Harmony Upon 1 Samuel, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
1. Quest. v. 5. Of the land of Zuph.
1. THe Septuag. read, the land of Siph, failing both in the pronouncing of the letter, which is tsaddi, which is expressed by tz: not semech, which giueth the sound of our single s: as also of the vowel, which is shuree, not chiric: and answereth to our u. 2. The Chalde interpreteth, the land where was a Prophet: of which reading see before, qu. 1. c. 1. 3. The land therefore of Zuph, was that cuntrey, where Ramah Samuels citie was situate, which thereupon was called Ramah of the Zophims, c. 1. v. 1. for they were now neere vntounto Ramah. Ioseph.
2. Quest. v. 7. Whether Saul gaue any thing to Samuel, and whether it were lawfull for the Prophets to receiue any thing.
1. Some thinke, that Saul had this opinion, that Samuel might be allured with gifts: and that it was not lawfull for the Prophets to receiue any gift, as Gehezi was punished with leprosie, because he tooke a reward: and this is the difference betweene the true and false prophets: these altogether sought their owne commoditie, the other the glorie of God. sic Hieronym. 2. But it is rather to be thought, that Saul in reuerence, and as a signe of a thankefull heart, would giuegive a present vntounto Samuel, because now he was to appeare as before the Lord, into whose presence they were not to come emptie. Elisha would receiue no gift of Naaman, because he was a stranger; which was forbidden, Leuit. 22.25. neither were they to receiue such large gifts as Gehezi did, to make them rich: but for the Prophets and seruants of God to receiue small gifts (as this of Sauls was, the fourth part of a shekel, about fiue pence) as an acknowledgement of the offerers dutie, and for their sustentation, it was not vnlawfull: as Ieroboams wife going to Ahiah the Prophet, caried vntounto him a bottle of honie, and ten loaues, 1. King. 14. Mar.
3. Quest. v. 9. Of the name Seer, which was giuen vntounto the Prophets.
1. The text saith, that Prophets of old time were called Seers, not that they then ceased to be so called: but it was a name both vsed of auncient time, and then in Samuels time continued. Borr. 2. Such was the pietie of the people in the purer times, that when they would aske counsell of God, they resorted to the Prophets, vntounto whome the Lord reuealed himselfe: so did Rebekah, Gen. 25.22. Iun. 3. They were called Seers, both because they foresaw things to come, Genevens. as also for that the Lord reuealed himselfe, and was seene of them in visions and dreames: Numb. 12.6. Iun. 4. Yea it pleased God, not onelyonly in graue and waightie matters, when he was consulted with, to giuegive answer to the people, but vponupon other priuate necessarie occasions, as here they goe to the Seer to learne what was become of the asses, that the Lord should not be thought to hauehave lesse care of the people in their necessities, then the gods of the Gentiles, frō whome they receiued answer by the ministerie of Sathan, in such maner of consultations. Pellican.
4. Quest. v. 12. Whether it were a feast or a sacrifice, which was kept for the people in the high place.
1. Iunius translateth zebach a feast, which word properly signifieth a killing or slaying for sacrifice, and sometime for other vses: his reason is this, because it was against the law to sacrifice in any other place, then before the Lord. Leuit. 17.3. and Deut. 12.5. But hereunto it may be answered, 1. that as Samuel before, by extraordinarie direction, built an altar at Ramah, so it was lawfull for him beeing a Prophet, to sacrifice other-where, then at the Tabernacle: Osiand. especially seeing the Arke and the Tabernacle were now asunder, and so no certaine place appointed for the Arke, as is shewed before, c. 7. qu. 17. 2. It is not vnlike, but that the Arke of God might be remooued hither at this time, at the election of their king, as Iunius thinketh it was translated to Gilgal, at his inauguration, c. 11.15. where they also offered peace offerings. 2. I thinke rather, as both the Chald. Septuag. with other interpreters, Vatab. Mon. Pag. doe read here sacrifice: so first they offered their peace offerings vntounto God, and then of the remainder thereof made a solemne feast. Pellican. Osiand. And these reasons, may perswade it: 1. because the word zebach more properly and vsually is taken for sacrifice, as c. 10.8. and 11.15. 2. the place argueth as much, for if it had beene but an ordinarie feast, Samuel might hauehave kept it in his owne house, he needed not to hauehave gone vp to the high place, where they vsed to sacrifice before the Temple was built. 3. The publike fame of this meeting, whereof the very maidens were not ignorant, sheweth rather that it was a solemne sacrifice, then a priuate feast for thirtie persons. 4. The common vse was, in their solemne meetings, first to offer peace offerings, and to make a feast of the remainder: for of that kind of offerings, the fat was offered to the Lord, the right shoulder and the breast was the Priests, Leuit. 7.31, 32. of the rest the people might eate: so Salomon, of the peace offerings, which he offered in great abundance, euen 22. thousand beeues, and an 120. thousand sheepe, made a royall feast to all Israel. 1. King. 8.
3. But it will be obiected, that the shoulder and that vponupon it, which were reserued for Saul, were the Priests fee, Levit. 7.31. whereof it was not lawfull for any stranger, not of Leui, to eate, no not for him that soiourned with the priest, Leuit. 22.10. To this it may be answered: that the right shoulder onelyonly was the Priests, Leuit. 7.32. but here v. 24. it is not named what shoulder it was: and beside, though they did eate of the remainder of the peace offerings, yet they might also in such feasts, eate of other meate, not offered in sacrifice: but howsoeuer it was, it is not necessarie to thinke that this portion, was any of the Priests allowance, nay it is like it was not: but some other portion reserued for Saul. Iosephus calleth it, portionem regiam, a kingly part: who indeede, calleth it epulum, a feast, he nameth it not a sacrifice. But it was both, first the sacrifice was offered, then the feast followed, as is shewed before.
