeems to confels it, v./15- though that may be ſpoken by way of conceſſion. If it were ſo as Doeg declares, rhis was no new thing. Then he might add, that it was not fo ; though this be not here mentioned : for it is evident, That all his Anſwer or Apology, -is not here expreſſed; tor here is not a word of the Vittuals or Sword which he gave him.
11 Then the king ſent to call. Ahimelech the prieſt
| | | ; ! |
that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king. 2 Of the Houſe of Eli, which God had threatned to'curt eff, chap, | 24 3b | 12 And Saul faid, hear now, thou ſon of Ahitub 5: and he anſwered, f Here I am my lords + Heb: b He ſhews his Contempt and Anger, that he would not vouch- behold me | ſafe ro name him : See before, on chap. 20. 27.
13 And Saul faid unto him, Why have ye conſpired
agaiiiſt me, thou, and the ſon of Jeſſe, in that chou haſt given him bread, and a ſword, and haſt enquired ; of God for him, that he ſhould riſe againſt me to lie in | wait, as at this day ?
| 14 Then Ahimelech anſwered the king, and ſaid, And who & ſo faithful among all thy ſervants, as Da- 'vid c, which is the kings ſon in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is hondOurable in thine houſe.
c H-: derh not determine the Differences between Sau! and Da- vid ; nor affirm, what David now was : but only declared whar David had formerly been, both really, and in publick Fame and O« piniong
15 DidI then begin to enquire of God for him ? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing 4 unto his ſervant, mor to all the houſe of my father : for thy ſervant knew nothing of all this e, + leſs or more. + Heb.
d Or, this thing; to wit, which thou now chargeſt me with, 1;::le That I ſhould affift David in any evil Deſign axainit eros e Or, Ps of thy Suſpicion concerning him. For as for Sauls Atremprs upon | David, well might Abimelech impute them wholly to the Violence
! of Sauls Paſſion and Diſcale, leing even Jonathan did ſo, as may be
' gathered from 1 Sam. 20. 2:
76 And the king ſaid, Thou ſhalt ſurely die, Ahi- [R_—_ thou and all thy fathers houſe. 2 £4
i177 And
S my
an
VE.
: POT COSEES 3 A
ap. XXII.
" own hand : which was not
- niſter to the Lord in a linen Ephed, which Prieſts and Levites uſed
17 C And the king ſaid unto the [| Porpnen. woo ſtood about him, Turn, and ſlay the prieſts _ ar: LORD, becauſe their hand x with David, and 4 e they knew when he fled, and did not ſhew it _ _ the ſervants ofthe king would not put forth their han co fall upon the prieſtsof the LORD f. | POP - f Chuſing rather to offend the king, by diſobeying h1s ak wy e bloody Command, apts iy 4 cy God, by ſhedding ©
ent and Sacr2d Ferions. 2 wg "And the king ſaid to Doeg, Turn thou g, and fall upon the prieſts. And Doeg the Edomite þ poop: ed, and he fell upon theprieſts, and * flew on that day fourſcore and five perſons 5 that did wear alinen & Po 7 '1 Man, till thou haſt killed all: - © Groetey el o_ DE the hain of this Butchery m the Jraelitiſþ Nation, and to thew, why he was ſo ready oy O x : becauſe he was one of that Nation which had an implacable hatr
: nol; :nſt the prieſts of the Lord. - With bis againſt all 1/-aelites, and oats” ook if when no reſiſtance was made.
+ Not at that time, as ſome fanſie, but uſually ; ſpch as uſed to mi-
1 $AMDOE.L
6 And it came to paſs when Abiathar the ſon of A- himelech * fled to David to Keilah, that he came down
with an ephod k in his hand.