rance to their dams: and that the dams might || village wept for these that thus suffered, and return the faster, out of a desire of those calves: then to drive these milch kine that carried the ark, and leave it in a place where three ways meet, and to leave the kine to go along which of those ways they pleased; that in case they went the way to the Hebrews, and ascended to their country, they should suppose that the ark was the cause of their misfortunes: but if they turned into another road, they should pursue after it, and conclude that it had no such force. So they determined that these men spake well, and they immediately confirmed their opinion by doing accordingly. And when they had done as hath been already described, they brought the cart to a place where three ways met, and left it there. But the kine went the right way, as if some persons had driven them, while the rulers of the Philistines followed, as desirous to know where they would stand still, and whither they would go. Now there was a certain village of the tribe of Judah, called Bethshemesh, and to that village did the kine go; and though there was a great and a good plain before them to proceed in, they went no farther, but stopped the cart there. This was a joyful sight to those made such lamentation as was naturally to be expected on so great a misfortune that was sent from God; and every one mourned for his own relation. And since they acknowledged themselves unworthy of the ark's abode with them, they sent to the public senate of the Israelites, and informed them that the ark was restored by the Philistines. Which when they knew, they brought it away to Kirjathjearim, a city in the neighbourhood of Bethshemesh. In this city lived one Abinadab, by birth a Levite, and who was greatly commended for his righteous and religious course of life: so they brought the ark to his house, as to a place fit for God himself to abide in, since therein did inhabit a righteous man. His sons also ministered to the Divine service at the ark, and were the principal curators of it for twenty years; for so long it continued in Kirjathjearim; having been but § four months with the Philistines. CHAP. II. OF THE EXPEDITION OF THE PHILISTINES AGAINST THE HEBREWS, AND THE HEBREWS' VICTORY UNDER THE CON- of that village, and they were very glad. For WHILE the city of Kirjathjearim had bitants being in their fields, gathering in their fruits, they left off the labors of their hands for joy, as soon as they saw the ark, and ran to the cart; and taking the ark down, and the vessel that had the images in it, and the mice, they set them upon a certain rock, which was in the plain. And when they had offered a splendid sacrifice to God, and feasted, they offered the cart and the kine as a burnt offering. And when the lords of the Philistines saw this they returned back. But now it was that the wrath of God overtook them, and struck † seventy persons dead of the village of Bethshemesh; who not being priests, and so not worthy to touch the ark, had approached to it. Those of that * 1 Sam. vi. 14. †These 70 men, being not so much as Levites, touched the ark in a rash or profane manner; and were slain by the hand of God for that rasliness and profaneness, according to the Divine threatenings; Numb. iv. 15, 20; but how our other copies come to add such an incredible num the ark with them, the whole body of the people betook themselves all at that time to offer prayers and sacrifices to God, and appeared greatly concerned and zealous about his worship. So Samuel the prophet thought it a proper time to speak to them, while they were in this good disposition, about the recovery of their liberty, and of the blessings that accompanied the same. Accordingly he used such words to them as he thought were most likely to excite that inclination, and to persuade them to attempt it: || "O ye Israelites," said he, "to whom the Philistines are still grievous enemies, but to whom God begins to be gracious: it behoves you not only to be desirous of liberty, but to take the proper methods to obtain it. Nor are you to be ber as 50,000 in this one town, or small city, I know not. Seven months, in the Hebrew and Septuagint. ང་ ཞམའ༠ ས་ contented with an inclination to get clear of your lords and masters, while you still do what will procure your continuance under them. Be righteous then, and cast wickedness out of your souls, and by your worship supplicate the Divine Majesty with all your hearts, and persevere in the honor you pay to him. For if you act thus, you will enjoy prosperity, you will be freed from your slavery, and will get the victory over your enemies; which bless-power of our enemies against us. Now while ing cannot possibly be attained either by weapons of war, by the strength of your bodies, or by the multitude of your assistants; for God has not promised to grant these blessings by those means; but by being good and righteous men. And if you will be such, I will be security to you for the performance of God's promises." When Samuel had thus said the multitude applauded his discourse, and gave their consent to resign themselves up to do what was pleasing to God. So Samuel gathered them together, to a certain city called Mizpeh;* which signifies, in the Hebrew tongue, a watch tower. There they drew water, and poured it out to God,† and fasted all day, and betook