thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horses; and they pitched their camp at the city Michmash.* When Saul, the king of the Hebrews, was informed of this, he went down to the city Gilgal, and made proclamation over all the country, that they should try to regain their liberty, and called them to the war against the Philistines, diminishing their forces, and despising them, as not so great, but they might hazard a battle with them. But when the people about Saul observed how numerous the Philistines were, they were under great consternation; and some of them hid themselves in caves, and in dens under ground; but the greater part fled into the land beyond Jordan, which belonged to Gad and Reubel. But Saul sent to the prophet, and called him to consult with him about the war, and the public affairs. So he commanded him to stay there for him, and to prepare sacrifices; for he would come to him within seven days, that they might offer sacrifices on the seventh day, and might then join battle with their enemies.† So he waited, as the prophet commanded him to do. Yet did not he observe the command that was given him. But when he saw that the prophet tarried longer than he expected, and that he was deserted by the soldiers, he took the sacrifices, and offered them. At this juncture he heard that Samuel was come, and went out to meet him. But the prophet said he had not done well in disobeying the injunctions baggage belonging to such a vast multitude of men, or for the deportation of the plunder they hoped to be master of by having conquered the country. Le Clerc's Commentary, and Universal History. B. * 1 Sam. xiii. 5. † Saul seems to have stayed till near the time of the evening sacrifice, on the seventh day; which Samuel had appointed him; but not till the end of that day, as he ought to have done; and Samuel appears, by delaying to come till the full time of the evening sacrifice on that day, to have tried him (who seems to have been already for some time declining from his strict subordination to God, and his prophet; to have taken lifeguards for himself and his son, which was an entirely new thing in Israel, and savoured of a distrust of God's providence; and to have affected more than he ought that independent authority which the Pagan kings took to themselves:) Samuel, I say, seems here to have tried Saul, whether he would stay till the priest came, who alone could lawfully offer the sacrifices, or would boldly and profanely usurp the priest's office; which he venturing upon, was justly rejected for his profaneness. See Constitut. Apost. II. 27. And indeed since Saul had accepted kingly power, which naturally becomes ungovernable and tyrannical, as God foretold, and the experience of all ages has shown; the divine settlement by Moses had soon been laid aside under the kings, had not God, by keeping strictly to his laws, and severely executing the threatenings therein contained, restrained Saul and other kings in some degree of obedience to himself. Nor was even this severity sufficient to restrain most of the future kings of Israel and Judah, from the grossest idola he had sent him; and had not stayed till his coming; which being appointed according to the will of God, he had prevented him in offering those prayers and sacrifices that he should have made for the multitude; and that he therefore had performed divine offices rashly, and in an ill manner. Hereupon Saul made an apology for himself, and said, that he had waited as many days as Samuel had appointed; that he had been so quick in offering his sacrifices, upon account of the necessity he was in, and because his soldiers were departing from him, out of their fear of the enemies' camp at Michmash; the report being gone abroad that they were coming down upon him to Gilgal. Samuel replied, "Nay, certainly, if thou hadst been at righteous man, and hadst not disobeyed me, nor slighted the commands which God suggested to me concerning the present state of affairs, and hadst not acted more hastily than the present circumstances required, thou wouldst have been permitted to reign a long time, and thy posterity after thee." So Samuel being grieved at what had happened, returned home. But Saul came to the city Gibeah, with his son Jonathan; having only six hundred men with him; and of these the greater part had no weapons; because of the scarcity of iron in that country, as well as of those that could make such weapons; for as we showed a little before, the Philistines had not suffered them to have such iron, or such work try and impiety. Of the advantage of which strictness, in the observing divine laws, and inflicting their threatened penalties, see Antiq. VI. 12, where Josephus speaks of that matter. Though it seems at least in three instances, that good men did not always immediately approve of such divine severity. There seems to be one instance, 1 Sam. vi. 19, 20. Another, 1 Sam. xv. 11. And a third, 2 Sam. vi. 8, 9. Joseph. Antiq. VI. 7, though they all at last acquiesced in the divine conduct, as knowing that God is wiser than men. By this answer of Samuel, and that from a divine commission, which is fuller, in 1 Sam. xiii. 14, and by that parallel note in the Apostolical Constitutions, just quoted, concerning the great wickedness of Saul in venturing, even under a seeming necessity of affairs, to usurp the priest's office, and offer sacrifice without the priest, we are in some degree able to answer that question, which I have ever thought a very difficult one: viz. Whether if there were a city or country of lay Christians, without any clergymen, it were lawful for the laity alone to baptize, administer the sacrament, &c. or indeed whether they alone could ordain themselves either bishops, priests, or deacons, for the due performance of such sacerdotal ministrations; or whether they ought not rather, till they procure clergymen to come among them, to confine themselves within those bounds of piety and Christianity which belong alone to the laity; such particularly as are recommended in the 1st Book of the Apostolical Constitutions, which peculiarly concern the laity, and are intimated in Clement's undoubted Epistle, § 40. To which latter opinion I incline. § 1 Sam. xiii. 13. men.