office better than thou hast done (comp. and ~he ~yrie.c omjts, probably from innbility Lnke x. 36). to give its meaning. Most commentators Yer. 29.-The Strength-better, as in the render cheei:fully, joyfully, forming it from. margin, the Yictory or Triumph-of Israel. the same root n~ Eil."en, the gn.rden of joy He who is Israel's Yictory, or He in whom (comp. Ps. XXXVl. B, where Eden is trans- Israel has victor:y, \\ill not repent. In ver. lated pleasu1·e). The veiy word, however. 11 God was said to repent, because there occurs in Job xxxviii. 31, where the A. v'. was what appeared to be a change in the renders it bands, and this seems the right Divine counsels. "God gave Israel a king sense : " Agag came unto him in fetters." in his anger, and took him away in his The idea that Agag came cheerfully is con- wrath" (Hosea xiii. 11). But such modes tradicted by the next clause-Snrely the, of speaking are in condescension to human bitterness of death is passed. Though put weakness. Absolutely with God there is no affirmatively, there is underlying doubt. It change. He is the Eternal Present, with is no expression of heroic contempt for death, whom all things that were, and are, and nor of i-eal confidence that, as Sau1 had spared shall be are one. But even looked at from him hitherto, his life was in no danger. He· below, as this finite creature man looks at had been brought to the national sanctuary, his Maker's acts, there is no change in the and a great festival in honour of the success Divine counsels, because, amidst all the of the army was to be held. It was entirely vicissitudes of human events, God's will in accordance with the customs of ancient mo,es calmly forward without let or hin- times that his execution should be the drance. Ko lower or secondary motives in- central feature of the spectacle. Agag'it- fluence him, no rival power thwarts him. words show that this fear was present in his One instrument may be laid aside, and mind, though they are put in such a form as another chosen, because God ordains that to be a protest against his life being taken the instruments by which he works shall be after so long delay. Samuel's reply treats beings endowed with free will. Saul was Agag's assertion as being thus at once e. the very counterpart of the Jewish people-- question and a protest. The bitterness of highly endowed with noble qualities, but death has still to be borne, and the cruelty head-strong, self-willed, disobedient. Never- of Agag's past life makes the shedding of theless, he laid the foundation for the throne his own blood just. The Syriac translates, of David, 'l<"ho in so many points was the "Surely death is bitter ; " the Septuagint, ideal of the theocratic king ; and Israel in "If death be so bitter," with which the like manner prepared the way for the coming Vulgate agrees. Thus they all understood ef the true Messianic King, and rve man- that Agag came trembling for his life. kind the one Catholic, i. e. universa , religion. Ver. 33.-As thy swordhathmadewomen '' He who is Israel's Victory does not repent." childless. Age.g's life he.d been spent in Vers. 30, 31. - Then he said, I have freebooting expeditions, in which he had sinned. We have here no real confession shed blood ruthlessly, and so justice re- of gnilt. Even in ver. 24 the words were quired hie execution in requital of his deeds rather an expression of vexation at the to others. Samuel hewed Agag in pieces. strictness witli which he was held to the The verb occurs only here, and probably ietter of the command, than an acknowledg- refers to some particular method of execu- m.ent that he really had done wrong. Here tion, like the quartering of the middle ages. Baul's meaning seems to be, Well, granting Being in the Piel conjugation, it would meari that I have sinned, and that this sentence of not so much that Samuel put Agag to death exclusion from the kingdom is passed upon himself as that he commanded it to be done. me, yet at least pay me the honour due to Ver. 35.-Samuel came no more to see the rank which I still continue to hold. Saul. The friendly intercourse which had And to this request Samuel accedes. Saul previously existed was now broken off, and was ce facto king, and wouJd continue to be though they met again (eh. xix. 24), it wns 10 a.uring his lifetime. The anointing, once neither in an amicable manner, nor was t.estowed, was a consecration for life, and so their interview of Samuel's seeking. But aenerally it was in the days of the son that the words have a higher meaning than the the consequences of the father's sin came mere seeing or meeting one with the other. fully to pass (1 Kings xi 34, 35 ; xiv. 13, They involve the cessation of that relation !.:c.). Had Samuel refused the public honour in which Samuel and Saul had previously due to Saul's rank, it would l!ave given an stood to one another as respectively the pro- occasion for intrigue and resistance to all who phet and king of the same J ehovab Saul were disaffected with Saul's government, and was no longer the representative of Jehovah, been a step towards bringing back the old and consequently Samuel no more came to 1.ne.rchy. 1ehovah thy God. See on ver. 13. him, bearing messages and commands, and Ver. 32. - Delicately. The Septuaipnt giving him counsel and guiclnnce from God. 1.nd Vulgate translate this ,rnrd trembling, Nevertheleas Samuel mourned for Saul OB. XV. 1-35.] THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. 269
There was eo much in him the.t was good intellect which filled so many of his future and e.dmire.ble, and he he.d wrought such years with melancholy, bursting out from bre.ve services in delivering Isre.el from its time to time into fits of me.dness. All this many enemies, that Samuel loved him. would end in the expulsion of himself and Now he se.w e.11 his high qualities perverted, his dynasty from the throne, for lehove.h the man fallen, his powers of usefulness repented that he had made Baul king over destroyed. Already, too, there was probably Israel. See on ver. 11 the beginning of that darkening of Saul's