1 Samuel 31

Besides, being now about to return to his own country, he sent presents from the spoil of the enemy to his friends in Judea, and in “all the places which David and his men were wont to haunt.” This chapter is evidently a parenthesis, and the events are thought by some to have occurred even prior to Saul’s going to the witch of Endor. Chap. XXXII. Ver. 1—13. The battle of mount Gilboa; Israel defeated; Saul and his sons slain, and their corpses shamefully treated.—We are naturally enough prepared to hear of this defeat, by the account of Saul’s distress and his defeat and death. Saul, however, did not y, as many would have done, but died in the field of battle. Being sorely wounded by the archers, to prevent his falling into the hands of the enemy, he fell upon his own sword, and died a suicide; a crime generally originating in desperation, and the want of fortitude to support calamity.

After the battle, when the enemy came to strip the slain, the Philistines found the bodies of the king and his three sons. The king’s head they cut off, (perhaps in revenge of Goliath’s,) and fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan, and then spreading the news with great joy throughout the country, sent the armour of Saul and of his sons as trophies and thankofferings to the temples of their gods. Thus miserably ends the history of Saul, whose character contains little to be commended, and much to be condemned. His temper appears to be hasty, capricious, violent, and unfor- {IN this book the sacred writer illustrates the characters and describes the events of his history in the most engaging manner.

‘The weak indulgence of is well contrasted with the firm piety of Samuel. ‘The rising virtues of David, and the sad depravity of Saul, are strikingly opposed. _ The sentiments and instructions scattered throughout are excellent; and the inspired hymn of Hannah, which much resembles that of Mary, discloses a grand prophecy of the Messiah, or the Anointed of the Lord, whose attributes are as starry as those of the exalted Sovereign and appointed Judge of the earth. Besides the internal proofs of the truth of this Sacred history, it may be remarked, that heathen authors have borrowed, or collected from other sources, many particulars of these accounts which the writer gives. We have already given the history of Samuel and Saul, as preserved among the Afghans; similar accounts of which are current among the Orientals.

They relate, that Samuel having made his report to God that the Hebrews were resolved to have a king, God gave him a vessel or horn full of oil, and a staff, revealing to him, that the man in whose pee the oil should boil in the vessel, and whose stature should be equal to that staff, was appointed for their king. No sooner was this determination published among the people, than all the chiefs of the tribes came with great eagerness to measure themselves by the staff, and to try if the oil would boil in their presence; but in vain. Saul, otherwise called Sharek, and surnamed Talut, i.e. the Tall, who was no more than a carrier of water, or dresser of leather, came to the prophet among the rest, and immediately the oil began to boil in the vessel, and he was found to be just the height of the miraculous staff.

On these tokens, Samuel declared him king; but the heads of the tribes, especially that of Judah, to whom the royal dignity had THE SECOND BOOK {This Book derives its name from the prophet Samuel; but it is evident that he could not have written beyond the twenty-fourth chapter of the preceding Book; and it is probable that this Book, with the latter part of the former, was written by the prophets Gad and Nathan. It bears an exact resemblance to preceding history, and is likewise connected with that which succeeds. It comprises a period of nearly forty years, from A. M. 2949 to 2989; containing an account of David’s intelligence of the death of Saul and Jonathan, with his lamentation over them; his triumph over the house of Saul, and confirmation in the kingdom; his victories over the Jebusites and Philistines; the bringing up of the ark to Jerusalem; the rejection of David’s purpose for 3 And David said unto him, From whence comest thou?

And he said unto him, Out of| a 1s… the camp of Israel am I escaped.

Notes on the verses

Ver. 27. Bethel.—[Probably not the celebrated city of this name, but Bethul, a city of Simeon, ((Joshua 19:4).) supposed to be the same as Bethelia, mentioned by Sozomen as belonging to Gaza, well peopled, and having several temples remarkable for their structure and antiquity; and which Jerome says, in his life of Hilarion, was five short days’ journey from Pelusium.]—Bagster. Chap., XXXI. Ver. 1. Gilboa.—[Eusebius and Jerome place this mountain six miles west from Bethshan, where was a large place called Gelbus. The natives still call it Djebel Gilbo.]—Bagster. Ver. 4. Took a sword.—{Eth hacherev, rather, “the sword,” i.e. his armour-bearer’s, who, according to the Jews, was Doeg; and if so, then Saul and his executioner fell by the same sword with which they massacred the priests of God.

]—Bagster. Ver. 10. They put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth.—[The Philistines placed the armour of Saul in the temple of Ashtaroth as a trophy of victory, and a testimony of their gratitude, in the same manner as David placed the sword of Goliath in the tabernacle. So Hector promises, “But if I prove victorious, and Apollo vouchsafe me the glory to strip off his armour, and carry it to sacred Troy, then will I suspend it in the temple of the far-darting Apollo.” So Virgil describes the temple where Latinus gave audience to the ambassadors of Æneas, as being adorned with many arms, captive chariots, &c.]—B. Ver. 12. And burnt them there.—Having no other means of doing honour to the dead, the bodies probably having so far putrified that they could not be embalmed.

Many, however, deny that the Hebrews ever burned the bodies of the dead. ‘The Chaldee and other versions therefore render the words, “And they burned a light over them there; as they were accustomed to burn over