The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 495

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-12. (T1rn HILL OF HACHILAII.)-The man worthy of the sceptre. "And David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster" (ver. 12). 1. David's innocence with respect to any evil design against Saul was fully vindicated at their previous meeting. Saul himself was melted to tears, confessed, "Thou art more righteous than I," &c., prayed that the Lord mig-1-;t reward his preserver, and declared, "I know well that thou shalt surely be king" ( eh. xxiv. 17-20) ; but his insincerity, instability, and perversity were such that as soon as he was informed by the treacherous Ziphites that David was again in the hill of Hachilah ( eh. xxiii. 19), be started in pursuit with his 3000 men (eh. xiii. 2). His sin was now greater than before because of its opposition to his clearer conviction of the integrity of David and the purpose of God, and there are indications in this interview of the increased obduracy of bis heart. 2. The aim of David is not so much to afford a further vindication of himself as to stay the persecution of Saul, and induce him to act in accordance with his former confession (ver. 18). For this"purpose he proves to him tliat although be might have the power to deprive him of his authority and life, he has no wish to do so, and is his most faithful guardian (ver. 16); appeals to his best feelings, and warns him that he is fighting against God and exposing him- self to his righteous judgment. He takes away his spear-sceptre (an emblem of royal authority-Gen. xlix. 10; Num. xxiv. 17; Pa. xlv. 6) and his cruse of water (a necessary sustenance of life-eh. xxv. 11), but only to restore them into his hand (ver. 22). 3. In acting thus David shows his incomparable snperiority to Saul, and that be alone is worthy to reign over Israel, even as he has been ordained to succeed to that exalted diguity. "Debold now, once more, our David, as he goes away with Saul's spear, the emblem of his sovereign power. At that moment he presents a symbolically significant appearance. Unconsciously he prophesied of his own future, while lie stands before us as the projected shadow of that form in which we must one day behold him. In the counsel of the invisible Watcher it was indeed irre- vocably concluded that tlie Bethlehemite should inherit Saul's sceptre, and here we see before us a dim pre-intimation of that fact" (Krummacher). As the man most worthy to rule, and furnishing in some respects a pattern to otl1ers, he was distin- g11ished (see eh. xiii. 14) by- I. PRE-EMINENT ABILITY (vers. 4-7). In the enterprise which he undertook d11:·iug the night (either with the express intention of doing what he did, or from ~ome internal impulse) he displayed those qualities for which_ Saul and hi~ able_st general, Abner, were noted, and in a higher degree than they, v1z.-l: Saf!acity, skill (l'R. lxxviii. 72), and practical wisdom; per_ceiving what was defective m the con- dilion of his adversaries and how to take advantage of it. Tact, although by no m,,ans one of the highest mental endowments, is an indispensable qualili.ca~ion in a bU~cessful ruler. 2. Vigilance. His experiences in the desert had taug'ht l11m to be OB. XXVI. 1--25.] THE FIRST BOOK 0.1<' SAMUEL. 505