The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 407

7, rn ; xni. 16). Saul was holding a formal Yers. 14-16.-Ahimelech's answors are court, to decide what steps should be taken those of an inno~ent man who had supposed no"·that Da,i'.l had openly reYolted from him. that what he d1Ll was n matter of course. \'ers. 7, 8.-Ye Benje.mites. San! had But his cnume_ration of David's privileges of cYidrntly failed in blendin.~· the tweln tribes rank ~nd station. probably only em bittered into one nation. He had begun w·dl. and the kuw. In Ins eyes David was of nll liis great feat of drlivering Jahesh Gilead Saul's officers the most faithful, both trusty by rnmmoning the militia of all Israel to- and trusted (sec on eh. ii. 35). He was, gether must J~a,·e given them something of moreover, the king's son-in-law; but the a corporate feeling, and taught tl1em tlieir next words, he goeth at thy bidding, more power when united. \"et now we find him probably mean, "has admission to thy isolated. and this address to his officers audience," i. e. is thy privy councillor, with se<'ms to show that he had aggrandised his the right of entering unbiJden the royal o\\·n tribe at the expense of the rest. lllore- presence (comp. 2 Sam. xxiii. 23, margin; J 01·L·r, he appeals to the worst passions of Chron. xi. 25). Did I then begin to enquire these men, an<l asks whether they can expect of God for him l Though the meaning of Da,id to continue this favouritism, which these words is disputed, yet there seems no had given them riches and all posts of sufficient reason for taking them in any other power. And tlien he tums upon them, and than their natural sense. It was probably fiercely accuses them of banding together usual to consult God by the Urim and in a conspiracy against him, to conceal from Thummim on all matters of importance, and him the pri,;ate understanding which existed David, as a high officer of Saul's court, must between his om1 son and his enemy. He.th often have done so before stnrting on such made a lee.gue. Hebrc", "hath cut." This expeditions as are referred to in eh. xviii. 13. use of the formal phrase for making a covenant But the Bible is singularly reticent in such neellls to show that Saul "as at length aware matters, and it is only iuciJentally that we of the solemn bond of friendship entered into learn how fully the Mosaic law entered inta by Jonathan with David. To lie in we.it. the daily life of the people. But for this To Saul's mind, diseased with that suspicion frightful crime we shoulJ not even have which is the scourge of tyrants, David is known that Saul had brougl1 t the ark inta secretly plotting his murder. As at this day. his own neighbourhood, and restored the I. e. as to-day is manifest (see ver. 13). services of the sanctuary. But just as he Vers. 9, 10.-Doeg the Edomite, which took care to have Ahiah in attendance upoa was set over the servants of Sanl. This him in war, so we cannot doubt but that his translation is entirely wrong, nor would main object in placing the priests at Nob Saul's Benjamites have endured to have an wa.• to have the benefit of the Divine counsel Edomite set over them. The verb is that in his wars. It would be quite unreasonable used in -,;er. 6, and r~fers simply to Doeg's to suppose that such consultations required place in the circle of attendants standing the king's personal attendance. Thy servant round Saul. The words mean, " Doeg the knew nothing of all this, Iese or more. Edomite, "ho stood there with the servants Whatever Ahimelech he.d done had been in of Saul" As chief herdsman he was present perfect good faith, ond though David's con- as a person of some importance, but far below duct must have seemed to him su~picious, "the captains of thousands and the captains yet there was nothing that would have justi- of hundreds." I saw the son of J ease, &c. fied him in acting differently. Nevertheless, As Saul was in a dangerous state of excite- in spite of his transparent innocence, Saul ment, bordering on insanity, Doeg's state- orders the slaughter not only of God's high ment was probably made with the evil intent priest, but of the whole body of the priest- of turning the king's suspicious from the hood whom he had placed at Nob, e.nd now courtiers to the priests. His e.ssertion that had summoned for this ferocious purpose into the high priest enquired of Jehovah for his presence. David was possibly true (see on ver. 15). Vers. 17-19.-Footmen. Hebrew, "run• Vera. 11-13. -All his father's house. ners." They were the :nien who ran by the Doeg's suggestion that the priests were side of the king's horse or chariot as his David's allies at once arouses all Saul's worst escort (see on eh. viii. 11). In conste.nt passions. As if he had determined from the training, they were capablo of maintaining a first upon the mMsacre of the whole body, great speed for a very long time. Here they he sends not merely for Ahimelech, but were present at the king's council as hi9 body- for every priest at Nob. Shortly afterwards guard, but when commanded to commit thi! they arrived, for Nob was close to Gibeah, horrid deed not one of them stirred from his and Saul himself arraigns them before the place. Saul might have seen by this the.t he court for treason, and recapitulates the three was alienating the hearts of all right-minded points mentioned by Doeg ae conclusive men from him; but, unabashed, he next orJ01-. proofs of their guilt. Doeg to slay the priests, nnd he, aided pro- CII. XXII. 1-23.] THE FIRST .\OOK OF SAMUEL. 413