hrethren of Brnjamin' -evidently from dissatisfaction with the turn which things h:~d taken (see a~so 2 Sam. xv. ~6-23). "As a matter of fact, David in this city laid the foundation of all 111s kingdom. Here he could already rule with greater freedom and indrpendence, collect fugitives and deserters around him in larg·er and larger numbers, send or receive embassies like a prince (eh. xxx. 26-31), and, as n ruler oYer soldiers and o,·er peaceable citizens, rehearse, on a small scale, those arts by which he afterwards acquired and maintained his g-reat kingdom" (Ewald). Notwithstanding all this, his condition was one of- YI. SPIRITUAL DISADVANTAGE, and even spiritual deterioration. That wnich he had dreaded as the worst of evils (eh. xxvi. 19) had come about by his own voluntary act. Although he was not forbidden the exercise of his religion under Achish ( eh. xxix. 6), yet his circumstances were unfavourable to it; he was absent from the land and the sanctuary where God manifested his gracious presence to his people (eh. xxvi. 20 ; Ps. xiii. 2, 3), and his whole course of life is indicative of a lower tone of piety than before. "Being a genuine poet and lover of art, he took advantage of all his opportunities in this direction, and exercised himself as a musician in the Gittite and the Philistine style (Ps. viii., inscription), which he afterwards transferred from there to Jerusalem" (Ewald); but not a single psalm of his can be referred to this period. VIL DANGEROUS ENTANGLEMENTS, intense suffering, and probably also serious delay in the attainment of his high destiny ( eh. x.xviii. 1, 2; xxx. 3). The evils that sprang from his want of faith and patience were truly great. "His presence in Judah would have given an opportunity which Saul could hardly have refused, £or calling him forth as the champion of Israel. At all events he would have been at hand to relieve the disaster, and would doubtless have been hailed as king by the united voice of Israel. As it was, bis nation suffered a terrible defeat, which, instead of doing his best to avert, he narrowly escaped taking a share in inflicting; his recognition as king of Israel was postponed for seven years and a half at the cost of a civil war and a permanent alienation of Judah from the rest of Israel; and mean- while he was involved in a course of pitiable deceit" (Smith, 'Old Testament Hist.'). Nevertheless the overruling hand of God must be recognised in all, and by Divine mercy he was delivered "out of all tribulation." " Ay me, how many perils do unfold The righteous man, to make him daily fall, Were not that heavenly grace doth him uphold, And steadfast truth acquit him out of all ! Her love is firm, her care contir•.ual, So oft as he, through his own foolish pride Or weakness, is to sinful bands made thrall" (Spenser). D.
EXPOSITION. DOWNFALL AND DEATH OF SAUL (CHS. xxvm.-xxxx.) THE PHILISTINES GATH Ell. TOGETHER FOR WAR. DISTRESS OF SAUL1 AND VISIT TO THE WITCH OF ENDOR (cH. xxvm.). of Issachar. in the neighbourhood of J ezreel. CHAPTER XXVIII. We are not indeed to suppose from this that ACHISH SUMMONS DAVID TO JOIN IilM the Philistines had conquered all the central IN THE WAR AGAINST ISRAEL (vers. 1-2)~ districts of the lanu, and, driving Saul beforE Ver. 1.-In those days. I. e. while David them, at last brought him to bay, and slew was dwelling at Ziklag. The Philistines him in the north; for though Ishbosheth wes gathered their armies together. This was, compelled to withuraw to Mahanaim, a city as Josephus has observed, a war upon a much on the eastern side of the Jordan, yet Abner larger scale than any that had been carried is saiu to have maue him king there not only on since the defeat of the Philistines in the over the trans-J ordanic tribes, but also "over Yalley of Elah ; for we finu that the inva- Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benja- sion was made from the north, and the de- min" (2 Sam. ii. 9). It may be said, how- cisive battle fonrrht not in the usual field of ever, that these were but titular claims; but operations, but in the territory of the tribe the Philistine conquests, as described in eh. err. XXVIJI. 1-25.j THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. 621