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 nimself 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 * 1 Sam. xv. 14. 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 men that offer them to him. Wherefore take notice, that thou art under the wrath of God; for thou hast despised and neglected what he commanded thee. How dost thou then suppose he will respect a sacrifice out of such things as he has doomed to destruction? unless perhaps thou dost imagine that it is almost all one to offer it in sacrifice to God, as to destroy it. Do thou therefore expect that thy kingdom will be taken from thee, and that authority which thou hast abused by such insolent behaviour, as to neglect that God who bestowed it upon thee." Then did Saul confess that he had acted unjustly, and did not deny that he had sinned; because he had transgressed the injunctions of the prophet; but he said, that it was out of dread and fear of the soldiers, that he did not restrain them, when they seized on the prey. "But forgive me," said he, "and be merciful to me; for I will be cautious how I offend for the time to come." He also intreated the prophet to go back with him, that he might offer his thank-offerings to God. But Samuel went home, because he saw that God would not be reconciled to him. But Saul was so desirous to retain Samuel, that he took hold of his cloak; and because the vehemence of Samuel's departure made the motion to be violent, the cloak was rent. Upon which the prophet said, that after the same manner should the kingdom be rent from him; and that a good and a just man should take it; that God persevered in what he had decreed about him; that to be mutable and changeable in what is determined, is agreeable to human passions only; but it is not agreeable to the divine power. Hereupon Saul said that he had been wicked; but that what was done could not be undone. He therefore desired him to honour him so far, that the multitude might see that he would accompany him in worshipping God. So Samuel granted him that favour; and went with him and worshipped God. Agag also, the king of the Amalekites, was brought to him; and when the king asked, how bitter death was? Samuel said, As thou hast made many of the Hebrew mothers to lament and bewail their children; so shalt thou by thy death cause thy mother to lament thee also.* Accordingly he gave orders to slay him immediately at Gilgal; and then went away to the city Ramah. CHAP. VIII. OF THE APPOINTMENT OF DAVID TO THE REGAL AUTHORITY, BY THE DIVINE COMMAND, AND IN CONSEQUENCE OF SAUL'S TRANSGRESSION. S AUL being sensible of the miserable condition he had brought himself into, and that he had made God to be his enemy, went up to his royal palace at Gibeah, which name denotes a hill; and after that day he came no more into the presence of the prophet. And when Samuel mourned for him, God bade him leave off his concern for him, and to take the holy oil, and go to Bethlehem, to Jesse, the son of Obed, and to anoint such of his sons as he should shew him, for their future king. But Samuel said, he was afraid lest Saul, when he came to know of it, should kill him, either by some private method, or even openly. But upon God's suggesting to him a safe way of going thither, he came to Bethlehem. And when they all saluted him, and asked, what was the occasion of his coming? he told them, he came to sacrifice to God. When, therefore, he had prepared the sacrifice, he called Jesse and his sons to partake. And when he saw his eldest son to be a tall and handsome man, he guessed by his comeliness, that he was the person who was to be their future king. But he was mistaken in judging about God's providence; for when Samuel enquired of God, whether he should anoint this youth, whom he so much admired, and esteemed worthy of the kingdom? God said, "Men do not see as God seeth. indeed hast respect to the fine appearance of * 1 Sam. xv. 33. † 1 Sam. xvi. 7. Thou Our translation says, that Samuel anointed him in the midst of his brethren, and for this it is pretended, that as this unction was a solemn act, and the only title which David had to the kingdom, it was necessary to have it done in the presence of some witnesses, for which purpose none were more proper than those of his own family. But it is plain, from his brother Eliab's treating him after this, 1 Sam. xvii. 28. that he was not privy to his being anointed king-elect over God's people; and therefore since the words will equally bear the sense of from the this youth, and thence esteemed him worthy of the kingdom; while I propose the kingdom. as a reward, not out of the beauty of bodies, but of the virtue of souls; and I enquire after one that is perfectly comely in that respect; I mean one who is beautiful in piety, righteousness, fortitude, and obedience; for in them consists the comeliness of the soul."