1 Samuel 19

1 Samuel 19:1

JjLND Saul spake to Jonathan his son, andto all his seirmits, that they should kill David. When he could not destroy him by craft, he declares open enmity to him; and commands his son and his whole court to make him away: some of which ho thought would obey him. It is strange that he should speak to Jonathan to murder David, if he knew the friendship he had for him; and he could not well be ignorant of it, since he had so publicly declared it, as we read xviii. 3, 4. But he imagined his love to a father would overcome his love to a friend. And there was a great providence of God in his disclosing his mind so freely to Jonathan, whereby David came to be certainly informed of his danger.'

1 Samuel 19:2

And Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David. He continued to take much delight in his company: and therefore would not lose the pleasure of his friendship by suffering him to be killed. And Jonathan told David, saying, My father seekcth to CHAK XIX.] THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. kill thee. Noiv therefore, I pray thee 9 take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself] He hoped, I suppose, to find his father better disposed in the morning: and in the mean time would have David secure himself in some close place where nobody could find him.

1 Samuel 19:3

And I will go out. The next morning. And stand beside my father in the field.] In which, it is likely, Saul used to walk in the morning, and take the fresh air. Thereabouts he advised David to lurk in some secret place, that he night speedily acquaint him with the issue of his discourse with his father. And I will commune ivith my father concerning tliee; and what I see, that I will tell theeJ] Let him know how he left his father inclined.

1 Samuel 19:4

( And Jonathan spake good of David unto Said his father. A noble act of friendship, to adventure to commend him to one who was his declared enemy. And said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his work hath been to thee-ward very good.] He represented to him what a sin and dishonour it would be to kill such a faithful servant as David had been: who never offended him; but studied by all good offices to please him.

1 Samuel 19:5

For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine. Especially he puts him in mind of that hazardous enterprise wherein he slew Goliath. And the Lord wrought a great salvation for alt Israel.] By which means the whole realm was delivered out of their enemies’ hand. TIiou sawest it, and didst rejoice.] He desires him to remember that he himself was a witness of it; and could not then but applaud David, and rejoice in what God had done by him. Wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, and slay David without a cause?] Having mollified Saul by so many arguments, he beseeches him to revoke the order he had given ver. 1. and in downright terms tells him, if he did not, he would bring innocent blood upon his own head. Vcr.G. And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan: and Said sivare, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain.] Some think he swarc deceitfully; that Jonathan, believing he had no ill intentions towards David, might not persuade him to fly, but bring him to court again, where he might have an opportunity to kill him. But I rather think he spake what he really meant at this present: though this alteration proceeding not from any affection he bare to David, but from a sense (which Jonathan’s discourse had wrought in him) how base a thing it would be, to slay a man of such worth, and who had done him such service, he soon forgot it, and returned to his old bent.

1 Samuel 19:7

And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all these things: and Jonathan brought David unto Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past. When he was in his favour.

1 Samuel 19:8

And there was war again: and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and slew tliem with a great slaughter; and they fled from htm. All these battles were only between parties, for David commanded no more than a thousand men, (xviii. 13.) And if the whole army of the Philistines had been gathered together, Abner would have commanded the army of Israel against them; for he Was captain of the host.

1 Samuel 19:9

And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Said, and he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand. The more services David did his country, the more did Saul’s hatred and malice increase against him. For this new victory, in all likelihood, made him melancholy and mad to see him so prosperous. And David played with his hand.] He did not omit his duty to Saul, though he knew his danger.

1 Samuel 19:10

And Said sought to smite David to the wall with his javelin; bid he slipped away out of Said’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the ivall. His wrath and fury made him forget his oath: so dangerous it is to be possessed with such passions. And David fled, and escaped that night.] He got out of the palace, before SauTs order (which it is likely he gave) could be executed, to apprehend him.

1 Samuel 19:11

Said also sent messengers unto David’s hduse, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning. As he went out of the door of his house. By this it is “apparent, when Saul missed his blow, he was the more enraged, and implacably pursued his destruction. And Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain.] She had intelligence cither from her brother Jonathan, or some other friend at court: or perhaps she saw suspicious persons hovering about the house.

1 Samuel 19:12

So Michal let down David through a window. Which did not look towards any of the doors which were narrowly watched. And he went, and fled, and escaped.] Having most of the night, it is likely, to travel in.

1 Samuel 19:13

And Michal took an image. In the Hebrew, a teraphim. But it doth not signify such as were made for a superstitious use (which David would not have suffered in his house), but a simple image of a man’s head; such as we now use for blocks, whereon to comb our perukes* Abarbinel thinks (whom Abendana follows) that w6men were wont in those days to make such figures in the likeness of their husbands; that when they were absent from them, they might have them in their image, to look upon them, as still present with them. Of which sort of teraphim (which were images in the likeness of men) was this’ of Michals; who, dearly loving her husband, had got one made in his likeness. But whatsoever becomes of this, tho conceit that teraphim “were little puppets (as I may call them), which the high-priest had in his breast-plate (called urim and thummim) is plainly destroyed. FW this plac6 shews that teraphim was a large image representing a man: and therefore fitter for a bed, than for a breast-plate. And laid it in the bed.] Where David was wont to lie. And put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster.] It is hard to determine what the word cebir signifies, Which we translate pillow; for there is great variety Of opinions among interpreters about it. But Bochartus hath with much probability resolved that it signifies great. And the meaning is, she put a great deal of goats’ hair upOh his bolster; for though the word goats is only mentioned in the Hebrew, yet the word hair must be supplied, as a great many other places of Scripture testify. (See his IlicrOzoicon,