a Encouraged thereunto by Samuel's death, and Sauls degene- ration, and David's preſence with A4hiſh. b This he faith, partly, to try his Sincerity ; and partly,in confidence of Davis s Fulclity.
2 Ard David {aid to Achith, Surely thou ſhalt know what thy ſervant can do c. And Achith faid ro David, Therefore 4 will I make thee keeper of mine heade for CVer.
c He ſpeaks ambiguouſly, as he did before, that Ackiſh might underſtand him, as he did, of his ating for him againſt the Ijra- clites ; whereas he meant it of his aCting tor the 1/-ael:tes againſt the Phil flines, to which he was obliged both by Gods expreſs Com- mand, and by his indelible and manifold Obligations to God,and to God's People ; and by his own manifeſt intereſt. Though it 1s likely he would have managed his Affairs with all poſſible regard and care of Achiſh's Perſon, to whom alone, upon the matter,David ſtood obliged, and not to the reſt of the Philiſtines, who had an ill opinion of him, as we ſhall ſee. & For that Valour which I doubr not thou wiltſt ſhew on my behalf. e 7. e. Of my Body and Life, the Captain of my Life-Guard.
3 4 Now * Samuel was dead .*. and all Iſrael had la- mented him,and buried him in Ramah,even in his own City f: and Saul had put away thoſe that had familiar ſpirits, and the wizards g out of the land b. |
.'. This is mentioned here as the reaſon why Saul did not en- quire of Samuel ; which, if he had now been alive, he would have done. f Where he had his Birth and Education, and moſt ſettled Habitation, 4 Sa: 19: 18, g According to God's Command, Lev: 19. 31. and 20. 6,.27. Dent, 18. 1. This he did;either by Samuel's Inſtigation : or from a conceit that the evil Spirit came upon him by ſome of their means : or, that he might gain the repute of a Religious Prince, which was very uſeful to him : or, that he might quiet his troubled Conſcience, and pleaſe God, as far as his Intereſt would give him leave. And this is here related, partly, to ſhew that an Hypocrite, and wicked Man, may obey ſome of God's Commands : and principally to bring in the following Hiftory. þ Of Jſrael.
4 YT And che Philiſtines gathered themſelves to- gether, and came and pitched in Shunem z : and Saul gathered all Ifrael together, and they pitched in Gil- boa &, |
i A Town in the Tribe of 1/achar, Joſ. 19. 18» k A mountain not far from the Valley of Jezrea, where the Battel was fought, chap: 31. 1: 2 Sam- 1: 21, So the two Armies ſeem to be placed in the ſame manner as they were chap? 17: each upon an Hill, and a Valley between them. Es
5 And when Saul ſaw the hoſt of the Philiſtines 1, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled -.
I From mount Gilboa, chap. 31 1» m Partly, from the greatneſs and refolurtne(s of rhe Holt of the Philiſtines, who were the agrel- ſors : partly,from the loſs of Dawid,who might have been of great uſe to him ar this time : partiy, from the Conlcience of his own manifelt Guilt,and juſt expettation of Divine Vengeance ofr threat- ned, and now in all likchhood to be inflicted upon him«
6 And when Saul enquired of the LORD », the LORD aniwered him not o, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by Prophets p.
2 In his ſlight and pertun&ory way, as c*ap. 14+ 19+ as appears from hence, thar when God did not ſpeedily antwer him, he goes ro the Devil for an anſwer, v 7. For which reaſon he 1s ſaid, 70:
to have enquzred of the Lord, 1 Chron: 10: 14. #. e. not ſeriouſly, and : after the right order- Poſſibly he enquired by ſome Propher then |
with him, or by the Prieſt before the Ark. o Becauſe he ſought him not in due order ; not by the Urim and Thummim which were in the Ephod,which he by his cruelty to the Prieſts had loſt, chop. 23: 6. and becauſe he did not truly repent of, nor put away his ſins, which provoked God, and kept him from anſwering ; as Saul well knew by his own conſcience and experience, chap: 14: 37, 38, 39. Þ z. e. Neither by ordinary means, nor extraordinary.
7 4 Then faid Saul unto his ſervants, Seck me a woman q that hath a familiar ſpirit 7, that I may go to her, and enquire of her, And his ſervants faid to im /, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar {pirit at Endor #.
9 Rather than a mar ; for he thought that Sex moſt likely to be given to thoſe wicked Arts, as being the weaker Sex,and ſo apteit ro be deceived, and moſt prone to Superſtition, and oft-times moſt malicious and revengeful. r One that converſeth with the Devil, and dead Men's Gholts, and by them can diſcover future things. SCc Iſa 8: 19. | luiſteail of diiſwading him from this wicked and diſtruCtive prattice, which they ſhould and would have done, if they had cither loved God or their King, they further him in ir. ; A place in the Tribe of Myr2aſth, within Jordan, not very far b:om the place where rhe Ainucs: were encamped.
8 And Saul diſguifed kimfe!f u, and put on other *a1Ment, ang he went, and rwo men with him, and they Came to the woman hy night, and he faid, I pray :ches divine unto me by ths famitiar ſpirit, and bring we 4im up whom I thill nan unto
"Y 2,4 dil Ws
L S 4 TH 4
% Both becauſe he was aſhamed to be known, or thought guilty of this praCtice ; and becauſe he ſuſpe&ed that the Woman, had ſhe known him, would not prattice her Art before him-
9 And the woman faid unto him, Behold, thou knoweſt x what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off thoſe that have familiar ſpirits, and the wizards out of the land : wherefore then layeſt thou a ſnare for my life, to cauſe me to die y ? |
x For his Specch and Garb diſcovered him to be an If-aclite,and therefore acquainted with theſe matters. y By accuſing me to Saul
as guilty of a capital Crime.
10 And Saul {ware to her by the LO RD, ſaying, As the LORD liveth, there thail no + puniſhment hap- pen to thee for this thing.
1x Then faid the woman, Whom fjhall I bring up unto thee 2 And he ſaid, Bring me up Samuel z.
z Whoſe kindneſs and compaſſion to him, as he had formerly experienced, ſo now he expected it in his deep diſtreſs. This praQtice of divination by the dead, or by the Ghoſts or Sonls of dead Perſons, called up by Magical Art, was very uſual among all Nations, and from them Sav! learned it. :
12 And when the woman faw Samuel ſhe cryed with a loud voice a : and the woman ſpake to Saul, ſaying,
Why haſt chou deceived me ? for rhou art Saul 6.