~lntrites. Matri is not mentioned anywhere sents him to tl10 multitude as "tho clu.,-on• ,,Jse: and nnmero11.s as are the omissions of Jehovah," al1ll the people shout tl,,,ir in the genealogies, we can scarcely sup- assent by saying, "Let tho king live." p,,r pose that the name of the head of one of this the A. V. puts our English phrase, l,11.t the main snbdfrisions of a tribe could be the Hebrew exactly answers to the l!'rcnch passed over. The conjecture, therefore, is Vive le i·oi I probable that Matri is a corruption of Dikri, Trrn EVENTS WHIOR FOLLOWED IMMEDI· i. e. n descendant of Becl1er, for whom see ATELY UPON SAUL'S ELECTION (vers. 25-27). 1 Chron. vii. 8. After the lot had fallen Ver. 25.-'l'he manner. The difficult word upon this family they would next cast lots already discussed in eh. ii. 13 ; viii. 11. upon its smaller subdiYisions, as in Josh. Here, however, it is not used for rights so vii. 17, 18, until at la.st they came to house- exercised as to become wrongs, but in a good holds, ~·hen first Kish, and finally Saul was sense, for what we should call a constitution. taken. The latter, foreseeing that this would The heathen kings were despots, subject to happen, had concealed himself. For though no higher law, and Samuel, in eh. viii. 11- a noble change had taken place in him (ver. 18, speaks with merited abhorrence of their 9), yet no really worthy man was ernr pro- violation of the natural rights of their sub- moted to high office without having to over- jects; but under the theocracy the king's come his own unwillingness, and no one pro- power was limited by laws which protected, bably ever worthily discharged solemn duties in the enjoyment of their 1,rivileges, the without having felt oppressed and humbled people, the priests, and the prophets. The with the consciousness of his own unfitness latter class especially, as being the mouthpiece- to undertake them. As a matter of fact, Saul of Jehovah, formed a powerful check upon wa.s now called to a most weighty responsi- the development of despotic tendencies. In l;ility, and he failed and was rejected, though sketching Saul's kingly rights Samuel would not "ithout proving that he was a man of be guided by Deut. xvii. 14-20, and won.Id extraordinary genius and power. And it never give the king his true position as the repre- can be said of him that presumption was the sentative of Jehovah both in all matters of cause of his fall, or that he hastily undertook internal administration and of war. And serious duties in the spirit of light-hearted laid it up before Jehovah. Probably by the lenty. side of the ark. We are not to suppose that Ver. 22. - They inquired of Jehovah Samuel wrote this at Mizpah. He would fully, flll"ther, if the man should yet come thither. explain to Saul and the people there what a JI[ ore correctly, "Is any one as yet come theocratic king ought to be, and would after- hither 1" The Septuagint and Vulgate trans- wards draw up a formal document both as a· late as if there were an article before "any memorial of what had been done, and for one" (Hebrew, a man), and give, "Is the the use of futnre sovereigns, and place it man coming hither!" But the Hebrew text within the sanctuary. It is noteworthy that is the more satisfactory. For the object of this is the first notice of writing since the the inquiry, made by the Uri.m and Thummi.m, days of the illustrious scribe Eleazar. was to find Saul, wherever he might be ; and Vera. 26, 27.-Saul did not at once enter the enigmatical way of putting the question, upon his duties, but went home to Gibeah, ls any one as yet come 1 was regarded as and there went with him, not a band of more reverential than asking directly, Is men, but the host, or the foi·ce, i. e. those Saul come! Among the stuif. I. e. the brave men whose hearts God had touched. baggage, as in eh. xvii 22, where it is trans- Whatever was noble and valiant accompanied lated "carriage." The people, colleoted him, to take counsel for the nation's good ; from all Israel, would come with wagons but the children of Belia!, i. e. worthless, anu provisions, and such arms as they could good-for-nothing creatures (see eh. i. 16 ; i!. procure ; for very probably the Philistines 12), despised him. In the A. V. the anti- ,rnuld interrupt such a meeting, as they had thesis between the force, the strength and tl,at eonvened formerly by Samuel (eh. vii. bravery that went with Saul, and the worth- i;. Naturally, therefore, they would follow lessness which rejected him, is lost by the the regulations of an army, and so arrange mistranslation of both words. The Septua• their baggage as to form a place of defence gint, on the contrary, strenr:hens it b7 in case of attack. See on eh. xvii. 20. rendering "sons of strength' and "pesti- Vera. 23, 24.-A.nd when he 1tood. This lent sons." As there was a garrison in the rendering spoils the poetic force of the ori- district of Gibeah, this proceeding was likely ginal, where the rapidity of their action is to embroil Saul with the Philistines, and expressed by three preterites following hard probably was so intended. They brought upon one another. The Hebrew is, "And him no presents. Apparently, therefore, they ran, and took him thence, and he stood tho people did bring him presents; and as forth (see eh. xii. 7) among the people, and these would chiefly consist of food, they C.e was taller," &c. And now Samuel pre- would be useful only for maintaining a body <CB. X. 17-27.) THE FIRST BOOK OF SA'.'IIUEL. 189
-0f men. This, too, would scarcely escape have refused a king chosen from the little tribe the notice of so watcl,ful an enemy, and yet of Benjarni n. In fact, Judah never does seem until Saul smote one of their garrisons they to have given a hearty allegiance to Saul. did nothing; but then, forthwith, they in- The Septuagint, followed by Josephus, offers vaded Israel so promptly, and with such over- a not improbable different reading, which whelming numbers, 11s seems to prove that involves but a vei-y slight change in the they had been busily making preparations Hebrew. Uniting the words with the next meanwhile to maintain their empire. He held chapter, they translate, "And it came to ·1 bis peace. Literally," was as one that is deaf." pass, after about a month, that Nabash the Had Saul not controlled his anger, a civil Ammonite," &c. The Yulgate has both war would have been the result, and the readings. tordly tribes of Ephraim and Judah might