+ When God had said this, Samuel desired Jesse to shew him all his sons. So he made five others of his sons to come to him. Of all which, Eliab was the eldest, Aminidab the second, Shammah the third, Nathaniel the fourth, the fifth was called Rael, and the sixth Asam. And when the prophet saw that these were no way inferior to the eldest in their countenances, he inquired of God, which of them it was whom he chose for their king? and when God said it was none of them, he asked Jesse, whether he had not some other sons besides these? and when he said that he had one more, named David, but that he was a shepherd, and took care of the flocks: Samuel bade them call him immediately; for that till he was come they could not possibly sit down to the feast. Now as soon as his father had sent for David, and he was come, he appeared to be of a yellow complexion, of a sharp sight, and a comely person in other respects also. "This is he," said Samuel to himself, "whom it pleases God to make our king." So he sat down to the feast; and placed the youth under him; and Jesse also, with his other sons. After which he took oil in the presence of David, and anointed him; and whispered him in the ear, and acquainted him, that God chose him to be their king; and exhorted him to be righteous and obedient to his commands; for that by this means his kingdom would continue for a long time; and that his house should be of great splendour, and celebrated in the world; that he midst, as well as in the midst of his brethren, it is more reasonable to suppose, that as this was the ceremony of his designation to the kingdom only, few or none (except his father perhaps) were admitted to it. And there was the less reason for witnesses upon this occasion, because David never laid claim to the crown till after Saul's decease, and was then, at two several times, 1st, when he was made king over the tribe of Judah, and 2d, when made king over all the tribes of Israel, anointed publicly. Calmet's and Patrick's Comment. and Howell's History, in the notes. B. should overthrow the Philistines; and that against what nations soever he should make war, he should be the conqueror, and survive the fight; and that while he lived he should enjoy a glorious name, and afterwards transmit it to his posterity. So Samuel, when he had given him these admonitions, went away. But the divine power departed from Saul, and removed to David; who upon this removal of the divine spirit to him, began to prophesy. But as for Saul, some strange and demoniacal disorders* came upon him; and brought upon him such suffocations, as were ready to choke him. For when the physicians could find no other remedy but this; if any person could charm those passions by singing, and playing upon the harp, they advised them to enquire for such a one, and to observe, when these demons came upon him, and disturbed him; and to take care that such a person might stand over him, and play on the harp, and recite hymns to him. Accordingly Saul did not delay; but commanded them to seek out such a man. And when a certain bystander said, that he had seen in the city Bethlehem, a son of Jesse, who was yet no more than a child in age, but comely and beautiful, and in other respects one that was deserving of great regard; who was skilful in playing on the harp, and in singing hymns; and an excellent soldier in war; he sent to Jesse, and desired him to take David away from the flocks, and to send him to him; for he had a mind to see him, as having heard an advantageous character of his comeliness and his valour. So Jesse sent his son, and gave him presents to carry to Saul. And when he was come, Saul * 1 Sam. xvi. 14. † Spanheim takes notice here, that the Greeks had such singers of hymns; and that usually children or youth were chosen for that service. As also that those called singers to the harp, did the same that David did here, i. e. join their own vocal and instrumental music together. Soccoth and Azekah lay to the south of Jerusalem, and the east of Bethlehem, about four leagues from the former, and five from the latter, and the ancient valley of Elah must consequently lie not far distant from them, though later travellers place it at no more than a league's distance from Jerusalem. Calmet's Commentary. B. Six in the Hebrew; four in the Septuagint. The words in the text are,-Whose height was six cubits and a span; so that taking a cubit to be twenty inches and a half, and a span to be three inches, and a little more, the whole will amount to about twelve feet and a half. A stature above as tall again as usual! The was pleased with him, and made him his armour-bearer, and held him in very great esteem; for he charmed his passion, and was the only physician against the trouble he had from the demons, whenever it came upon him; and this by reciting of hymns, and playing upon the harp, and bringing Saul to his right mind again. However, he sent to the father of the child, and desired him to permit David to stay with him; for that he was delighted with his company. Which stay, that he might not contradict Saul, Jesse readily granted. OF ANOTHER CHAP. IX. EXPEDITION OF THE PHILISTINES AGAINST THE HEBREWS, UNDER THE REIGN OF SAUL, AND OF THEIR DEFEAT, BY DAVID SLAYING GOLIATH IN SINGLE COMBAT. TOW the Philistines gathered themselves together again, no very long time afterward: and having assembled a great army, they made war against the Israelites; and having seized a place between Shochoh and Azekah, they there pitched their camp. Saul also drew out his army to oppose them. And by pitching his own camp on a certain hill, he forced the Philistines to leave their former station, and to encamp themselves upon such another hill, over against that on which Saul's army lay, so that a valley which was between the two hills on which they lay, divided their camps asunder. Now there came down a man out of the camp of the Philistines, whose name was Goliath, of the city Gath; a man of vast bulk, for he was of || four cubits and a span in tallness;§ and had lowest computation of the cubit, however, brings it to near ten