* Now the Philistines divided their army into || come up to them; take that for a signal of victory. three companies, and took as many roads, and laid waste the country of the Hebrews;† while Saul and his son Jonathan saw what was done, but were not able to defend the land; as having no more than six hundred men with them. But as he, and his son, and Ahiah the high-priest, who was of the posterity of Eli, were sitting upon a pretty high hill, and seeing the land laid waste, they were greatly disturbed at it. Now Saul's son agreed with his armour-bearer, that they would go privately to the enemies' camp, and make a tumult, and a disturbance among them. And when the armour-bearer had readily promised to follow, whithersoever he should lead him, though he should be obliged to dic in the attempt, Jonathan made use of the young man's assistance, and descended from the hill, and went to their enemies. Now the enemies' camp was upon a precipice, which had three tops, that ended in a small but sharp and long extremity; while there was a rock that surrounded them, like lines made to prevent the attacks of an enemy. There it happened, that the out-guards of the camp were neglected; because of the natural security of the place, and because they thought it altogether impossible, not only to ascend up to the camp on that quarter, but so much as to come near it. As soon therefore as they came to the camp, Jonathan encouraged his armour-bearer, and said to him, "Let us attack our enemies; and if when they see us, they bid us * The precaution which the Philistines took to hinder the Israelites from providing themselves with weapons, is no more than what other conquerors have done to the nations they have vanquished. Porsenna, when he made peace with the Romans, restrained them from the use of all iron but what was necessary in the tillage of their ground. Cyrus, when he subdued the Lydians, for fear of a revolt, took from them the use of arms, and instead of a laborious life spent in war, suffered them to sink into softness and luxury, so that they soon lost their ancient valour: and (to instance one prince more) Nebuchadnezzar, when he had made himself master of Judea, took along with him into Babylon all the craftsmen and smiths, that the poorest of the people, which he left behind, might be in no condition to rebel, 2 Kings xxiv. 14. The only wonder is, why the Israelites, after they had regained their liberty under the government of Samuel, and given the Philistines so total an overthrow at Eben-ezer, did not restore those artificers, and so provide themselves with proper arms against the next occasion? But, besides the extreme sloth and negligence which appear in the Israelites' whole conduct during this period, it was not so easy a matter, in so short a time, to recover a trade that was lost; especially among a people that had no iron-mines, and were so wholly addicted to the feeding of cattle, that they made no account of any mechanical art. In the famous victory which they gained over Sisera, we are told, that there was not a shield or spear seen among fifty thousand men of Israel, Judg. v. 8; but notwithstanding this, they had bows and arrows, and slings, which the men of Gibeah could manage to a wonderful advantage, Judg. xx. 16. And besides these, the Israelites, upon this occasion, might convert their instruments of husbandry, their But if they say nothing, as not intending to invite us to come up, let us return back again." So when they were approaching to the camp, just after break of day, and the Philistines saw them, they said to one another, "The Hebrews come out of their dens and caves:" and they said to Jonathan, and to his armour-bearer, "Come on, ascend up to us, that we may inflict a just punishment upon you for your rash attempt." So Saul's son accepted that invitation; as indicative of victory, and immediately came out of the place whence they were seen by their enemies: so he changed his place, and came to the rock, which had none to guard it, because of its own strength. From thence they crept up with great labour and difficulty, and overcame by force the nature of the place, till they were able to fight with their enemies. So they fell upon them, as they were asleep, and slew about twenty of them; and thereby filled them with disorder, and surprise; insomuch that some of them threw away their armour, and fled; but the greatest part not knowing one another, because they were of different nations, suspected each other to be enemies; (for they did not imagine that there were only two of the Hebrews that came up,) and so they fought one against another. And some of them died in the battle, and some as they were flying away were thrown headlong from the rock.