pror.ide for l1is safety by flight. The con- Jonathan's own lovo; but tho Masotetio· cludmg prayer that Jehovah might be with text agrees better with what has gone be- Dand as he had been with Saul contains fore, and with his wish that their covonan t the same presentiment of David attaining under no change of circumstances should be· to great power and dignity which is moro broken. directly expressed in the following verses. Ve1·s. 18, 19.-Jonatlian now arranges- Vers. 14, 15.-The construct.ion of this his plan for communicating the result to passRge is very difficult if we retain the three David. Fol' when thou hast stayed three- negatiYes of the Masoretic text ; but most days, at which all the versions stumble, a commentators, following the reading of the slight alteration gives the right sense:." And Syriac as regards at least one of them, con- on the third day." David on the third day sider that the Masorites have been mistaken '.''as to go down quickly-Hebrew, "greatly," in the vowels which they have attached to i. e. he was to go a long way down into the consonants (~ee on eh. i. 7). Read with the valley. The rendering quickly is taken other vowels, two of these negatives become from the Vulgate, but makes no sense. interjections of desire-O that; and the whole It did not matter whether David went fast may be translated, "And -0 that, while I or slow, as he was to hide there for some- still live, yea, 0 that thou wouldst show mo time, but it was important that David should the kindness of Jehovah,-i. e. great unfail- be far away, so that no prying eye might ing kindness, such as was that of Jehovah to chance to catch sight of him. When the, Israel,-that I die iiot, nor shalt thou cut off business was in hand. Literally, "the day thy kindness from my house for ever." It of the business," probably that narrated in- was the sanguinary custom in the East on a ch. px. 2-7. The Septuagint, Vulgate, change of dynasty to put all the seed royal and Chaldee all understand "a working to death (1 Rings xv. 29 ; xvi. 11, &c., and day," in opposition to a feast day; but comp. 2 Sam. xix. 28). As then Jonathan "where thou didst hide thyself on a week foresa,v that it was Jehovah's will to transfer day" gives no intelligible meaning. By the, the kingdom to David, he binds 1im by the stone Ezel. As the name Ezel is formeo memory of his own true love to him to show from a verb signifying to go, some under- ::nercy to his race. stand by it a road·stone, a stone to mark Ver. 16.-This verse also is very difficult, the way. but it is probably to be taken as an insertion , Vers. 20-23.-The two friends now agree of the narrator: "So Jonathan made a upon the sign. Jonathan was to shoot three covenant with the house of David "-that arrows at this stone, Ezel, as his mark, and is, so as to bind his descendants-" saying, wa_s then to send his servant to gather them Let Jehovah require it at the hand of David's up. When he had gone some distance Jona- enemies." These last words probably are a than was to shout to him, loud enough for euphemism, and mean David himself. So David to hear. If Jonathan said that the· Rashi txplains the words. The courtesy of arrows were on that side the mark, i. e. an Oriental forbade hi~ saying, May Jehovah between it and Jonathan, David was to come punish David for it, bnt he prays that God forth boldly, as all was well. But if Jona- would requite it on some one. But if the than said that the arrows were further on, Divine anger visits even David's enemies then David must understand that he was. for it, how mnch more the guilty perjurer to seek safety in flight. For there is peace himself. to thee, and no hurt, tho Hebrew has Ver. 17.-1onatllan caused David to swear "there is peace to thee, and it is nothing," again. So strong was his conviction in a simpler and more idiomatic rendering. As David's future kingdom, and his wish that touching the matter, &c. Rather, "As for there should be an unbroken bond of love the word that we have spoken, I and thou, between the two families, that he makes l,ehold, Jehovah is between me and thee for David solemnly repeat his promise. The ever.." The word was the bond and covenant Septuagint and Vulgate, by altering the by which they had pledged their truth to vowels, read, "And Jonathan sware again to j one another. Though separated, their love Davie!." At first sight this interpretation was to continue, and Jehovah was to be seems most in accordance with the reason their eternal centre of union, and the witness given for the renewal of the oath, namely, to their covenant.
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-10. -Endangered life and reputation. The facts _are:-- 1._ David. believing in Saul's purpose to kill him, flees to Jonathan, and mqmres mto the cause of this persecution. 2. Jonathan quiets him by the _assurance that Saul wonld not hide any purpose from him. 3. On David referrmg to Saul's know- CH. XX. 1-23.] THE FIUST BOOK OF SAMUEL.