themselves to their prayers. This assembly did not escape the notice of the Philistines. So when they had learned that so large a company had met together, they fell upon the Hebrews with a great army, || and mighty forces, as hoping to assault them when they did not expect it, nor were prepared for it. This thing affrighted the Hebrews, and put them into disorder and terror, So they came running to Samuel, and said, Our souls were sunk by our fears, and by the former defeat we had received; and thence it was that we lay still, lest we should excite the *The Mizpeh here mentioned, as appears from the circumstance of the story, must be different from that which is remarked in the history of Jephthah. There is indeed another Mizpeh mentioned among the cities of Judah, Josh. xv. 38. and a third, among those of Benjamin, Josh. xviii. 26. Some are of opinion that these two cities are une and the same, and are only supposed to be two, because they lie in the confines of each tribe; but if they are not the same, it seems most probable that the Mizpeh in the tribe of Benjamin was the city which is here spoken of. And we may observe farther, that as Mizpeh is said to be situated not far from Eben-ezer, and probably on the east or north side so Shen (if it be the name of a place, and not rather on some sharp rock thereabouts) was situated not far from it on the opposite, i. e. on the west or west side, to which Bethcar must needs be contiguous; Well's Geog. of the Old Test. vol. 3. c. 1. B. thou hast brought us hither to offer up our sin. nify the purification of their souls from the pollution of Others that they made use of it to cleanse the ground where Samuel was to erect an altar, that it might not stand upon an impure place. Some suppose that it was employed as an emblem of humiliation, of prayer, of expiation, of execration, and I know not what besides. But the most probable opinion is, that this water was, upon this occasion, poured out, by way of libation, before God. And for support of this it is commonly alleged, that libations of this kind were very customary in ancient time; that Theophrastus, as he is cited by Porphyry, (De Abstin. lib. 2.) tell us, that the earliest libations were of water, though afterwards honey and wine came into request that Virgil (Eneid iv.) mentions the practice of south-sprinkling the water of the lake Avernus; and that Homer (Odyss. 12.) remarks, that, for want of wine, the companions of Ulysses poured out water in a sacrifice, which they offered to the gods. It is certain that David poured out unto the Lord the water which the three gallant men in his army brought him from the well of Bethlehem, at the hazard of their lives. 2 Sam. xxiii. 16, and therefore, though the law does not enjoin any such libations of water; yet, since there is no positive prohibition of them, why may we not suppose that, upon this extraordinary occasion, something singular and extraordinary might have been done? Patrick's and Calmet's Comment. B. 1 Sam. vii. 9. + The words in our translation run thus:-And they gathered to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, 1 Sam, vii. 6. but what we are to understand by this water, the conjectures of commentators have been various. Some take these words in a metaphorical sense, to denote those tears of contrition, which were drawn, as it were, from the bottom of their hearts, and fell from their eyes before the Lord. Others think that with this water they washed their bodies, as they are supposed to have done upon another occasion, Exod. xix. 20, to sig enemies. 3 CHAP. III. OF SAMUEL'S ATTENTION TO PUBLIC AFFAIRS, THE EVIL ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT BY HIS SONS, AND THE SUBSEQUENT DEMAND OF THE MULTITUDE TO HE prophet Samuel, when he had ordainTed the affairs of the people after a convenient manner, and had appointed a city for every district of them; he commanded them to come to such cities to have the controversies that they had one with another determined: he himself going over those cities twice in a year, and doing them justice. And by that means he kept them in very good order for a long time. 3 enemies. Now while the altar had the sacrifice of God upon it, and had not yet consumed it wholly by the sacred fire, the enem army marched out of their camp, and was put in order of battle; and this in hope that they should be conquerors, since the* Jews were caught in distressed circumstances: as neither having their weapons with them, nor being assembled in order to fight. But things so fell out, that they would hardly have been credited though they had been foretold by any body. For in the first place God disturbed their enemies with an earthquake, and moved the ground under them to such a degree, that he caused it to tremble, and made them to shake; I made them to shake; insomuch that by its trembling he made some unable to keep their feet, and made them fall But afterward he found himself oppressed down; and by opening its chasms he caused with old age, and not able to do as he had that others should be hurried down into them. done formerly. So he committed the go governAfter which he caused such a noise of thunder ment, and the care of the multitude, to his to come among them, and made fiery light-sons; the elder of whom was called Joel, and ning shine so terribly round about them, that the name of the