I Samuel 17. the beasts of the field. 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which thou hast defied. 46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from off thee; and I will give the carcases of the hosts of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel: 47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hand. 48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. a (6) DAVID ONCE MORE IN THE ROYAL PRESENCE. 1 Samuel 17:55-58. 55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. 56 And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is. 57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite. (7) THE DEED OF SHAMMAH. [2 Samuel 23: 116, 12.] 116 And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory. d [1 Chronicles 11:13, 14.] 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines. 14 And they stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great victory. (8) THE ROUT OF THE PHILISTINES. 52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou comest to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. 53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their camp. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent. 44. DAVID AT THE COURT OF SAUL. (1) SAUL ATTACHES DAVID TO HIS SUIT. 1 Samuel 18:2. 2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. a Or, "mighty man. b Cf. §91, (1), C. cOr," for foraging." d Heb. "salvation." dammim.' See above $43. (1). The Sept. has, "Gath. gOr," the two gates." e In 1 Samuel 17: 1, "Ephes (2) JONATHAN'S FRIENDSHIP FOR DAVID. 1 Samuel 18: 1, 3, 4. 1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. (3) DAVID'S POPULARITY. 1 Samuel 18:5. 5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and 'behaved himself wisely and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. 6 And it came to pass as that the women came out of timbrels, with joy, and with their play, and said, (4) SAUL'S HATRED TOWARd David. 1 Samuel 18:6-16. с they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with instruments of music. 7 And the women sang one to another in Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands. 8 And Saul was very wroth, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? 9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. 10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day and Saul had his spear in his hand. 11 And Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice. 12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. 13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David ' behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. 15 And when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them. (5) SAUL'S ARTFUL ATTEMPT AGAINST DAVID'S LIFE. 17 And Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him. 18 And David said unto Saul, Who am I, and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king? 19 But it came to pass at the time Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife. 20 And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law a second time. 22 And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law. 23 And Saul's servants d'Or," tri a Or," went out; whithersoever Saul sent him, he," etc. ¿ Or," prospered." cOr, "Philistines." Or," three-stringed instruments.' eOr," answered one another.' Or, "raved." g Or," who are my kinsfolk." angles.' 1 Samuel 18. spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed? 24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David. 25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law. And the days were not expired; 27 and David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife. 28 And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David; and Michal Saul's daughter loved him. 29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David's enemy continually. (6) DAVID'S INCREASING POPULARITY. a 1 Samuel 18: 30. 30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth and it came to pass, as often as they went forth, that David a behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by. (7) JONATHAN PROVES HIS FRIENDSHIP FOR David. 1 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should slay David. 2 But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David. And Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to slay thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself in the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself: 3 and I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and if I see aught, I will tell thee. 4 And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good: 5 for he put his life in his hand, and smote the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great victory for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? 6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be put to death. 7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as beforetime. 45. DAVID IS FORCED TO LEAVE COURT. (1) DAVID ESCAPES BY MICHAL'S HELP. 1 Samuel 19:8-17. d 8 And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him. 9 And an evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David played with his hand. 10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the spear into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. II And Saul sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning : and Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain. 12 So Michal let David down through the window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. 13 And Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair at the head thereof, and covered it with the clothes. 14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, dOr," the spirit of the LORD was evil a Or, "prospered more than." ¿ Heb." precious." c Heb. "salvation." toward Saul.' eOr," quilt." Or, "network.' I Samuel 19. she said, He is sick. 15 And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. 16 And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at the head thereof. 17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me thus, and let mine enemy go, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee? (2) DAVID'S FLIGHT TO RAMAH AND SAUL'S PURSUIT. 1 Samuel 19: 18-24. a 18 Now David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. 19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. 20 And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. 21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah. 23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets? (3) THE CONFERENCE BETWEEN DAVID AND JONATHAN. 1 Samuel 20:1-23. e I And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life? 2 And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father doeth nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so. 3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father knoweth well that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. 4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee. 5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even. 6 If thy father miss me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city: for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family. 7 If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be wroth, then know that evil is determined by him. 8 Therefore deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: but if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father? 9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee? 10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly? 11 And Jonathan said unto David, Come and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field. 12 And Jonathan said unto David, The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness; when I have sounded my father about this time to-morrow, or the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not then send unto thee, and disclose it unto thee? 13 The LORD do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do thee evil, if I disclose it not unto thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father. 14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I a The Sept. has," the well of the threshing-floor that is," etc. b Or," cistern." mine ear. "" e Or," What doth thy soul desire, that I should do it for thee? c Or," fell." d Heb." uncovereth Heb." saith." 1 Samuel 20. с die not: 15 but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And the LORD shall require it at the hand of David's enemies. 17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him for he loved him as he loved his own soul. 18 Then Jonathan said unto him, To-morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. 19 And when thou hast stayed three days, thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel. 20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. 21 And, behold, I will send the lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee: take them, and come; for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as the LORD liveth. 22 But if I say thus unto the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee: go thy way; for the LORD hath sent thee away. 23 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD is between thee and me forever. e (4) JONATHAN LEARNS OF HIS FATHER'S INTENTIONS TOWARDS DAVID. 1 Samuel 20:24-34. 24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. 25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side: but David's place was empty. 26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. 27 And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon, which was the second day, that David's place was empty and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to-day? 28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem: 29 and he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he is not come unto the king's table. 30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own shame, and unto the shame of thy mother's nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be stablished, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. 32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore should he be put to death? what hath he done? 33 And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to put David to death. 34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. (5) THE PARTING BETWEEN DAVID AND JONATHAN. 1 Samuel 20: 35-42. k 35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed by David, and a little lad with him. 36 And he said unto his lad, Run, find now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? 38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 39 But the lad knew not anything only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40 And Jonathan gave his weapons unto the lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. 41 And as soon as the lad was gone, a Or," by his love toward him.' b Heb. "missed." c Heb. "greatly." 1 Samuel 19: 2. See $44, (7) Or, is worthy to die.' eOr, as read by the Sept., "this mound.' Heb. " is a son of death." i Or, "to the place." d Heb. "in the day of the business." Cf. Or, "him." gHeb. not any thing." k Heb." making it pass over him " |