or the ,r nrs of Jehovah, narratives of stir- ally known to him. Apparently it hnd been ring cwnts like this before us, and histo- but a short visit, possibly because after the ries both of their own chiefs, such as was fit of melancholy had passed away there wna Samuel, and afterwards Elijah and Elisha., no return of it for the present; nnd if Davi:\ bad been back at Bethlehem for two or thrc~ nnd also of the kings. There is nothing years, a young man changes so much in np- remarkable, therefore, at finding informa- peara,nce at David's time of life that it is no tion repeated ; and hanng had in the pre- wonder that neither Saul nor Abner recon-. Yious narrative an account of a passing in-- nised him in his shepherd's dress. For sonZe reason, then, or other David had not re- troduction of David to Saul as a musician, maiued with Saul at Gibeah, but had resumed which led to little at the time, though sub- his pastoral life at Bethlehem, and the state- sequently Da,id stood high in Saul's fo:l"Our men~ m~de in . eh. xvi. 21- 23 belong to because of his skill upon the harp, we the time 1mmed1ately after the combat with here have Dand's introduction to Saul as a Goliath, ancl not before, "-nrrior. Vers. 16-19.-The Philistine . . . . pre- sented himself. I. e. took bis stand (see on '\"crs. 12-14.-Jesse . . . went among eh. x. 23; xii. 7, 16). This verso takes up men for an old man in the days of Saul. the narrative, disturbed by the inserted ex- Tliis translation is taken from the Vulgate; planation about David's family relations. but the Hebrew is, "And the ma.n in the The extraordinary formation of the ground, days of Saul was old, gone among men." as described in ver. 3, shows how it was :::ome explain this as meaning "placed," possible for this challenge to go on for forty ,;_ e. "reckoned among men of rank ; " but days without either army advancing or re- prol,ably an aleph has dropped out in the tiring. During this long time it seen, s to word rendered men, and we should read have been the business of the friends at home " gone," i. e. " advanced in years." Old is to supply the combatants with food, and so nsccl in a very indefinite way in the Books of Jesse sends David with a.n ephah, about thrc& f:nmuel; but as Jesse had eight sons, of pecks, of parched corn-as the word is spelt 1d1om the youngest was now grown up, he in the Hebrew it means "parched pease." must have been nearly sixty. Went and Also ten Ioaves,and, for the captain of their followed. Hebrew, " And there went the thousand, ten cheeses-rather, " ten slices of three elder sons of Jesse went after Saul to fresh curd." David was also to take their the ,rnr." Some grammarians consider that pledge. Apparently neither Eliab nor bis this repetition of the verb is intended to give brethren could write, and therefore they it the force of a pluperfect,-they had gone,- would send back to their father some token hut it is more probably an error, and one of previously agreed upon to show that they the two verbs should be omitted. were in good health, and had received the Yer. 15.-David went and returned from supplies sent them. Now Saul, &c. This Saul. This is a very important statement, is a part of Jesse's speech,· telling David as it shows that the writer, in spite of what where he would find his brethren. For were, is said in vers. 55-58, knew that David had the right translation is, "They are in the tere• nsited Sanl at his court, and become person- binth valley, fighting with the Philistines."
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-11.-.Aggression not defence. The facts are-1. The armies of Israel and Philistia are drawn up in array, with a valley between them. 2. A gigantic champion, heavily armed and proud of his strength, challenges any one of Saul's army to a personal encounter, and with lofty words defies the armies of Israel. 3. Saul and his men are in great fear. The episode given by the sacred writer is one of those occurrences likely to arise under the conditions of ancient warfare. It must be viewed by us as one of the events which Providence overruled for the gradual introduction of David to the notice of Israel. But in this section we may confine attention to truths not immediately affecting him. I. We liave here AN EXHIBITION OF THE WAR·Sl'InlT. This g·iant was under the influence of a mere love of fighting. It was not a question of rightness or wrong- ntss, but of slaying or being slain. The modicum of patriotism was overlaid by the lust of contention. This passion dwells more or le6s in all men. Its mildest form is a contentious spirit-a quarrelsome temper, a desire to try our strength against -others. It has found wide and pernicious scope in the history of nations. There is -11 tendency to foster tl,is unhallowed spirit even in civilised, so-called Christian 'ell, XVI!. 1-19.] Tirn FIHST BOOK OF SA1ll:EL. 319