people condemn him by their silence. They morally wrong and an offence against religion had obeyed him ,vith ready devotion ; but to condemn that which God approved, and now they listen in teJTor to the rash and the people therefore set their oath against violent words which condemn to death the the king's oath, aud prevail. young hero by whom God had that day Ver. 46.-Saul went up, &c. Thus, as the wrought deliverance for them. final result of his self-will, Saul had to dis- Vers. 40, 41.-As God also condemned continue his pursuit of the Philistines, and Saul by his silence, the Urim and Thum- their power, though weakened by the over- mim gi,ing no answer, he places himself -throw, remained unbroken. and Jonathan on one side, and the people on SUMMARY OF SAUL'S WARS, AND ACCOUNT the other, and determines to cast lots. He OF HIS FAMILY (vers. 47-62). Ver. 47.- then prays, Give a perfect lot, or, as in the So Saul took the kingdom. Instead of so the margin, "Show" (literally, give) "the inno- Hebrew has and, rightly ; for this is no cent." This is undoubtedly the meaning of result or consequence of Saul's victory over the Hebrew, while the rendering of the text the Philistines, but a mere historical intro• is taken from Kimchi There dre few mis- duction to the summary of his wars. The translations of the A. V. which have not more correct translation would be, " When some good Jewish authority for them, as Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he King James's translators were singularly fought," &c. Saul's reign was valiant and well versed in Je1\ish literature, while they full of military glory. He was, in fact, in seem strangely to have neglected the still war all that the people had longed for, and higher authority of the ancient versions. not only did he gain independence for Israel, These generally translate "Give holiness," but laid the foundation of the vast empire of a phrase equivalent to "Show the truth." David and Solomon. But it is not the purpose The Septuagint and Vulgate add explana- of Holy Scripture to give ns the history of tions, which, however, throw no light upon all Saul's valiant exploits, but only of his the passage. moral probation and failure. Of wars we read Ver. 44. - God do so, &c. Again Saul more than enough in profane history ; here takes an oath to put Jonathan to death, we read of the formation of character, and supposing himself bound by his former how a hero in the midst of noble and worthy words. But he must have been pained be- feats of arms may yet lose something nobler yond measure at the miserable consequences and worthier-the favour of God. On every of his rashness, and have bitterly reproached side. Moab and Ammon were on the east, himself for thus twice marring the happiness Edam on the south, Zobah on the north. of the day by unhallowed oaths. Jonathan's east, and the Philistines on the west. Zobah trespass, committed unwittingly, required lay beyond Damascus, and, from the accounts nothing more than a trespass offering for its given in 2 Sam. viii. 3-8; x. 6, must have expiation, nor did the silence of the Urirn been a powerful state. He vexed them. The and Thn.m.mim imply any fault in him. The verb is a judicial one, used of punishing the faalt lay in Saal having imposed an oath guilty, and might be translated "he chas• upon the army ; that oath had been broken, tised them." The Syriac and Vnlgate give and a formal expiation must be made. But the real sense-" he was victorious." Saal was by natnre a despot, and could Ver. 48.-He gathered a host. So the endure nothing that seemed even for the Syriac and Vnlgate, but the margin is pro• moment to stand in his way. bably the true meaning, "He wrought Ver. 45.-The people said. They had mightily,"·or valiantly. hitherto shown their disapproval of Saul's Ver. 49. -Saul's family and kindred. oonduct by their silence ; now they decide Three sons only of Saul are here mentioned, •that Jon athan shall not die, and their decision apparently those slain at the battle of Mount was right anJ godly. Saul might feel bound Gilboa, where, however, lshui is named by his rash oath, but the consciences of the Abinadab (eh. xxxi. 2, as also in 1 Chron. people told them that an oath to commit a viii. 33 ; ix. 39). A fourth son, Esh-baal, crime is an oath to be repented of as a sin, and subsequently called Ishbosheth, is omitted. not to be performed as a duty. They do not The daughters, Merah and Michal, are men- say, howev,;r, God forbid, but "Far he it." tioned because of the history in eh. xviii. The name of the Deity is constantly taken 17-21. in vain in the A. V. without adding either Ver. 50.-Baul's wife was Ahinoam, the beauty or energy to the word of God. But daughter of Ahimaaz. We have noticed on €Ven if it did, what right have translators ver. 3 the fondness of the family of Eli for to add energy to the word of God 1 He hath names beginning with Ah, "brother." It wrought with God this day. ThQ argument does not justify us in concluding that Ahi- of the people is wise and good. J onathan's noam was a descendant of Eli, but sho may whole conduct on that day proved an especial possibly have been so. Abner, whose nam, ,presence o( God with him. It woul,1 be is here giYeD in it~ strictly proper form ('IH, XIV. 36-52.] 'l'HE FlltST BOOK OF SAMUEL. 257
.A.biner, was Saul's first cousin, both Kish Israel's freedom. With much of the despot and Ner being sons of Abiel (comp. eh. ix. I). in him, Saul had grand qualities as a soldier, Ver. 61.-The aon of Abiel. There can and for many years e.dmirably fulfilled the be little doubt that the right reading is sons, primary object for which he was chosen. and not son. We thus get rin intelligible And while he was thus giving the nation • statement-" And Kish the father of Saul, internal security, Samuel was teaching it and Ner the father of Abner, were sons of how to use its growing prosperity, and was Abiel." raising it in the scale of intellectual worth. Ver. 52.-The summary ends with two If in the time of the judges we have Israel important particulars respecting Saul's king- in its boyhood, as in the Sinaitic desert we dom-the first, that the Philistines were have it in its infancy, under Saul and Samuel powerful and dangerous enemies to Israel all it reached its manhood, and became a power- his de.ye ; the second, that in order to carry ful, vigoroUB, and well-ordered community, on the war with them he ever kept around able to maintain its freedom, and with means him the nucleus of a. standing army. In for its internal development in the schools thus forming a " school of heroes" he raised of the prophets, which ended in making it the whole spirit of the people, and took an not merely enlightened itself, but the giver essential ana necessary step for maintaining of light to the rest of mankind.