The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 10

commentary uron the po.esRge. He snys a.re the heroee fallen· I " Thus J one.tho.n is that, 88 Ierael 8 defent e.t Gilboe. wo.e the certainly meant, and the heroes a.re the pree8ge of e. long struggle, 8ncl 8s the Philie- young prince e.nd hie father; and as the tines ho.d g8ined the victory thero by their hooted antelope is said to return to its lair skill in nrchery, David used hie utmost in the moUllte.ine, a.nd there e.w11,it ite de11,th, authority with his own tribe to get them to "gazelle" is prob11,bly the right rendering. In practise this o.rt for their protection in future a. dirge in honour of Saul o.nd Jonntho.n we wnrs. This exple.ne.tion would be plnusible mBy be pretty sure that Jone.than would be were it not tho.t we h8Ve reo.san for believing referred. to in its opening words, and the tho.t the Isrnelitel! wero e.lre8dy skilful in camp-name of his friend would bring be.ck the use both of• the sling e.nd the bow, in t.o Do.vid'e mind many 11, bravo feat wrought both of which the Benje.mites especially ex- together, and many o. pleasant hour of com- celled (1 Chron. xii. 2). Tho modern view panionship in pMt yea.re. is that given in the Revised Version, where Ver. 20.-Ga.th . . . Aakelou. By thus the inserted words a.re "the song of" the loca.lizing the triumph, and bringing before bow. "The Bow" is thus the name of the the mind the thought of multitudes in these elegy, taken from the allusion to Jonathen's well-known places rejoicing with dance and skill in the use of that weapon (ver. 22: song over the news of their victory, a. more comp. 1 Sam. xviii. 4; xx. 36) ; and the affecting picture is produced by the con- meaning is that David made hie own tribes- trast with Isra.el'a distress than could have men, who were probably ill disposed to Saul been effected by mere generalizations. Pro- e.nd his family, learn this dirge, not so much bably, too, there was present in David's mind for its preservation, as to m1Lke them give the remembrance of scenes which he had the fallen king due honour. Similarly Exod. witnessed in these towns. In course of time, iii. is called "The Bush " in Mo.rk xii. 26. "Tell it not in Ge.th" became a. proverb The book ·of J'e.sher. See on this book Josh. (Micah i. 10). The daughters. It is the x. 13, where the Syrie.c Version calls it custom in the East for the women to cele- " The Book of Canticles," e.nd understands brate the prowess of the nation's warriors by it e. collection of national ballads com- (Exod. xv. 20; 1 Se.m. xviii. 6; Ps. lxviii. memorative of the brave deeds of Iara.elite 11 Revised Version). Uncironmcised. For heroes. Je.sher literally means "upright," some unknown reason, this word is used e.s and the Ilook of J asher would be equivulent a term of reproach, especially of the Philis- to "Hero-book," the Hebrews always look- tines (1 Sam. xiv. 6; xvii. 26). ing to the more.I rather tha.n the physical Ver. 21.-Fields of offerings; Hebrew, prowess of their great men. fie!& of terumntli. The terumoth were Ver.19.-The beauty of Israel. The word heave offerings (Lev. vii. H, 32), 1Lnd the r:ebi means both "beauty" a.nd a.lso "the Vulga.te, regarding these as tho.nk offerings, gazelle." Ewald takes it in the second translates," Fields of firstfruits." Tbe sense sense, and explains it of Jone.than, "every- would thus be, " Fields of corn such as Wll8 where the first in courage, in e.otivity, e.nd used for heave offerings." Still, this gives us speed; slender a.lso and of well-made figure, no suite.hie meaning; for Gilboe. was not o. a.nd whose personal beauty a.nd swiftness of place fit for the growth of corn; a.n,I Theo- foot in attack or retreat gained for him doret, in his version, ha.s preserved a different among the troops the no.me of 'the gazelle.' reading, which is probably right, namely, The Syria.o Version a.lso translates 'gazelle,'" " Ye fields a.nd mountains of death." The but ~phrem· says tha.t the whole Israelite shield . . . is vilely cast a.wa.y. This render- nation is meant, the flower of whose man- ing contains a. classico.l idea derived from hood lay slo.ughtered on Mount Gilboe.. the Greeks and Romans, o.mong whom it wa.s Which signification we take must really a. disgrace for e. soldier to return without depend upon the meaning we attach to the his shield. But this impute~ persona.I words, "thy high place ; " e.nd these in the cowardice to Saul-a reproach which is en- Authorized Version have nothing to refer to, tirely undeserved; for he did not cast e.wa.y a.nd so become unmeaning. The Revised his shield, but remained stead fast unto death. Version follows the Vulgo.te in ta.king Israel The right trauslation is, •• For there the a.a a. voca.tive, nnd renders, "Thy glory, 0 shield of heroes, yea., the shield of Sa.ul, wus Isrnel, is sl1Lin upon thy high places." The defiled," stained, thu.t is, with blood. We seneo would thus be th,\t gil'en by Epbrew, have no proof whatsoever tho.t the Isre.elite:1 Isrnel'e glory being its "migl.ity " men or hnd the sa.me notion as the Greeks, a.nd if heroes, its warriors elo.in upon Mount Gil boo. they hlld, David would certainly not have with their king. But ver. 25 makes it plain put such a stigma. upon the fallen king. th1Lt the "high places" o.re J onnthe.n's, e.nd LAs though he ha.d] not [been] anointed with not those of the nation; end the moro oor- oil. By rejecting the inserted words, we reot rendering is "0 beauty [or, 'gBzollo '] get the original, with all its simplioity, bu$ o! Jaraol, sluin upon thy high plnoes I how with oll its difficulty. 6 THE SEOOND BOOK OF SAMUEL; [on. 1. 1-27,