21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, Jet there be no dew. nei- cher Jet there be rain upon you 4, nor fields of + off-r- ,,.... ings e: for there the ſhield of the mighty f F is vileiy g ofermgs. caft away h ; the ſhield of Saul, as r1hongh be had not been t Heb wi | anointed with oil 4. louched :
d This is no proper Imprecation ; which he had no reaſon to in- Gr. j fli&t upon thoſe harmleſs Mountains ; But only a paffionate repre- ſenrarion of the Horror which he conceived at this publick Loſs - Which was ſuch, as if he thought every Perſon or Tiing which contributed to it, were fit to bear the Tokens of Divine Diipleaſure, ſuch as thisis, when the Larth wants the bleſſed and neceflary In- fluences of Dew and Rain. e (i.e. ) Fruitful Fields, which may produce fair and goodly Fruits fit to be offered unto God. f The Shields of the valiant Men of 7ſrael. g Diſhonourably : For it was a great Reproach to any Soldier, to caſt away or loſe his Shield. h To wit, by themſelves, that they might flee more ſwiftly away, as the Iſraelites did, and Saul with rhe reſt ; as is ſaid, r Sam. 31. 1, 2. 7 Asif he had been no more, nor better than a common Sol- dier: He was expoſed to the ſame kind of Death and Reproach as they were. |
22 From the blood of the ſlain, from the far of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back &, and the ſwordof Saul returned not empty /U.
k To wit, without effe& : Compare 1/a. 45. 23. and 55. r1. Their Arrows ſhor from their Bows, and their Swords did ſeldom mils, and commonly pierced Far, and Fleſh, and Blood, and reached even | ro the Heart and Bowels. 1 (i e.) Not filled and glutted with Blood: | for the Sword is Mctaphorically ſaid to have a mouth, which we _ tranſlate an edge ; and to devour, 2 Sam. 2. 26. and 11 25. Jer. 2. 30, and 46. 10. And this their former Succeſsfulneſs is here mention- | b ed asan aggravation of their laſt Infelicity.
23 Sau! and Jonathan were lovely, and || pleaſant » jg; ſweel in their lives », and in their death they were not di- © | vided 0: they were ſ{wifter than eagles p, they were | ftronger than lions 9q. |
m Amiable, and obliging in their Carriage and Converſation, both towards one another, and towards their People : For, as for Saul's fierce behaviour towards Jonathan, it was only a ſudden paſ- tion, by which his ordinary Temper was not to be meaſured ; and for his carriage towards David, 1 Sam. 20. 30, 33. that was from that Jealouſie and Reaſon of State which uſually engageth even good-natured and well-natured Princes, to the ſame Hofſtilitiesin hike Caſes. But it 1s obſervable, Thar David ſpeaks not a word here of his Piety and other Virtues; but only commends him for thoſe things which were truely in him, A fit Pattern for all Preach= ersin their Funeral Commendations. , * Jonathan was not falſe to his Father, as was reported ; but ſtuck cloſe to him. » And as he lives, ſo he died with him, at the ſame time, and in the ſame com- mon and good Cauſe, p Expeditious and nimble in purſuing their Enemies, and executing their Deſigns ; which is a great Commen< dation in a Prince, andin a Soldjer. 9 In regard of their bodily | Strength, and the Courage of their Minds.
24 Ye daughters of iſrael » weep over Saul, who clothed you in ſcarlet s, ih ether delights ; who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. |
7 Theſe he mentions ; Partly, becauſe the women then uſed to make Songs both of Triumph, and of Lamentation, as occaſion re- quired : And partly, becauſe they uſually are moſt delighted with the O:naments of the Body here following. 5 This he did, partly, becauſe he procured them ſo much Peace as gave them opportuni- ty of enrichirg themſelves: And partly, becauſe he took theſe things as ſpoils from the Efiemies, and clothed his own People with them. Compare Pſal. 68. 12. | , 2 5 How are the mighty fallen in the midſt of the battelF
O Jonathan, thos wa#f ſlain in thine high places r. .
£ Which were in thy Country, and (had not thy Father dilinhe- rited thee by his fins) in thy Dominions. bend. | _
; 3 A 2 w_
- 4
* Mic. || I, 8
f
tt
ly
*, Mac.
2. 57.) - * x Sam.
ZI. 13+
+ Or, be- cauſe.
+ Hebr. be ye the
for your that. | beſt which
was Sauls.
33+
p. IL
| Or, -Eſb- Gaal. x Chr. 8.
| nN S$ 4 26 I am diſtreſſed for thee s,” my brother Jonathan,
very pleaſant haſt thou been unto me: thy love to me
was wonderful, paſling the love of women x.
u (i.c.) For the loſs of thee. For, beſides the loſs ofa true Friend, and all the comfort of Friendſhip, which is incſtimable ; he loſt him who both could,and undoubtedly would have given him a ſpee- dy, and quiet, and ſue Poſſeſſion of the Kingdom : Whereas now, he met with long and troubleſome Interruptions. # (i.e-) That Love wherewith they love theiriHusbands, or Children; For their affeCti- ons are uſually more vehement and ardent than Men's.
| 27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war y periſhed ? '4.
y Either, x. Metaphorically ſo called ; to wit, Sau! and Jona- than, and the brave Commanders and Soldiers of rae!; who might have been called, the chariots of Iſrael, and the horſemen thereof. Or, rather, 2. Properly ; for, together with the Men, their Arms were loſt, which was a very great aggravation of their loſs, and that loſs ſeems to be at this time more irrecoverable and dangerous, than the
loſs of their Men. CHAP. IL
David by Ged's dire#ion with his company goeth up to Hebron, where he is made King of Judah, 1=—4. He commendeth them of Jabeſh-Gile- ad for burying of Saul, 5 7. Abner maketh Iſhboſheth Iſracl, 8-—11. 4 mortal fight between twelve of Abner's and twelve of Joab's men 12 —— 17. Aſahel purſueth Abner, and is ſlain by him, :8 -— 24. At Abner's motion Joab ſoundeth a Retreat, 25» ZI. Aſahel's burial, 32. | ; |
AND it came to paſs after this, that David enquired
of the LORD #, ſaying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah 5: And the LORD ſaid unto him, Go up. And David ſaid, Whither ſhall I go up? And