* Doth not David hide himſelf in the hill of Ha- chilah, which is before Jeſhimon 6b?
a Having once betrayed him before, they thought their Caſe de- ſperate with Dav'd; and therefore did more ſtrenuouſly affiſt Saul in diſcovering him, in order to his Ruine. 6 He is returned to his former hmnt : of which ſee Chap.23-19+ This place mighr be conve- nient for him, either for its nearneſs to A4bigail's Eſtate : or becauſe he mighr think, that Sau! was mollified, and the Zriphites cautioned by the unſucceſsfulneſs of rheir former Atrempt 3 or becauſe he could from thence, make good his Retreat into other places, if need Were.
2 Then Saul aroſe, and went down to the wil- derne\s of Ziph, having three thouſand choſen men of Iſrael with him, to ſeek David in the wilderneſs of Ziph.
: And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah which 7s before Jeihimon by the way : but David abode in the wilderneis, and he ſaw c that Saul came after him into the wildernels,
c i,6. He unserſtood by Information, probably, from his dear friend Jonathan.
4 David therefore ſent out ſpies, and underſtood that
' Saul was come in very deed.
4 And David aroſe, and came to the place where Saul had pitched 4: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and * Abner the ſon of Ner the captain of his hoſt : and Savl lay in che || crench e, and the people
d Came near to the skirts of Saws Camp ; which he might eaſily diſcover from loine neighbouring Hill, or Wood; and yet, not be diſcerned himielf. And it is probable, he came rthitier diſguiſed, and rowards Night. e Encompaſſcd with his Carriages for better
ſecurity. Compare, 1 Sam. 17. 20.
'6 Then anſwered David, and faid to Ahimelech the Hitrite f,and ro Abiſhai the ſon of Zeruiah g,brother to Joab, ſaying, Who will go down with me to Saul ro the carnp ? And Abiſhai ſaid, I will go down with thees
f So called, either becauſe he was one of that Nation, but Con- verted to the Jewiſh Religion: Compare 2 Sam. It. 3. and 15. 18. Or, from his Habiration amongſt, or ſome Relation to ſome of that People. g David's Siſter : See 1 Chren. 2. 16. His Father is not named ; either becauſe he was now dead; or becauſe he was an ob- {cure Perſon.
7 So David and Abiſhai came to the people h by night, and behold, Saul lay ſleeping within the trench, and his ſpear ſtuck in the ground at his bolſter ; bur Ab- ner and the people lay round about him,
h 3.e, To Saul's Hoſt and Camp. Ir might ſeem a bold and ſtrange Attempt ; but many things are to be conſidered: 1. hat Heroical Perſons have oft artempred things of no leſs difficulty and danger than this was ; as many credible Hiſtorians relate. 2. That David did; and might cafily perceive, that they were all faſt aſleep.
$8 4 SES
Chap.
3- That David had a particular Aſſurance thar Grd wovld preſerve him to the Kingdom- 4- That he had a ſpecial Inftin& fiem God
tothis Work ; and pofſibly God might inform him, that he had caſt | them into a dead ro that he might have this ſecond epportunity of manifeſting his Innocency towards Savl, and the Juſtice of his Cauſe. "Os | |
8 Then faid Abiſhai to David, God hath + delivered + Heb: thine enemy into thine hand this day : now therefore 7+ let me ſmite him, I pray thee, with the ſpear, even to the earth at once, and I will not /wite him the ſecond time 2» |
;i T'will Nail him to the Ground at one blow, that Tſhall not need a ſecond ſtroke.
9 And David faid to Abiihai, Deſtroy him not : for who can ſtretch forth his hand againſt the LORDS a- nointed, and be guiltleſs & ? ... h
k Though Saul be a cruel Tyrant, and rejefted: by God, yet he is our ſovereign lord and king ;. and Is though deſigned King, as yet am bur a private Perſon, and his Subje& ; and therefore can» not kill him without Sin, nor will I conſent that thou ſhould'ſt do Its .
Io David faid furthermore, 4s the LORD liveth, the LORD ſhall {mite him /, or his day ſhall come to die #9, or he ſha!l deſcend into battel and periſh.
1 By ſome ſudden and mortal Stroke. Accordivg to the courſe of Nature. - | |
11: The LORD forbid that I ſhould ſtretch forth mine hand againſt the LORD'S anointed 2 but, I pray thee, take thou now the ſpear that is at his bolſter »,and the cruſe of water os, and let us go. |
3 Which will ſhew where we have bzen, and what we could have done. e Which might be pur there, either to waſh himſelf in caſes of any accidental Pollution, which oft happened in the Night:. or
to refreſh himy and quench his thirſt in that hot Climate and Seaſon; or for divers other uſes.
12 So David took the ſpear, and the cruſe. of water
from Sauls bolſter, and they gat them away, and no man ſaw i#, neither awaked z for they were all aſleep, mY,” becauſe a deep ſlzep f for the LORD p was fallen upon + Heb. them. . x | the LORD. ? Sent upon them by the Lord, for David's advantage« 12 T Then David went over to the other fide, and ſtood on the cop of an hill afar q off ( a great ſpace be- ing between them. )
7 Thar his Perſon might be out of their reach, and yet his Voice might be heard; which in a clear Air, and in the ſilence of the Night might be heard at a great diſtance.
14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the ſon of Ner, ſaying, Anſwereſt thou not, Abner ? Then Abner anſwered and ſaid, Who art thou that crieſt to the king r ?.
.
ry Or, with or beſide the king, 3. e« So near to him) ſo as to diſturb the King. | |
15 And David ſaid to Abner, Art not thou + a valiant man 2 and who 5zs like to thee / in Iſrael ? Wherefore then haſt rhou not kept thy lord the king ? for there came one of the people in to deſtroy the king thy lord.
ſ For Courage and ConduQ: and therefore thy fault herein is the greater. |
16 This thing is not good # that thou haſt done: & the LORD liveth, ye are + worthy to die, becauſe ye + x06. ſons have not kept your maſter the LORD'S anointed. And of 44h. . now ſee where the kings ſpear js, and the cruſe of wa- ter that was at his bolſter. - t 1.e. It is very bad, a great Crime. Prov. 18. 5-and 19. 2+ 17 And Saul knew Davids voice,and faid, 7: this thy voice, my ſon « David? And David faid,Þ js my voice, my lord, O king. ha u As thou waſt my Son by Marriage, ſo thou haſt expreſſed the care and affeCtion of a Son ro me now a ſecond time- LN 18 And he ſaid, Wherefore doth my lord purſue thus afcer his Servant ? for what have I done ? or what evil # in mire hand?