e Were uniatisfied and offended with Ach:ſb for this Intention and Declaration. f Herein the wiſe and gracious Providence of God appeared, both in helping him out of thoſe Snares and Difficulties, our of which no humane wit cauld have extricated him,bur he muſt either have been,or have been thought to be a T raitor,and an un=- greatful unworthy Perſon, either to the one or to the other ſide ; and moreover in giving him the happy opportunity of recovering his own, and his All frem the Amalckites, which had been irreco- verably loſt, if he had gone into this Battle. And the Kindneſs of God to David was the greater, becauſe it had been moſt juſt for God to have left David in all thoſe Diſtreſſes into which his own ſinful Counſel and Courſe had brought him. g z. e. Of theſe our Soldiers ? They ſpeak according to the Rules of Reaſon and true Policy ; for by this very Courſe, great Enemies have ſome- times been reconciled together. h
5 1s not this David, of whom they ſang one to ane-
ther in dances, ſayirg, * Saul flew his thouſands, and David his ten thouſands ? 6 © Then Achith called David, and ſaid unto him, Surely, as the LORD liveth þ, thou haſt been upright, and thy going out, and thy coming in with me z in the hoſt zs good in my fight ; for I have not found evil in thee, ſince the day of thy coming unto me &, unto this day : nevertheleſs F the lords favour thee not.
bh He ſwears by Jehovah ; either, becauſe he did acknowledge their Jehovah to be a God, being, it may be, convinced and in- {trufted therein by David, though he did Worſhip Dagon with him, and above him : or, becauſe this was David's God,and therefore he ſwore by him ; partly, our of complaiſance with David, that he might reccive his unwelcome Metlage to him with leſs offence; agd partly, that this Oath might gain more Credit to his words with David. 4 i. e. Thy whole Converlation with me. See chap. 18:13; and many other places where that phraiſe is uſed. k Though be- fore that time there was Evil in thee towards me and my Peo-« ple.
7 Wherefore now return and go in peace, that theu f'diſpleaſe nor the lords of the Philiſtines.
8 * And David faid unto Achiſh, But what have I done ? and what haſt thou found in thy ſervant ſo long as I have been F with thee unto this day, that I may not go to fight againſt the enemies of my lord the king / ?
} "This was deep difſſimulation and flattery, but he apprehended it neceflary,leſt he thould racitly confeſs himielf guilty of that where- of they accuſed him, and thereby expoſe himſcif to the utmoſt ha- zards, Thefe perplexities he brought himiclf into by his irregular courſe, in forſaking the Land of Judah, where God had placed him, chap. 22. 5+ and promiſed him ProteQtion, and putting himſelf into the hands of the Ph:liſtines,
9 And Achiſh anſwered and ſaid to David, I know thou art good in my ſight, as an angel of God »: not- withſtanding the princes of the Philiſtines have ſaid, He ſhall not go up with us to the battel.
m In whom nothing is blame-worthy. Or, it may be uſed to expreſs David's great Wiſdom ; (as well as Integrity ) as 2 Sam-14:17. and 2 Sam:19: 27. The Heathens acknowledged good Spirits, which
alſo they worſhipped as an inferior ſort of Deities, who were Mcſ- ſengers and Miniiters to the Supreme God ; only 4chijþ had learned
the Title of Angels,from the I/raelites his Neighbours,and eſpecially from Davyia's Converſation, |
abs
30 Where-
theſe days, or theſe years d, and I have f found + jq
unto this nothing 'n kim, John
c The Lords of the other eminent Cities and Territories, who 74+: 39
* Chap: 18. 7.& 21. 11,
FT Heb: hou artmt good inthe eyes of the * ned
+ Heb.
wot evilin
the eyes 07 the lords + Heb.
before thee,
Chap. Xx1x Fehap- ?
+ Heb, bitter.
I hap. KXR-
+ Heb, bitter,
LE A
ro Wherefore now riſe up early in the morning,with thy maſters ſervants » that are come With thee : and as ſoon as ye be upearly in the morning,, and have light,
depart 0. | = n He intimates the ground of the Philiftines Jealouſie concerning
id and his Men, that they were all Servants of Saz/, and there- wo _ an Obligation, and Su ſuſpeCted to have an AfffeCtion to their od Lord an. Maſter, againſt whom even David himſelf could not make them fight, eſpecially with, and fo! the Philiftines, 0 Be- fore the Battel begin, leſt, if you delay, the Lords of the Philiſtines fall upon you, an deſtroy you. :
11 So David and his men roſe up early to depart in
the morning, to return into the land of the Philiſtines,
and the Philiſtines went up to Jezreel. CHA P. XXX
The Amalckites in Davids abſence ſpoil Ziklag : and carry away the people”
and his two wives captives, 1---6. David asking counſel is encouraged by God topurſue them, 1---10. By the means of an Egyptian, who was left behind, he is brought to the enemies, and recovereth all the ſpoil: and ſpoileth them, ' 1---22. Makes an order for the dividing the prey,23==25. Sendeth preſents :o his friends, 26---3 1. :
ND it came to paſs, when David and his men
were come to Ziklag on the third day a, that the Amalekites 6 had invaded the ſouth c, and Ziklag,
and ſmitten Ziklag d, and burnt it with hre :
2 To wit, after David's departure from Achiſh, for Ziklag was at a great diſtance from the Camp and place of Fight, as appears from 2 Sam. 1.2. and 2avid's Men being all Foot-men, could make but ſlow Marches. b The remainders of that People who lived near thoſe Parts where David had deſtroyed rhcir Brethren, chap. 27 8,9. c To wit, the Southern part of Judah, and the adjacent parts : See below, wv. 14. 4 1.e. Sacked and ſpoiled ir.
2 And had taken the women captives that were there- in : they ſlew not any e, either great or {mall,buc carri-
ed thew away, and went on their way. e Which was ſtrange, conſidering how David dt*alt with them, chap. 27. 9. But this muſt be aſcribed partly to their ſelfiſh or fleſhly Intereſt : for they might reſerve them, either ro make ſale of them for their Profit, or to abuſe them for their Luſt ; or, ir may be, torevenge themſelves upon David and his Mer, by reſer- ving them to e traordinary, ans lingring, and repeated Punith- ments; but principally, to God's over-ruling and wonderful Pro- vidence, who ſer theſe Bounds totheir Rage ; and though he de- ſigned to chaſtiſe David's Sin and Folly, yet would not deliver him nor his up to death. : q So David and his men came to the city, and be-