" There the shield of the heroes w1111 defl.led : women had patly improved. When a The 1hield of Baul no't anointed wi,th oil." nation ie in tlie mieerahle Dliigh t described in 1 8Rm, xiii. 19-22, there ia neither The tnterpret11tion put upClll theee worda safety nor oomtort for the weak; but when fn tht, Authorized Ve!'llinn is taken from the the strong arm of Saul had won freedom for Vulg11t1!, no ine>an authority, bnt it ie one Israel, the women were the first to reap the which cannot be reconciled v.ith the Hebrew, benefit, and •• their scarlet clothing with where it ie n·ot Sa.ul, but his shield, which ie delighta," that is, their delightful or delicate :referred to. It wae II J ewieh custom to clothing of bright colours and their geld en anoint the shield with oil before a b&ttle ornaments, prove that the nation had made (I""- ni. 5), in order probably to make the a great advance in prosperity and culture mi88iles of the enemy glan<'.c off' from it with- during the happier years of Saul's reign, out injury. And bearing this in mind, Dnvid Ver, 26.-Thy love to me was wondertnl, now rontre.sts the 11sd issue of the bn.ttle Never waa there a purer Criendshi p than that with the hopes with which the warrior hn.d of Jon11.than for David. It bcgo.n just after in old tim011 gone forth to war. Then his the combat with Goliath, when the young shield glistened brightly; now it was defiled prince, in8te&d of seeing in David a rive.I, with blood. In the Re,':iscd Version the who had equalled his own feat of valour, rendering. "vilely ce.et away," is l'llt&ined, took him to his heart, put upon him his the Re'<"isen; not ha'l"ing perceived that own robe and armour, ·and thus presen~4 "defiled," ·which they have placed in the him to the army e.s his friend and brother. margin, is absolutely required for the text Nor did his father's hatred of David, nor b'I" the contrRet with "the shield not the knowledge that David was to inherit anointed v.':ith oil." the kingdom, interfere wi.th his love. He Ver. 22.-l'rom the blood of the slain. In remained a dutiful son to his father, an4 old time, Saul and Jonathan bad been vic- accepted his inferior position with magna,- torious warriors, who had returned from the nimii.y, without once seeing in David cau~e bo.ttle-field stained with the blood of their for blame;. and it surpassed the Jove ,ot enemies : from this battle they return no women, because, to requite their d.evo\ion, more, and their weapons have lost their old they look for protection e.nd homsg~,. t4e renown. more delightful because it is. paid !>y th!! Ver. 23.-Lovely ancl pleasant, The words strong to the wee.k. But he~e the lives .o( of the Authorized Ven;ion contain a beauti- the two friends could not combine in Oll-ll ful antithesis. which, however, does not exist happy fusion of mutual union, Their heart~ in the Hebrew, which celebrates the close were bound together, but a hard. fate, of union of father and son in life &B well &B in which they were fully a.ware, me.de the ruin death. of the one the certain reault of the happiness "Saul and Jonathan, the lovely and pleasant, of the other. Nevertheless, Jonathan, with Neither in their lives nor in their death everything to lose, and David' with every~, were they divided." thing to gain, remained true ancj. Joyal friends. . . . . ... Notwithstanding Saul's rash vow, Jonathan Ver. 27.-How a.re the mighty talleJil had ever been his father's faithful friend This lament, which occurs ~!>ree times, is and companion, nor had his e.ffection for the central thought of the elegy. Glorious David .ma.de him untrue to the ties of natural and noble in their past lives, the heroes had affection. A.li.d Da'l"id generously commends now fa.lien, not as Wolfe fell at Quebec, witq. his friend for thus acting. the shout of victory Jn his ears, but in the Ver. 24.-Ye daughtel'II of I&ra.el. In old lost battle. And Darj~ seeks relief for hi11 time, the women of Ismel had celebrated distress in dwelling .1'pon the sad contrast Saul's triumphs (ver. 20), but now it is between the splendid :victories.which Sau~ their sad office to bewail his death. And a he.d won for Israel wLen first chosen to be touching reason is given for their sorrow, king, and the terrible defeat by which lif~ During Saul's reign the condition of the and kingdom had now been lost,
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-10.-The facts of this section may be stated thl/-8: 1. Da.vid liaving re~ired to Ziltla.g during the conflict between Israel an~ the_ Philistin~s, _a messenger from the seat of war comes to pay him homage. _2. David, be1D:g as yet m ignorance ?f the ennt uu Gilboe., and beinu impressed by the signs of mournmg on the stranger, 1s prompted to ask whence he ci::ne. 3. Eager to ascertain h.1rther information, he learn_s from the Amalekite, not only that Saul and Jona.than were dead, but that, accordmg to the en. 1. 1-27.J THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. i