|| Now Saul's watchman told the king, that the hatchets, their spades, their forks, their mattocks, &c. into instruments of war; a much better shift that what we read of some, who, in ancient times, had no other arms than clubs and sharpened stakes, hardened in the fire. Non jam certamine agresti Stipitibus duris agitur, sudibusque præustis. † About An. 1108. Virgil, Eneid, 7. B 1 Sam. xiv. 9, 10. § This action of Jonathan's, considered in itself, was doubtless a very rash attempt, and contrary to the laws of war, which prohibit all under command (as he was) from engaging the enemy, or entering upon any enterprise, without the general's order: but what may very justly be said in excuse of it is,-That he had a divine incitation to it, which he might probably feel upon the sight of the Philistines appearing as if they intended to assault Gibeah, and upon the information which he might receive of the great spoil which the three parties made of the poor people in the country. Patrick's Comment. B. How two men could put the whole army into such a consternation, may seem somewhat extraordinary; but it should be considered, that Jonathan and his armour-bearer, climbing up a way that was never attempted before, might come upon them unawares, and surprise them: that this action might happen, as Josephus thinks, early in the morning, when a great part of the Philistines' army was asleep; that, even had they been all awake, Jonathan might have so posted himself, (as Horatius Cocles did on a bridge,) so as to be able to maintain his pass against all the force of the enemy; that those who made at him, (as only one perhaps could at a time,) he with one stroke might lay flat on the ground, and his armour-bearer immediately dis with greater vigour and alacrity, and had both taken and slain many more of their enemies.† When therefore they had slain many ten thou camp, but not till late in the evening. They also took a great deal of prey, and cattle, and killed them and ate them with their blood. The scribes therefore told their sovereign that the multitude were sinning against God, as they sacrificed; and were eating before the blood was well washed away, and the flesh was made clean. Then did Saul give order, that a great stone should be rolled into the midst of them, and he made proclamation that they should kill their sacrifices upon it, and not feed upon the flesh with the blood; for that was not acceptable to God. And when all the people did as the king commanded, Sault erected an altar, and offered burnt-offerings to God. This was the first altar that Saul built.|| camp of the Philistines was in confusion. Then he inquired, whether any body were gone from the army? and when he heard that his son and his armour-bearer were absent, he bade the high-sands of the Philistines, they began spoiling their priest take the pontifical garments and predict what success they should have. The high-priest said, they should get the victory, and prevail against their enemies. So he went out after the Philistines. and set upon them, as they were slaying one another. Those also came running to him, who had fled before to dens and caves; upon their hearing that Saul was gaining a victory. When therefore the number of the Hebrews that came to Saul amounted to about ten thousand; he pursued the enemy, who were scattered all over the country. But then he fell into an action, which was a very unhappy one, and liable to be very much blamed. For whether out of ignorance, or whether out of joy for a victory gained so strangely, (for it frequently happens that persons so fortunate are not able to use their reason consistently,) he was so desirous to avenge himself, and to exact a due punishment of the Philistines, that he denounced a* curse on the Hebrews, to this purport. "If any one put a stop to his slaughter of the enemy, and began eating, and left off the slaughter or the pursuit before night came on, and obliged them so to do; he should be accursed." Now after Saul had denounced this curse, since they were in a wood belonging to the tribe of Ephraim, which was thick and full of bees; Saul's son, who did not hear his father denounce that curse, nor hear of the approbation the multitude gave to it; brake off a piece of a honeycomb, and ate part of it. But in the mean time, he was informed with what a curse his father had forbidden them to taste any thing before sun-setting: so he left off eating, and said his father had not done well in this prohibition; because had they taken some food, they had pursued the enemy patch them; that the rest seeing them act thus intrepidly, might take them for two scouts, or van-couriers only of a great army that was coming up, and ready to fall upon them; that the army of the Philistines, being made up of different nations, might be in the greatest confusion, as either not understanding or else suspecting one another; and (what might complete their consternation) that God at this time might send a panic fear upon them, which, whenever he does it, even in the opinion of Heathens themselves, is enough to make the stoutest tremble, and the most heroic spirits betake themselves to flight. Ἐν γαρ δαιμονιοισι φόβοις Pind. Nemes. 