8 Ch. xxiii.

19.

t Ch. xiv. 50.

& xvii. 55.

+ Or, midst

of his carriages.

+ Heb. shut up.

But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.

SECTION XV.

David in the Wilderness of Ziph.

1 SAMUEL XXVI.

1 Saul, by the discovery of the Ziphites, cometh to Hachilah against David. 5 David coming into the trench stayeth Abishai from killing Saul, but taketh kis spear and cruse. 13 David reproveth Abner, 18 and exhorteth Saul. 21 San! acknowledgeth his sin.

1 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?

2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed.

t

5 ¶ And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the † trench, and the people pitched round about him.

6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.

8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.

9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?

10 David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.

11 The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine

hand against the LORD's anointed: but, I pray thee, take A.C. 1057 thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of

water, and let us go.

12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.

13 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:

14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?

15 And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

*

sons of death.

16 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not Heb. the kept your master, the LORD's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.

17 And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?

19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee

up against me, let him † accept an offering: but if they be +Heb. smell. the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for

they have driven me out this day from abiding in the in- cleaving. heritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.

20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.

21 Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

22 And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.

23 The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand

A.C. 1057. to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD's anointed.

1056. Heb. be consumed.

24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

SECTION XVI.

David flies to Achish king of Gath; who assigns him Ziklag for a residence-Death of Saul.

1 SAMUEL XXVII. VER. 143.

1 And David said in his heart, I shall now *perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

:

43 We have now arrived at the close of the persecutions of David. It is necessary to observe the order of the events related in this section. Finding Saul to be still implacable, David resolved upon joining the Philistines, which appears to have been an unjustifiable mode of escape, when we remember the many difficulties from which he had been so mercifully delivered. He fled to the king of Gath, with whom he continued sixteen months. During this time he was joined by many of his own people, and made war upon the surrounding nations. In the mean while, the Philistines, to whom David had become an auxiliary, had declared war against Saul; and Achish, the protector of David, required him to fight against his own countrymen. From this dreadful necessity of deciding between gratitude to Achish, and the love of his country, he was relieved by the distrust of the Philistines. The two armies approach: Saul consults the witch of Endor and according to the prediction of Samuel, who appears to him from the invisible world, he loses his throne and his life. This, of course, takes place at the conclusion of the sixteen months of David's residence at Ziklag. Not having been permitted to join in the battle, David had returned to this city; but finds it burnt and plundered by the Amalekites. He pursues and defeats the invaders with great slaughter. After the battle, he generously divides the spoil between his soldiers, including those who were not able to attend him in the field. He distributes presents to the tribe of Judah, and secures the attachment of his friends and on the death of Saul and Jonathan, being left without a rival, and alike distinguished for courage, conduct, generosity, magnanimity, and every virtue which can dignify and adorn a prince, every human means seemed to combine to accomplish the promises of God. The tribe of Judah assemble, and elect him king; and their example is followed, after an interval of seven years, by the rest of Israel.

PSALM CXLI 44.

1 David prayeth that his suit may be acceptable, 3 his conscience sincere, 7 and his life safe from snares.

1 LORD, I cry unto

A Psalm of David.

thee: make haste unto me; give ear A. C. 1055. cry unto thee.

unto my voice, when I 2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and * Heb. dithe lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.

rected.

righteous

5+Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: + Or, Let the and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which smite me shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in

their calamities.

6 When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

7 Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.

8 But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.

kindly, and

reprove me; let not their precious oil head, &c.

break my

+ Heb. make not my soul

9 Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, bare. and the gins of the workers of iniquity.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal § escape.

1 SAMUEL XXVII. VER. 2-8.

2 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his houshold, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.

4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

5 And David said unto Achish, If I have now found

44 David, being driven out of Judea by Saul, begs of God grace, that he may not sin against him with his tongue, nor be drawn into any sinful compliances with idolatry, by living among the Philistines. He confides in God's help, and prays to be delivered from those who sought his ruin. He probably composed this Psalm just before his flight to Achish, king of Gath; when he had a second time spared Saul's life, but could trust him no longer.-Green; Bp. Horne.

Heb. pass

over.

A. C. 1055. grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?

*Heb. the number of days.

+ Heb. a year of days.

a 1 Sam xxvii. 2.

6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. 7 And *the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was + a full and four months. year

a

1 CHRONICLES XII. VER. 1-8.

1 The companies that came to David at Ziklag.

1 Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, Heb. being while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the

yet shut up.

Or, Hasmaah.

war.

2 They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul's brethren of Benjamin.

3 The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of § Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; and Berachah, and Jehu the Antothite,

4 And Ismaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Josabad the Gederathite,

5 Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite,

6 Elkanah, and Jesiah, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korhites,

7 And Joelah, and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

1 SAMUEL XXVII. VER. 8, TO THE END.

:

8¶ And David and his men went up, and invaded the || Or, Gerzites. Geshurites, and the || Gezrites, and the Amalekites for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

* Or, Did you not make a road, &c.

9 And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the assés, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.

10 And Achish said, * Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.

11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.