feet, which is the standard that we have set it at; though it must not be dissembled, that both the Septuagint and Josephus have reduced it to little more than eight feet, which badly comports with the weight and vastness of his armour, though it might suit their design perhaps, in accommodating their account to the credibility of their Heathen readers. But be that as it will, several authors, to shew this vast size of the man not to be beyond the bounds of probability, have written, ex professo de gigantibus, among whom Hermannus Conringius, in his book De antiquo statu Holmstadii, and in another De habitu corporum Germanorum, have demonstrated, that the ancient Germans were of a vast size, even as Cæsar, De bello Gall. testifies of them, by calling them, cimmani orporum magnitudine homines, men of huge greatness of body. Nay, even Josephus himself, who is quoted for denying the existence of giants, furnishes us with an argument in about him weapons suitable to the largeness of his body; for he had a breast-plate on that weighed five thousand shekels. He had also a helmet, and greaves of brass as large as you would naturally suppose might cover the limbs of so vast a body. His spear was also such as was not carried like a light thing in his right hand; but he carried it as lying on his shoulders. He had also a lance of six hundred shekels, and many followed him to carry his armour. Wherefore this Goliath stood between the two armies, as they were in battle array; and sent out a loud voice, and said to Saul and to the Hebrews: "I will free you from fighting and from dangers. For what necessity is there that your army should fall, and be afflicted? Give me a man of you that will fight with me; and he that conquers shall have the reward of the conqueror, and determine the war; for these shall serve those others to whom the conqueror shall belong. And certainly it is much better and more prudent to gain what you desire by the hazard of one man, than of all."* When he had said this, he retired to his own camp. But the next day he came again, and used the same words; and did not leave off for forty days together to challenge the enemy in the same. words, till Saul and his army were therewith terrified; while they put themselves in array as if they would fight, but did not come to an engagement. their behalf, when he gives us an account of some bones of a prodigious size which were found in Hebron; as Acosta, in his history of the Indies, lib. 1. c. 10. makes mention of bones of an incredible bigness, and of a race of giants of such a height, that an ordinary man could scarce reach their knees. Le Clerc's and Patrick's Comment. Calmet's Dictionary, under the word Goliath, and Dis. of the Giants. B. *The words in which Goliath's challenge is expressed, are these, Why are you come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me: If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then ye shall be our servants, and serve us. 1 Sam. xviii. 8. Antiquity furnishes us with examples of several such like combats, as Goliath here proposes, but with none more remarkable, than that between the Horatii and Curiatii, related by Livy, lib. 1. c. 23. "In which case (as Grotius expresses himself, De jure belli et pacis, lib. 2. c. 23.) though the champions perhaps cannot, with all the innocence imaginable, engage in the combat, yet their respective states may, at least, allow of it, as a less evil; as an expedient whereby a decision is made, without the effusion of much blood, or any considerable loss on either side, which of the two nations shall have the dominion over the Now while this war between the Hebrews and the Philistines was going on, Saul sent away David to his father Jesse, and contented himself with those three sons of his, whom he had sent to his assistance, and to be partners in the dangers of the war. And at first, David returned to feed his flocks; but after no long time he came to the camp of the Hebrews, being sent by his father to carry provisions to his brethren, and to know what they were doing; while Goliath came again, and challenged them, and reproached them, that they had no man of valour among them that durst come down and fight him. Now as David was talking with his brethren about the business for which his father had sent him, he heard the Philistine reproaching and abusing the army, and had indignation at it; and said to his brethren, "I am ready to fight a single combat with this adversary." Hereupon Eliab, and his elder brother, reproved him, and said, that he spake too rashly and improperly for one of his age; and bade him go to his flocks, and to his father. So he was abashed at his brother's words, and went away; but still spake to some of the soldiers, that he was willing to fight with him that challenged them. And when they had informed Saul what was the resolution of the young man, the king sent for him to come to him. And when the king asked what he had to say, he other. Strabo (says he) makes mention of this as an ancient custom among the Greeks; and Æneas appeals to the Latins, whether it is not highly just and equitable, that he and Turnus should determine the controversy between them even in this manner." But whether there was any combat stipulated to be decisive of the quarrel between the two contending nations, it is certain that this speech of Goliath's was a mere bravado, proceeding from a high opinion he had of his own matchless strength, as if he had been the whole support of the nation, which was to stard or fall together with him. For that he had no authority from the prince of the Philistines to make any such declaration, is evident from the event: since so far were the Philistines from yielding themselves slaves to the Hcbrews, upon the death of this champion, that they made the best of their way into their own country, and there defended themselves, and fought many battles with them afterwards. Saurin's Dissert. vol. 4. Dissert. 