The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 405

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XXII. one of many in the Terebinth valley and the ravine opening into it, and was not far COMMENCEME1''T OF DAVID'S LIFE AS AN from Gath, tl1ough over the border. Here 01;TLAW. Ver. 1.-The cave Adullam. Ac- his brethren and all his father's house -cording to Josephus this was situated near a joined him through fear of Saul. Among city of the same name (' Ant.,' vi 12, 3), these would be Joab, Abishai, and Asahe], which formed one of a group of fifteen in the his cousins ; and we learn bow great was. the Shephelah (sec on eh. xvii. 1), and its site love and enthusiasm which David was able l:tas now been recovered by Mr. Conder (see to inspire among them from the feat of the 'Tent Work,' ii. 156-160). "The great three heroes, of whom Abishai was one, who, valley," he says, "of Elah, which forms the while he was in the cave of A<lullam, and a liiglnrnv from Philistia to Hebron, runs garrison of the Philistines at Bethlehem, -down 1iorthwards past Keilah and Hareth, broke through them to bring David water dincling the low hills of the Shephelab from from the well there (2 Sam. xxiii. 13-ln, the rocky mountains of Judah. Eight miles As Bethlehem was thus held by the Philis- from the valley head stands Shochoh, . . . tines, there was double reason for the flight and two and a half miles south of this is a of Jesse's family; and it is·a proof how very large and ancient terebinth." This thoroughly Saul's government had broken st:rrtd~ on "the west side of the vale, just down that, while Samuel· could maintain where a small tributary ravine joins the a son at Beersheba as judge (eh. viii. 2), IDa in valley ; and on the south of this ravine Saul was unable to defend places so much is a high rounded hill, almost isolated by more distant from the Philistine border. valleys, and covered "·itb rni1ts, a natural Ver. 2.-Every one that was in distress, fortress," the site of the city Adullarn. ... in debt, or discontented (Hebrew, hitter David's cave, he considers, wou!J not be one of soul), gathered themselves unto him. -of the larger caverns, as these arc seldom Had Saul's government been just and up- usecl for habitations ; but " the sides of the right David would- have had no followers, tributary valley are lined with ro1rn of caves, but he never rose above the level of a soldier, and these we founcl inhabited, and full of had developed all that arbitrariness whieh ilocks and herds ; but still more interesting military command fosters in self-willed minds, was the discovery of a separate cave on the and seems entirely unawo.re of its being his hill itself, a low, smoke-blackenecl burrow, duty to attend to the righteous administration which was the home of a single family. We of the Jaw. The Israelites had in him the coulcl not but suppose, as we entered this very king they had desired, but they found gloomy abode, that our feet were standing in that a brave general might at home be a lie very footprints r,f the shepherd king, ruthless tyrant. Debt was one of the worst ,ho here, encamped bett:een the Philistines evils of ancient times. The rate of usury and the Jews, covered the line of advance was so exorbitant that a loan was sure to -on the cornfields of Keilah, and was but enJ in· utter ruin, anJ not only the debtor, three miles distant from the thickets of but his children might be made slaves to Hareth." After describing the fine view repay the debt (2 Kings iv. 1). It was one from this hill, which is about 500 feet high, of the first duties of an upright governor to 'he adcls, "There is ample room to have enforce the Mosaic Jaw against usury (Levit. a~co=odated David's 400 men in tl1e xxv. 86); but ail such cares Saul despised, -caves, and they are, as we have seen, still and there wero probably many in the land 41Jhabited." Thus then David's cave was impoYerished by Saul's own exa~tions .and ?R, XXII. 1-23.] THE FIRST BOOK 01<' SAMUEL. 411