younger was Abiah. He also it was ready to burn their faces; and he so enjoined them to reside and judge the people, suddenly shook their weapons out of their the one at the city Bethel, and the other at hands, that he made them flee, and return Beer-sheba; and divided the people into dishome naked. So Samuel, with the multi-tricts, that should be under the jurisdiction of tude, pursued them to a place called Bethcar; each of them. Now these men afforded us and there he set up a stone as a boundary of an evident example and demonstration how their victory, and their enemies flight; and some children are not of the like dispositions called it The Stone of Power; as a signal of with their parents; but sometimes perhaps that power God had given them against their good and moderate, though born of wicked parents, and sometimes shewing themselves to So the Philistines, after this stroke, made be wicked, though born of good parents. For no more expeditions against the Israelites ;† these men, turning aside from their father's but lay still out of fear, and out of remem- good courses, perverted justice for the filthy brance of what had befallen them. And what lucre of gifts and bribes; and made their decourage the Philistines had formerly against terminations, not according to truth, but acthe Hebrews, after this victory, was trans-cording to bribery; and turned aside to luxury, ferred to the Hebrews. Samuel also made an expedition against the Philistines, and slew many of them, and entirely humbled their proud hearts, and took from them that country which, when they were formerly conquerors, they had cut off from the Jews; which was the country that extended from the borders of Gath to the city Ekron. But the remains of the Canaanites were at this time in friendship with the Israelites. enemies. *This is the first place, so far as I remember, in these Antiquities, where Josephus begins to call his nation Jews, be having hitherto usually, if not constantly, called them either Hebrews or Israelites. 4 and a voluptuous way of living. So that, as, in the first place, they practised what was contrary to the will of God: so did they what was contrary to the will of the prophet, their father, who had taken a great deal of care, and made very careful provision that the multitude should be righteous.‡ Upon these injuries offered to their former constitution and government by the prophet's sons, the people were very uneasy at their ac tions, and came running to the prophet, who || regal government will bring upon them, and then lived at the city Ramah, and informed openly testified before them unto what a great him of the transgressions of his sons; and change of affairs they are hasting.”‡ said that as he himself was old already, and too infirm to oversee their affairs in the manner he used to do; so they entreated him to appoint some person to be king over them, whot might rule over the nation, and avenge them of the Philistines, who ought to be punished for their former oppressions. These words greatly afflicted Samuel, on account of his innate love of justice, and his hatred to regal government, for he was very fond of an aristocracy, as what made the men that used it of a divine and happy disposition. Nor could he either think of eating or sleeping, out of his concern and torment of mind at what they had said, but all the night long did he continue awake, and revolved these notions in his mind. When Samuel had heard this, he called the Jews early in the morning, and confessed to them that he was to ordain them a king; but he said, that he was first to describe to them what would follow, what treatment they would receive from their kings, and with how many mischiefs they must struggle. "For know ye," said he, " that in the first place they will take your sons away from you; and they will command some of them to be drivers of their chariots, and some to be their horsemen, and the guards of their body; and others of them to be runners before them, and captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; they will also make them their artificers, makers of armor, and of chariots, and of instruments; they will make them their husbandmen also, While he was thus disposed, God appeared and the guardians of their own fields, and to him, and comforted him, saying, that he the diggers of their own vineyards. Nor will ought not to be uneasy at what the multitude there be any thing which they will not do at desired, because it was not he, but Himself, their commands, as if they were slaves bought whom they so insolently despised, and would with money. They will also appoint your not have to be alone their King: that they had daughters to be confectioners, and cooks, and been contriving these things from the very bakers; and these will be obliged to do all day that they came out of Egypt; that, how-sorts of work which women slaves that are in ever, in no long time they would sorely re- fear of stripes and torments submit to. They pent of what they did, which repentance yet will, besides this, take away your possessions, could not undo what was thus done for futu-and bestow them upon their eunuchs, and the rity that they would be sufficiently rebuked for their contempt, and the ungrateful conduct they had used towards Him, and towards the prophetic office: "So I command thee," said the Deity," to ordain them