Drinking, and Dancing, was ,more cuſtomary and proper work 'or the Evening, than for the Morning ; and partly, becauſe the Evening was m. re convenient for David, that the fewneſs of his Forces might not be ditcover<cd by the Day-light. Obje#. It is not I''--ly that David would fall upon the Amalekites before his Men, who had been tired with a leng and haſty March, were refreſhed. 4njw. Nor is it ſaid thar he did. It is probable, that whet: he came near them, he repoſed himſelf, and his Army, in ſome ſecret Place, wherecf there were many in ti ofe Parts, for a convenient Seaſon ; and then march on ſo as to come to them at the Evening rime. | | |
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away : and David reſcued his two wives.
I9 Andthere was nothing lacking to them, neither ſmall nor great, neither ſons nor daughters, neither ſpoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them ; Das vid recovered all. £ | $6
20 And David took all the flocks, and the kerds x : which they drave before thoſe other cattel y; and faid; This zs Davids ſpoil z.
x To wit, which the 'malekites had taken from the Philiftines or others. » Before thoſe who belonged to Ziklag. x i.e. The Sol diers, who lately were ſo incenſed againſt David, that they ſpake of Stoning him : now upon this Succeſs magnifie him, and Triums phantly celebrate his Praiſe ; and ſay concerning this Spoil, David purchaſed it by his Valour and Condu, and he may diſpoſe of is as he pleaſerh. |
21 CG:And David came to the two hundred men, F which were ſo faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made alſo to abide at the brook Beſor : and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him 2 ; and when David came
near to the peeple, he || ſalured them 6b.
a To congratulate the Victory; which, it is probable, David had ſent a Meſſenger to acquaint theni with. 5 He ſp-aks kindly - them,and did nor blame them becauſe they went no further with them.
22 Then c anſwered all the wicked men;and men of
['Or, arkodt them how
they dide ©
3 A 2 Belial
Be Num. > 27.
pard.
* r Sam. 309. I7.
p. ). Belial 4 of + thoſe that went with David, and ſaid, Be-
oſhe 19.
cauſe they went not with us e, we will not give them oght of the ſpoil that we have recovered, fave to every man his wife, and his children, that they may lead#hber
away, and depart. :
cWhen thoſe 200 Men required,or expeCted a part of the ſpoil ; and they gathered from Davia's words and carriage,that he intend- ed togive it to them. So he calls them for theirCoverouſneſs,and Injuſtice, and Churlifhneſs to their Brethren. By which expreſſi- ons we may judge, how hainous and odious thoſe fins are 1n God's ſight. eWhich was from their impotency ; not by choice, or de- ſign. Herein therefore was their Iniquity and Unreaſonableneſs , they would puniſh them for no fault. |
23 Thenſaid David, Ye ſhal not do ſo,my brethren f, with that which the LORD hath given us g, who hath preſerved us, and delivered the company that came a-
gainſt us, into our hand. |
f He uſeth his Power and Authority to over-rule them ; but ma- nageth it with all ſweerneſs,calling them Brethren ; not only as of the ſame Nation and Religion with him, bur as his Fellow-Soldiers. £ What he hath freely imparted to us,we ſhould not unkindly and injuriouſly with-hold from our Brethren. _
24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter + ? but * as his part js that goeth down to the battel, fo ſhall his part be that tarricth by the ſtuff: they ſhal part alike 2.
{EM wiſe or juſt Man will be of your Opinion in this matter? ; A prudent and equitable Conſtitution, and therefore praQtiſed by the Romans, as Polybius and others note. The Reaſon of it 1s mani- feſt ; becauſe they were expoſed to hazards, as well as their Bre- thren : and were a Reſerve to whom they might retreat in caſe of
n. SAMOUE L.
a Defeat; and they were now in aftual Service, and in the ſtation |
in which their General had placed them.
ſtatute, and an ordinance for Iſrael unto this day.
Heb.ord 25 And it was ſe from that day + that he made it a
26 E And when David came to Ziklag, he ſent of |
the ſpoil unto the elders of Judah &, ever to his friends
(ſaying, Behold, a ÞF preſent for you of the ſpoil of the,
enemies of the LORD U.)
© & Partly in gratitude for their former favour to him : and partly,
in Policy, to engage their Affe&ions to him now, when he appre-- hended Saul's death near. [He intimates, that though he was fled:
to the Phil:fines,yet he imployed not hisForces againſt the 7/-aelites, as, no doubt,Saul's Courtiers and Soldiers reported that he deſigned; but only againſt God's Enenues.
27 To them which were in Bethel #7, and to thew'
which were in * ſouth Ramoth », and to them which were in Jatter o, |
m In Kiriath-jearim, where the Ark was, 1 Sam. 10. 3. n A City in the Tribe of Simeon, Joſ. 19. 8. ſo called by way of diſtintion, from Ramoth in Gilead, a3 4 was more Northward, 1, Kings 22.12. o Of which, ſee Joſh. 15. 48. :
'28 And to them which were in Aroer p, and to them
- which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eſh-
temoa, | ' p Not that beyond Jordan, Numb. 32. 34. as many think; which was too remote from David: but another Place of that Name in Judah, where the reſt of the Places here named were : This being one of thoſe Places where David and his men were wont to haunt, as 1s e>preſled v. 31. l ;
29 And to them which were in Rachal, and to ther which were in the cities of the Jerahmeeclites, and to them which werein the cities of the Kenites,
20 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them
which were in Chor-aſhan, and to them which were in
Athach, | ;
21 And tothem which were 1n Hebron, and to all the places where David himſelf, and his men were wont to haunt 9g. |
q Or, rogo. Whither they uſed to reſort in the time of Saul's Per- ſecution, either ro hide themſelves in ſome of their Territories ; or, to get Proviſion A: thence.
H A P. XXXI.
The Iſraelites are ſmitten by the Philiftines. Saul's ſons are ſlain : Saul is
wounded : be falleth on his own ſword: as doth his armour-bearer, J-====5, Thereft flee : and the Philifines poſſeſs their rowns, and triumph over the dead carcaſſes, 6-10. They of Fabefb-Gilead by night take down the bodies of Saul and of his ſons and burn them : and mournfully bury their bones, 11====13.
|
mn.
Chap. 1.