5. Quest. v. 13. Of Samuels blessing of the sacrifice.
1. It was a commendable custome among the Hebrewes to blesse God, that is, to giuegive him thanks, both before their meate and after: and he which blessed the table, did also diuide and distribute the meate, as the Chald. paraphrast interpreteth: the which custome our Sauiour followed in the Gospel, when he tooke bread, gaue thanks, and brake it. Vatab. 2. This phrase of blessing is also vsed in the new Testament: The cup of blessing, which we blesse, &c. 1. Cor. 10.16. and at Emmaus, our Sauiour Christ tooke the bread, and foreign blessed, & brake it. Luk. 24.30. 3. Bor. Which teacheth vsus, not like vultures & kites, to seaze vponupon our meate, as a pray, without giuing thanks, and lifting vp our hearts vntounto God. Osian. 4. And Christians doe still retaine that commendable vse, which was practised, as R. Chimchi saith, among the Iewes, to blesse the table and meates set thereon, not that any thing is vncleane in it owne nature, as the Manichees held; or that the euill spirits are mingled among the creatures, as they imagine, which defend the sprinkling of holy water: for the creature of God is good in it selfe, because all, which God made, is good: but it is our owne corruption and sinne, which defileth the creature: praier therefore before meate is necessarie, that it may be sanctified and made wholesome for our vse, and that we vse and receiue them soberly & moderatly. Mar.
6. Quest. v. 18. Of the place where Saul met Samuel.
1. The most doe read, that Saul went to Samuel in the middes of the gate, sic Ar. Pag. Vatab. and both our English translations: but that can not be: for before Saul met Samuel, it is saide, v. 14. that Saul was come within the citie, or as some read, into the middes of the citie: therefore he met not Samuel in the middes of the gate. 2. The Septuagint therefore to helpe this matter, read, that Saul came to Samuel, foreign, into the middes of the citie, as before v. 14. but the word is here, bethoch hasshagnar, within the gate, as Iunius following the Chalde paraphrast: as soone as they were entred the citie, and were come within the gate, Samuel met them.
7. Quest. v. 19. What was in Sauls heart, which Samuel promiseth to tell him.
1. The Hebrewes, as Hierome noteth in his Traditions vponupon this booke, doe thinke, that it was reuealed to Saul, that he should be King, because he saw in a vision, that he was set in the top of a palme tree: and this was that (say they) which Saul had in his heart: but this is not like, as it may appeare by Sauls answer, v. 21. making it very straunge, that Samuel should hauehave any communication with him of any such thing. 2. Therefore the thing, that was in Sauls heart, was to know, what was become of his asses, which thing Samuel presently declareth vntounto him, as it followeth in the next verse. Iun.
8. Quest. v. 21. Of Sauls refusall of the kingdome, whether it were done in simplicitie or hypocrisie.
1. Saul excuseth himselfe by three arguments: that both his tribe was the smallest in Israel, hauing not yet recouered that losse and slaughter of their men, which they receiued in the battell with Israel: Iud. 20. Osiand. as also his fathers house was of small account in the tribe, and he himselfe the least in his fathers house, Iun. 2. Some thinke, that Saul did herein dissemble, and shewe his hypocrisie, which afterward brake forth in the rest of his acts. Borr. But I rather condescend to those, which thinke that Saul did modeste regnum recusare, modestly at this time refuse the kingdome: Iun. and, veraciter se excusat de honore regni, and he doth truly excuse himselfe concerning the honour of the kingdome: Pellican. as may appeare both by Sauls exquisite and pithie answer, heaping vp so many reasons of his refusall together: and by his earnest speech to Samuel, Wherefore then speakest thou so to me? Howsoeuer afterward Saul plaied the hypocrite, yet he might hauehave an other heart now, and speake of simplicitie.
9. Quest. v. 24. To whome Samuel said, I hauehave called the people.
1. Some read, it was kept for thee, when I called the people: Lat. but beside that, in this reading, the word lenior, in saying, is omitted: it is like it was kept, not when he bid his ghests, but when he made prouision for his ghests. 2. The Septuag. read, as though it should hauehave beene kept and reserued by the people: but Samuel spake to the cooke to keepe it, v. 23. and not the people. 3. Some thinke, that Samuel thus spake vntounto Saul, saying, also I hauehave called the people, B. G. giuing this note, that both by the assembling of the people, and the meat prepared for thee, thou mightest know, that I knew of thy comming: but it had beene superfluous for Samuel so to say to Saul, when he was now set among the people, and saw the people there assembled. 4. Therefore Samuel meaneth, that he caused that portion to be reserued, when he thus spake to the cooke, that he had bidden the people, that prouision might be made for them. Iun.
10. Quest. v. 25. Why Samuel communeth with Saul toward the toppe of the house.
1. Beside that, their houses beeing made with plaine and flat roofes, not like vntounto ours, they vsed to walke there vponupon the toppe of their houses after supper: Vatab. for then they vsed to feast, and this banket, to the which Saul was inuited, was toward the euening: as it appeareth by the mentioning immediately of their earely rising the next morning. v. 26. Pellican. 2. Beside I say, that it was their vsuall custome thus to doe, an other reason, that mooued Samuel to choose that place was, that he might vtter his minde more freely in secret vntounto Saul concerning the kingdome, which was not conuenient yet to be publikely knowne: and therefore afterward, v. 27. Samuel would not hauehave Sauls seruant within the hearing: the roofe then of the house was a fit place for secrecie, as Peter went vp thither to pray, Act. 10.9. Iun.