such an one as I shall name beforehand to be their king, when thou hast first described what mischiefs guards of their bodies, and will give the herds of your cattle to their own servants; and, in brief, you and all that is yours will be servants to your king, and will become no way superior to his slaves. Now when you suffer thus, you will be reminded of what I now say: and when you repent of what you have done, you rael, let them know, that if he made a league with them, ing so hard upon Samuel at this time for a king; whereas It is generally supposed, that what made the Israel-submit. This, it is thought, was the reason for their pressites so urgent at this time for a king, was a present strait they thought themselves in, for want of an able leader: for Nahash, the king of the Amorites, coming up to Jahesh Gilead, and encamping before it, had put the inhabitants into such a fright, that, without more to do, they offered to surrender upon terms; telling him, that they would become subjects to him if he would make a league with them, 1 Sam. xi. 1. But the haughty Amorite, in contempt of Is notes. 1 Sam. viii. 9. will beseech God to have mercy upon you, and to grant you a quick deliverance from your kings; but he will not accept your prayers, but will neglect you, and permit you to suffer the punishment your evil conduct has de served. But the multitude was still deaf to these predictions of what would befall them; and too peevish to suffer a determination, which they had injudiciously made, to be taken out of their mind; for they could not be turned from their purpose, nor did they regard the words of Samuel, but peremptorily insisted on their resolution, and desired him to ordain them a king immediately, and not to trouble himself with fears of what would come hereafter; for that it was necessary that they should bave with them one to fight their battles, and to avenge them of their enemies; and that it was no way absurd, when their neighbors were under regal government, that they should have the same form of government also. So when Samuel saw that what he had said had not diverted them from their purpose, but that they continued resolute, he said, "Go you every one home for the present, and I will send for you as soon as I shall have learned from God who it is that he will give you for your king." any concern to his father about himself. But his servant told him, as they were near the city of Ramah, that there was a true prophet in that city, and advised him to go to him, for that from him they should gain intelligence respecting their asses. Saul replied, that they had nothing to give him as a reward for his prophecy, for their subsistence-money was spent; but the servant answered, that he had still the fourth part of a shekel,† and he would present him with that; for they were mistaken out of ignorance, as not knowing that the prophet received no such reward. So they went to him: and when they were before the gates, they met with certain maidens that were going to fetch water, and they asked them which was the prophet's house. They shewed them which it was, and bade them make haste before he was set down to supper, for he had invited many guests to a feast, and that he used to sit down before those that were invited. Now Samuel had gathered many together to feast with him on this very account; for while he every day prayed to God to tell him beforehand whom he would make king, he had informed him the day before, that he would send him a certain young man out of the tribe of Benjamin about this hour: and he sat on the top of the house in expectation of that time being come; and when the time was completed he came down, and went to supper; so he met with Saul, and God discovered to him that this was he who should rule over the people. Then Saul went up to HERE was one of the tribe of Benjamin, Samuel, and saluted him, and desired him to a man of good family, and of a virtu- inform him which was the prophet's house; ous disposition; his name was Kish. He had for he said he was a stranger, and did not a son, a young man of a comely countenance, know it. Samuel told him that he was himand of a tall stature, but his understanding self the person, and led him in to supper, asand his mind were preferable to what was suring him that the asses were found which he visible in him; they called him Saul. Now had been to seek, and that the greatest of this Kish had some fine she-asses, that had good things was assured to him. Saul replied, wandered out of the pasture wherein they fed; "Sir, I am too inconsiderable to hope for any so he sent out his son, and one servant with such thing, and of a tribe too small to have him, to search for the beasts. But when he kings made out of it, and of a family smaller had gone over his own tribe in search after than several other families. But thou tellest the asses, he went to other tribes; and when me this in jest, and makest me an object of he found them not there neither, he deter-laughter, when thou discoursest with me of mined to return home, lest he should occasion CHAP. IV. OF THE APPOINTMENT OF A KING OVER THE ISRAELITES THE 1 Sam. viii. 22. Of this great mistake of Saul and his servant, as if a greater matters than what I stand in need of." true prophet of God would accept a gift or present for foretelling what was desired of him, see the note on IV. 6. |