The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 210

conrse of a harassing war, or he may have falls usually only at the autumnal and vernal learnt to despise a people incapable of offering equinox, Rnd though thunder-storms are not a regular resistance. At all events, Samuel uuk_nown ot other times, yet, by the general describes Na hash ns giving the final impetus testimony of tra vellcrs, they Ol'O ve1y mre. Naturally,. therefore, this storm :deeply im- to the desire of the nation for a king. When Jehove.h your God was your -king. See pressed the minds of the people. Thougl: ,1 rnlges Yiii. 23. not in itself mimculous, the circumstnnces made it so. Yer. 13.-Behold the king whom ye he.ve • chosen! . . . behold, Jehove.h he.th set a king Ver. 19. - Pray •for thy servanti, · On over you. We have here the two sides -of Samuel's medie.torial office •see· eh, vii. the transaction. The people had desired a6, 8. king, chosen and appointed by themselves, to Ver. 20.--Ye have done all this wicked- ness. The ye is emphatic, and to give its represent the nation in temporal matters ; Jehovah gave them a king to represent him- force we should translate, "Ye have indeed self, with authority coming from God, anddone all this evil" From following Jehovah. limited by God. Most, too, of the kings of See on ver. 16. "· Judah were as truly representatives of Je- Ver. 21.-Forthen should ye go after vain hovah as any of the ju<lges had been, andthings. The word fw is omitted in all the David even more so. Desired is rather ancient·'l'ersions, and -the sense ·is complete '' demanded," ''required." They had donewithout it : "And turn ye- not aside after to- much more than desire a king. hu,'' the word used in Gen·. ·i. l, and there translated "without form."· It ·means any- Yer. 14.-If ye will fee.r, &c. This verse, like Luke xix. 42, is left unfinished, .and thing e1npt'!f, void, and so is often· used, ·as here, for "·an idol,'' because, as St. Pm'.11 says, we must supply well, as in Exod. xxxii.: 32. l' an idol -is nothing in the world" (1 Cor. For the verse cannot be translated as in the •viii. 4). So Isaiah (eh. xliv. 9) calls the A. Y., but is as follows : '' If ye will fear makers of--idols-vanity,, Hebrew, -tohu, Le. Jehovah, and serve him, and obey bis voice, and not rebel against the commandment empty people, with no sense in them:· The (Hebrew, the mouth) of Jehovah, and if word is :used again· ot the end of the verse - which idols cannot •profit nor deliver; both ye and the king that reigneth over you for they a.re tohu, emptiness. Tiill follow Jehovah your God, it shall be well." Samuel piles up one upon another Ver. 22. ~ For· his great name's sake. Though Samuel in ver. 14 had described the conditions of their happiness, and then from the depth of his emotion breaks off,their well-being as 1dependent 1upon their omi !eaving the blessed consequences of theirconduct,yet in a higher ligh1dt··dependecl obedience unsaid. "To follow Jehovah" upon God!s will.·· ..,He had chosen Israel not implies mlling and active service as his for its ·own sake (Deuti vii. -7, 8\, but for a attendants, going with him where he will,special ,purpose, to minister to the Divine and being ever ready to obey his voice. plan for the redemption of all mnnkiud, and so, though individuals might sin to their own Ver. 15.-Against you, e.s it was e.gainst your fathers. The Hebrew has " against ruin, and the nation bring upon itself severe you and your fathers," and so the Vulgate,chastisements, yet it must continue according to the tenor of God's promises (see on eh. for which the Septuagint reads, "against you and your king," as in ver. 25. The text isii. 30), and through weal and woe discharge the duty imposed-upon it. probably corrupt, and to make sense requires the insertion of some such words as those Ver. 23'.-God ,forbid, Hebrew, "Fili: be it given in the A. V., with which the Syriac from mo." The.t I should sin ... in ceaeing also agrees. to pray 'for you. In no character 'of the Old·Testament does this duty of inte1·cessory Ver. 16. -Stand. Better stand f wth, as ill prayer stand forward so prominently as in ver. 7 ; take your places in solemn order. • , Samuel (11ee ver. 19); -nor does-he rest·content Ver. 17.-Wheat harvest. Barley was fit {or reaping at the Passover, and wheat at with this, but adds, I will teach you th~ Pentecost, i. e. between the middle of Maygood ail.d the right way. This· was a fa11 and the middle of June. Jerome, on Amos higher office than that of ruler ; and not only was Samuel ea,rnest in dische.rging this pro- iv. 7, testifies that during his long residence in Palestine he had never seen rain there phetic office of teaching, but he made pro- during June and July; but Conder(' Hand- vision for a supply of teachers and preachers for all future time -by founding the schools book of Bible,' p. 221), says, "Storms still occur occasionally in harvest-time .." Re of the prophets. •• shall send thunder. Hebrew, voices, and so Ver. 42.-For consider, &c. Samuel con- iu Yer. 18 (see eh. ii. 10; vii 9). cludes his address by appealing to the mighty DIVINE TESTIMONY TO SAMUEL'S INTE· deeds wrought in old time by Jehovah for GRITY (vers. 18-25). Ver. 18.-Jehovah his people ; liternlly, it is, "For consider eent thunder and rain Rain in PaJestir:e how grandly he hath wron~ht with you." OD, XII, 1-25,] THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. 21\.