32, and Patrick's and Le Clerc's Comment. B. In those days it was customary for men to serve their king and country in the wars at their own expense; and therefore Jesse sent a supply of provisions to such of his sons as were in the service; but since he had other sons at home, while David was chiefly in the fields, it seems to be by a divine direction that he sent him from the sheep upon this errand. B. replied, "O king, be not cast down, nor afraid; for I will depress the insolence of this adversary;* and will go down and fight with him, and will bring him under me, as tall and as great as he is; till he shall be sufficiently laughed at, and thy army shall get great glory, when he shall be slain by one that is not yet of man's estate, neither fit for fighting, nor capable of being intrusted with the marshalling an army, or ordering a battle; but by one that looks like a child, and is really no older in age than a child." Now Saul wondered at the boldness and alacrity of David; but durst not presume on his ability, by reason of his age; but said, he must on that account be too weak to fight with one that was skilful in the art of war. "I undertake this enterprise," said David, "in dependance of God's being with me; for I have experienced already of his assistance. For I once pursued after and caught a lion that assaulted my flocks, and took away a lamb from me; and I snatched the lamb out of the wild beast's mouth; and when he leaped upon me with violence, I took him by the tail, and dashed him against the ground. In the same manner did I avenge myself of a bear also. And let this adversary of ours be esteemed like one of these wild beasts, since he has a long while reproached our army, and blasphemed our God, who yet will reduce him under my power." Saul prayed that the end might be, by God's assistance, not disagreeable to the alacrity and boldness of the child, and said, "Go thy way to the fight." So he put about him his breast-plate, and girded on his sword, and fitted the helmet to his head, and went away. But David was burdened with his armour; for he had not been exercised to it, nor had he learned to walk with it. So he said, "Let this armour be thine, O king, who * 1 Sam. xvii. 32. It is highly probable that this was a general practice with idolaters, who, supposing themselves secure of the favour and protection of their deities, concluded that their enemies must necessarily be the objects of their displeasure and vengeance. Hence, anticipating the certainty of divine wrath upon them, they cursed and devoted them to destruction. So did the Philistines act towards David. And so the Romans used to do, saying,-Dii deæque te perdant. B. This mode of speaking and challenging was very common with the Orientals. Homer gives the same VOL. I.-NO. 6. art able to bear it; but give me leave to fight as thy servant, and as I myself desire." Accordingly he laid by the armour, and taking his staff with him, and putting five stones out of the brook into a shepherd's bag, and having a sling in his right hand, he went towards Goliath. But the adversary seeing him come in such a manner, disdained him; and jested upon him, as if he had not such weapons with him as are usual when one man fights against another; but such as are used in driving away and avoiding of dogs; and said, "Dost thou take me not for a man but a dog?" to which he replied, "No, not for a dog; but for a creature worse than a dog." This provoked Goliath to anger, who thereupon cursed him by the name of God;† and threatened to give his flesh to the beasts of the earth, and to the fowls of the air, to be torn to pieces by them. To whom David answered, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a breast-plate; but I have God for my armour in coming against thee, who will destroy thee, and all thy army by my hands; for I will this day cut off thy head, and cast the other parts of thy body to the dogs; and all men shall learn, that God is the protector of the Hebrews; and that our armour and our strength is in his providence; and that without God's assistance, all other warlike preparations and power are useless." So the Philistine being retarded by the weight of his armour, when he attempted to meet David in haste, came on but slowly, as despising him, and depended upon it, that he should slay him, who was both unarmed, and a child also, without any trouble at all. But the youth met his antagonist, being accompanied with an invisible assistant, who was no other than God himself. And taking one of the stones that he had out of the haughty air to his heroes, and it was doubtless a copy of the manners and hyperbolical speeches of the times. Thus he makes one say to another : Bold as thou art, too prodigal of breath, The dexterity with which the sling may be used as an offensive weapon is surprising. It evidently appears in the conflict between David and Goliath, and may be confirmed by the following citation. "The arms which the Achæans chiefly used were slings. They were trained Tt |