9. B. This rash vow, or curse of Saul's, which Josephus says was confirmed by the people, and yet not executed, (I suppose principally because Jonathan did not know of it,) is very remarka So when Saul was desirous of leading his men to the enemies' camp before it was day, in order to plunder it; and when the soldiers were not unwilling to follow him, but indeed showed great readiness to do as he commanded them; the king called Ahitub the high-priest, and enjoined him to know of God whether he would grant them permission to go against the camp, in order to destroy those that were in it. But the priest said, that God would not give any answer. Then said Saul, "It is not without some cause, that God refuses to answer what we inquire of him; who yet a little while ago declared to us all that we desired beforehand, and even prevented us in his answer. To be sure there is some sin against him that is concealed from us, which is the occasion of his silence. Now I swear by himself, that though he that committed this sin should prove to be my own son Jonathan, I will slay him; and by that means will appease the anger of God CHAP. VII. OF SAUL'S WAR WITH THE AMALEKITES, AND HIS CONQUEST OF THEM. Now Samuel came unto Saul,† and said unto him, that he was sent by God to put him in mind, that God had preferred him before all others, and ordained him king; and he therefore ought to be obedient to him, and to submit to his authority; as considering, that though he had the dominion over the other tribes, yet that God had the dominion over him, and over all things. That accordingly God said to him, "Because the Amalekites did the Hebrews a great deal of mischief while they were in the wilderness, and when, upon their coming out of Egypt, they were making their way to that country which is now their own, I enjoin thee to punish the Amalekites, by making war upon them; and when thou hast subdued them, to leave none of them alive; but to pursue them through every age, and to slay them; beginning with the women and the infants; and to require this as a punishment to be inflicted on them for the mischief they did to our forefathers. To spare nothing, neither asses, nor other beasts; nor to reserve any of them for your own advantage and possession; but to devote them universally to God, and, in obedience to the commands of Moses, to blot out the name of‡ Amalek entirely." against us; and that in the very same manner as if I were to punish a stranger, and one not at all related to me for the same offence."* So when the multitude cried out to him so to do, he presently set all the rest on one side, and he and his son stood on the other side, and he sought to discover the offender by lot. Now the lot appeared to fall upon Jonathan himself. So when he was asked by his father what sin he had been guilty of? and what he was conscious of in the course of his life that might be esteemed instances of guilt or profaneness? his answer was this, "O father! I have done nothing more than that yesterday, without knowing of the curse and the oath thou hadst denounced, while I was in pursuit of the enemy, I tasted of a honey-comb." "Saul immediately swore that he would slay him, and prefer the observation of his oath before all the ties of birth and nature. But Jonathan was not dismayed at this threatening but offering himself to it generously, and undauntedly, he said, "Nor do I desire you, father, to spare me. Death will be to me very acceptable, when it proceeds from thy piety, and after a glorious victory; for it is the greatest consolation to me, that I leave the Hebrews victorious over the Philistines." Hereupon all the people were greatly afflicted for Jonathan: and they sware that they would not see him die, who was the author of their victory. By which means they snatched him out of the danger he was in from his father's curse; while they made their prayers to God also for the young man, that he would remit his sin. So Saul having slain about sixty thousand of the enemy, returned to his own city, and reigned happily. And he also fought against the neighbouring nations, and subdued the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Amalekites; as also the king of Zobah. He had three male children, Jonathan, Ishui, and Melchi-shua, with Merah and Michal, his daughters. He had also Abner, his uncle's son, for the captain of his host; that uncle's name was Ner. Now Ner and Kish the father of Saul were brothers. Saul had also a great many chariots and horsemen; and against whomsoever he made war, he returned conqueror, and advanced the affairs of the Hebrews to a great degree of success and prosperity, and made them superior to other nations. And he made such of the young men as were remarkable for tallness and comeliness, his body guards. Saul promised to do what he was commanded and supposing that his obedience to God would be shown not only in making war against the Amalckites, but more fully in the readiness and quickness of his proceedings; he immediately gathered together all his forces. And when he had numbered them in Gilgal, he found them to be about four hundred thousand of the Israelites, besides the tribe of Judah; for that tribe contained by itself thirty thousand. Accordingly, Saul made an irruption into the country of the Amalekites; and set many men and several parties in ambush at the river; that so he might not only do them a mischief by open fighting; but might fall upon them unexpectedly in the ways, and might thereby surround and kill them. And when he had joined battle with the enemy, he beat them, and pursuing them as they fled, he destroyed them all. And when that undertaking had succeeded, according as God had foretold; he besieged the cities of the Amalekites, and took them by force; partly by warlike machines, partly by mines dug under ground, and partly by building walls on the outsides. Some they starved out by utterly to destroy, the nation of Israel. See Exod. xvii. 8-16. Numb. xiv. 45. Deut. xxv. 17, 18, 19. Judg. vi. 3, 6. vii. 12. x. 12. 