who wci'c called "sons of the prophrts," not tlw-great_·well that ~s .in Sechu-morc pro- lwcanse their fathers were prophets, but b:ihly the c1Stemortank there. From thevaluo bcc,111se they were under prophetic training, of ,\'atcr it was no doubt a well-known spot at with prophets for their teachers, though not the time, but in the present ruined state of the necessarily inknded to be prophets 'them- country all such works have pe1·ished. Sechu, ~elves. At first Samuel, we ma,Y suppose, according to Conder ('Handbook'), was built one ne1,ath, one simple hospice for his probably on the site of tho present ruin of students, and then, as their numbers grew, Suweikeh, immediately south of Beeroth. another, and yet another, and so the plural, Having there made inquiries whether Samuel nevayoth, came into vogue as the name of aud.J?avid _were ~till at Ramah, courageously the students' quarters. awa1tmg hIB commg, he proceeds on his way. Vers. 19, 20.-On hearing where David B?t even before arrivi:ng in Samuel's presence, was, Saul sends messengers to arrest him, mth that exti:aordmary susceptibility t() and we thus incident.ally gain a most in- external impressions which is so markel! teresting account of the inner condition of a feature in his character, he begins singing Samuel's schools. E,idently after Saul had psalms, and no sooner had he entered .J;~ become king Samuel devoted his main ener- N evayoth than he stripped off his olothes:-,- gies to this noble effort to raise Israel from his beged and meil-a.nd lay down naked..:.:. the barbarous depths into which it had i, e. with only his tunic upon him-all that sunk ; and when the messenf(ers arrive they day and a.11 that night, His excitement enter some hall, where they nnd n regularly had evide;11tly been inten·se, ~nd .probably t.~ organised choir, consisting not of "sons of t~e chanting he had added v10lent. ges~icula.~ the prophets," young men still under train- t10n. Bnt it was not this so much as the ing, but of prophets, men who had finished tempest of his emotions which had exhausted their preparatory studies, and arrived at a. him, and made him thus throw himself higher elevation. The Chaldee Paraphrast down as one dead. And once again, t_he calls them scribes; and doubtless those people wondered at so strange an occurrence, educated in Samuel's schools held an analo- and called back to mind the proverb, Is Saul gous position to that of the scribes in later also among the prophets 1 When first used days. .A.nd Samuel himself was sta.uding- (eh. x. 11) Saul's enthusiasm was an outbui>~~ not a.s appointed over them ; he was the of piety, genuine but evanescent, and whi_~h. founder and originator of these schools, and had long since passe4' away.. What was,~1; all authority was derived from him. What now 1 The Chaldee, as explained b_y Raslg, the Hebrew says is that he was "standing as says he was mad. More probably, in tq.q chief o,er them," and they, full of Divine violent state of excitement nuder which Saul enthusiasm, were chanting psalms to God's had for some time been labouring, the glory, So noble was the sight, that Saul's thought of seeing Samuel, from ;whom he messengers on entering were seized with a had been so long separated, brought back _to like enthusiasm, and, laying aside their his mind the old days when the prophet had murderous purpose, joined in the hearty loved and counselled him, and made him semce of the prophetic sanctuary. Instead king, and been his true and faithful friend. of they saw the Hebrew has "he saw," but .A.nd the remembrance overpowered him. as all the versions have the plural, it is What would be not have given to havll con- probably a mere mistake, The Hebrew word tinued such as he then was I .A.nd for a for company is found only here, By trans- time he became once again the old Saul ot posing the letters we have the ordinary word Ramah ; but the change was transient and for congregation, but possibly it was their fitful ; and after these twenty-four hours of own technical name for some peculiar agony Saul rose up, full perhaps of good. arrangement of the choir, intentions, but with a heart unchanged, and Vers. 21-24,-Saul sends messengers a cert.a.in, therefore, very quickly to disappoint secoud and even a third time with the same al1 hopes of real amendment, and to become result, and finally determines to go in person. a still more moody and relentless tyrant. Having set out, he came to a-more correctly
HOMILETICS, Vers. 1-1.-0pen enmity and open friendship. The facts are-1. Saul reve~la his purpose to kill David, 2. This being made known to Jonatha,!1, he nrrnnges with David to let him learn the result of an effort to turn Saul from his purpose. 3. He pleads with Saul David's good services and persona.I risks, God's approval, and the king's own joy therein. 4. Saul yields to persuasion, resolves not to shed "innocent blood," and recalli, David into his personal 1,ervic~, The historian traces the progress <>f Saul to ruin, and of David to royal ho1101,1re, and here brings out the aroused CH. XIX. 1-24.] THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. 365