1 Samuel 22:2

And everyone [that was] in distress,.... In straitened circumstances, through the oppression of men, through poverty, and afflictive providences in their families: and everyone [that was] in debt;

And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

Every one that was in distress, through want, or oppression, or otherwise. Every one that was in debt. How could David receive and countenance such persons to the wrong of their creditors? Answ. 1. David might be ignorant of their debts; and it is most likely they concealed that, and pretended other causes of their coming to him, as the protection of the innocent, and the defence of his just rights, &c. 2. They might be, and probably were, poor debtors, whom their creditors were obliged to spare and favour, . And though their persons were with David, yet their land and goods were liable to their creditors. Every one that was discontented, or, bitter in soul, i.e. in an afflicted and calamitous condition. He became a captain over them; he did not justify nor maintain any injustice or wickedness, which some of them possibly might be guilty of; but, on the contrary, he instructed and obliged them to the practice of all justice and honesty; as appears from ; and he only used them for his just defence.

1 Samuel 22:2 And every one [that was] in distress, and every one that [was] in debt, and every one [that was] discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.Ver. 2. And every one that was in distress.] Herein David became a type of Christ, the Captain of our salvation, who cried, "Come unto me, all ye that are weary," and who are sensible that ye have Suffered more under Satan’ s tyranny, than these had under Saul’ s: and yet in his time, as afterwards in Tiberius’ s, there was crimen ex silentio, ex voce, danger either to speak, or to hold one’ s peace, to have done anything, or nothing. And every one that was in debt.] Heb., That had a creditor or an oppressor, extortioner, usurer, who cruelly handled him. And every one that was discontented.] Heb., Bitter of soul. Not such ruffians and rakehells as Abimelech, and of later time Mohammed, that grand impostor, got together to spoil and do mischief; but these came to David upon a better principle, and for a better purpose, viz., for his and their own just and necessary defence: and for their carriage, see what a testimony Nabal’ s servants gave them, though that brute their master had basely reviled them. In the Gospel we read that our Saviour received him that had been born blind, and was now cast out. And in the civil law we find provision made for such as were cast out and exposed to the wide world; some hospitals to entertain them, some liberties to comfort and compensate their troubles. Tacit.

(2) Every one that was in distress.—Ewald writes on this statement:—“The situation of the country, which was becoming more and more melancholy under Saul, . . . drove men to seek a leader from whom they might hope for better things for the future . . . David did not send away these refugees, many of them distinguished and prominent Israelites, but organised them into a military force. He foresaw that while commanding such a company as this, he might, without injuring his king and former benefactor, be of the very greatest use to the people, and protect the southern frontiers of the kingdom—sadly exposed in these later years of King Saul—from the plundering incursions of the neighbouring nomadic tribes. This state of things, with a few interruptions, really came to pass, and David won great repute and popularity among the protected districts during these years when he was a wanderer and an outlaw—a popularity which in after years stood him in good stead.” These persons “in distress” were especially those who were persecuted by Saul and his men for their attachment to David. The several statements of the refugees who took shelter in David’s armed camp, of course go over a considerable time. They did not all flock to his standard at once. Some went to him in the first days of his exile, others after the massacre at the sanctuary at Nob, others later, and thus gradually 400 gathered round him. Soon after, these numbers were swelled to 600, and these probably only were the chosen men-at-arms of the little force, which, no doubt, was numerically far greater. And every one that was in debt.—Throughout the whole long story of Israel this unhappy love of greed and gain has been a characteristic feature of the chosen race, ever a prominent and ugly sin. In the Mosaic Law, most stringent regulations were laid down to correct and mitigate this ruling passion of avarice among the Jews. (See such passages as Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:36; Deuteronomy 23:19.) The poor, improvident, or perhaps unfortunate, debtor was protected by wise laws against the greedy avaricious spirit of his merciless creditor. These beneficent regulations of the great lawgiver had, under the capricious, faulty rule of King Saul, of course fallen into abeyance, and a terrible amount of misery, no doubt, was the consequence. In the Divine record sad scenes (see 2 Kings 4:1-7), exemplifying this pitiless spirit, are casually related, but they are so woven into the mosaic of the history, as to show us they were, alas! no uncommon occurrence in the daily life of the people. In Proverbs, for instance, we have some conspicuous instances. The chronicles of the Middle Ages in all countries teem with similar stories about the chosen people. Our own great dramatist, some three centuries ago, evidently without attempt at exaggeration, selects the avaricious, grasping Jew as the central figure of one of his most famous dramas.

Verse 2. And every one that was in distress - debt - discontented] It is very possible that these several disaffected and exceptionable characters might at first have supposed that David, unjustly persecuted, would be glad to avail himself of their assistance that he might revenge himself upon Saul, and so they in the mean time might profit by plunder, c. But if this were their design they were greatly disappointed, for David never made any improper use of them. They are never found plundering or murdering on the contrary, they always appear under good discipline, and are only employed in services of a beneficent nature, and in defence of their country. Whatever they were before they came to David, we find that he succeeded in civilizing them, and making profitable to the state those who were before unprofitable. It is not necessary to strain the words of the original in order to prove that these were oppressed people, and not exceptionable characters, as some have done.

2. And every one, &c.] To the cave of Adullam resorted some who were smarting under the oppression of Saul’s tyranny; some who were involved in debt through the neglect of the laws concerning usury (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:35-37); some who were in despair at the condition of the kingdom, and desired a leader from whom they might hope for better things. he became a captain over them] That he could keep such a motley band in order is an evidence of David’s natural genius for ruling, which was further developed by this training. about four hundred men] Soon increased to six hundred (1 Samuel 23:13). Among them were the three heroes who brought water from the well at Bethlehem (2 Samuel 23:13 ff.; 1 Chronicles 11:15 ff.); possibly the stalwart Gadites whose names are given in 1 Chronicles 12:8-15; and also the detachment from Judah and Benjamin led by Amasai (1 Chronicles 12:16-18).

Discontented - See the margin. (Compare 1 Samuel 30:6; 2 Samuel 17:8.) The phrase here denotes those who were exasperated by Saul’s tyranny.

2. Every one… in distress — Suffering from want, or in difficulty with their neighbours. In debt — Hebrew, had a creditor; and who, having no means of meeting their obligations, were likely to be sold to their creditors.