1 Sam. xv. 33. xxx. 1, 2. Psal. lxxxiii. 7; and above all, the most barbarous of all cruelties, that of Haman the Agagite, or, one of the posterity of Agag, the old king of the Amalekites. Esth. iii. 1-15. famine, and some they gained by other methods; and after all he betook himself to slay the women and the children, and thought he did not act therein either barbarously or inhumanly: first, because they were enemies whom they thus treated; and in the next place, because it was done by the command of God; whom it was dangerous not to obey. He also took Agag, the enemies' king, captive; the beauty and tallness of whose body he admired so much, that he thought him worthy of preservation. Yet was not this done according to the will of God; but by giving way to human passions, and suffering himself to be moved with an unseasonable commiseration, in a point where it was not safe to indulge it. For God hated the nation of the Amalekites, to such a degree, that he commanded Saul to have no pity even on those infants which we by nature chiefly compassionate. Saul, however, preserved the king from the miseries which the Hebrews brought upon the people; as if he preferred the fine appearance of the enemy to the memory of what God had sent him about. The multitude were also guilty, together with Saul; for they spared the herds and the flocks, and took them for a prey; when God had commanded they should not spare them. They also carried off the rest of their wealth and riches; but if there were any thing that was not worthy of regard, that they destroyed.* When Saul had conquered all these Amalekites that reached from Pelusium of Egypt, to the Red Sea, he laid waste all the rest of the enemies' country; but for the nation of the† Sichemites, he did not touch them, although they dwelt in the very middle of the country of Midian. For before the battle, Saul had sent to them, and charged them to depart thence, lest they should be partakers of the miseries of the Amalekites. For he had a just occasion for saving them, since they were of the kindred of Raguel, Moses's father-in-law. Hereupon Saul returned home with joy for the glorious things he had done, and for the conquest of his enemies; as though he had not neglected any thing which the prophet had enjoined him to do when he was going to make war with the Amalekites; and as though he had exactly observed all that he ought to have done. But God was grieved that the king of the Amalekites was preserved alive; and that the multitude had seized on the cattle for a prey; because these things were done without his permission. For he thought it an intolerable thing that they should conquer their enemies by that power which he gave them; and then that he himself should be so grossly despised and disobeyed, that a mere man that was a king would not bear it. He there fore told Samuel, he repented that he had made Saul king; while he did nothing that he had commanded him, but indulged his own inclinations. When Samuel heard that, he was in confusion, and began to beseech God all that night to be reconciled to Saul, and not to be angry with him. But he did not grant that forgiveness which the prophet solicited; as not deeming it a fit thing to grant forgiveness of such sins at his entreaties; since injuries do not otherwise grow so great, as by the easy tempers of those that are injured. For while they seek after the glory of being thought gentle and good-natured, before they are aware, they produce other sins. As soon, therefore, as God had rejected the intercession of the prophet, and it plainly appeared he would not change his mind; at break of day Samuel came to Saul to Gilgal. When the king saw him, he ran to him, and embraced him, and said, "I return thanks to God, who hath given me the victory; for I have performed every thing that he hath commanded." Samuel replied: "How is it then that I hear the bleating of the sheep, and the lowing of the greater cattle in the camp?" Saul made answer, that the people had reserved them for sacrifices; but that, as to the nation of the Amalekites, it was entirely destroyed; as he had received it in command to see done, and that no one man was left; but that he had saved alive the king alone, and brought him to him; concerning whom he said they would advise together what should be done with him. But the prophet said, "God is not delighted with sacrifices; but with good and righteous men, who are such as follow his will and his laws; and never think that any thing is well done by them, but when they do it as God commanded them: that he then looks upon himself as affronted; not when any one does not sacrifice, but when any one appears disobedient to him. But that from those that do not obey him, nor pay him that duty which is the true and acceptable worship, he will not kindly accept their oblations; be those they offer never so many and so fat, and be the presents they make him never so ornamental; nay, though they were made of gold and silver themselves. But he will reject them, and esteem them instances of wickedness, and not of piety. And that he is delighted with those that still bear in mind this one thing, how to do that, whatsoever it be, which God pronounces or commands for them to do; and to choose rather to die, than to transgress any of those commands. Nor does he require so much as a sacrifice from them; and when these sacrifice, though it be a mean oblation, he better accepts of it, as the honour of poverty; than such oblations as come from the richest +1 Sam. xv. 14. |