Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Samuel · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Verſ. 1. SAul reigned one yeare, and when he had reigned two years over Iſrael.] The firſt clauſe, Saul reigned one yeare hath reference to the time when thoſe things were done, mentioned in the two former chapters; when Saul by occaſion of his victory over the Ammonites, and his raiſing the ſiege of Jabeſh-gilead, was at Gilgal confirmed and ſolemnly inaugurated king of Iſrael, then he had reigned one yeare, to wit, from the time that he was choſen and publickly declared king at Mizpeh, chap. 10.24. and then the ſecond clauſe, And when he had reigned two years over Iſrael, hath relation to that which is here related in this chapter, to wit, that a full yeare after his ſolemne inauguration at Gilgal, when he had in all reigned two years, then he began to raiſe an army of three thouſand men, as intending now to drive the Philiſtines out of thoſe forts which they held in the land of Iſrael, and to ſave the people from the cruell oppreſſion of thoſe their inſulting enemies.
Verſ. 2. And the reſt of the people he ſent every man to his tent.] Having appointed the people to aſſemble themſelves as at other times, out of them he choſe three thouſand to be in arms with him and his ſonne Jonathan, and the reſt he diſmiſſed.
Verſ. 3. And Jonathan ſmote the garriſon of the Philiſtines that was in Geba.] That is, in Gibeah of Benjamin: One main reaſon why Saul had raiſed an army of three thouſand Iſraelites, was doubtleſſe that they might ſurpriſe all thoſe garriſons which the Philiſtines kept in the land of Iſrael, wherewith they did mightily oppreſſe the Iſraelites, and kept them in ſuch miſerable bondage, that they would not ſuffer them to have any weapons of warre, (but what they got by ſtealth, or kept hid in ſome ſecret place) nor would let a ſmith live among them, leaſt by that means they ſhould get them ſwords or ſpears, as is afterwards expreſſed, verſ. 19. Jonathan therefore having a thouſand of theſe new muſtered forces to be under his command, did preſently addreſſe himſelf to this work, and went and ſmote a garriſon of the Philiſtins in Gibeah; making this no doubt his firſt enterpriſe, becauſe Gibeah was his own countrey, the place where his father and anceſtours had lived before him, chap. 10.26.
And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, ſaying, Let the Hebrews heare.] That is, he gave order to the meſſengers he ſent abroad, to proclaim and to make known in all parts by the ſound of a trumpet, both the victory which Jonathan had gotten for their encouragement, and how the Philiſtines were hereupon enraged, and made great preparations againſt them, that having this warning, they might in every place take heed to themſelves, and that they might ſend further forces from all parts to be with him at Gilgal.
Verſ. 4. And all Iſrael heard ſay, that Saul had ſmitten a garriſon of the Philiſtines.] Though it was Jonathan that ſmote the garriſon, yet it is here aſcribed to Saul, becauſe uſually that which a kings Generalls do, that the king himſelf is ſaid to do; and beſides it is probable, that it was expreſſely made known to the people, that Jonathan had not done this without Sauls approbation.
And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.] Becauſe Samuel, chap. 10.8. had appointed Saul that he ſhould go down to Gilgal (to wit, if he came to be in any danger, or took occaſion to attempt any thing againſt the Philiſtines) and ſhould there wait for him ſeven dayes, till he came and adviſed him what he ſhould do, and offered ſacrifice both for him and for the people, therefore was Gilgal appointed to be the rendevouz for the people.
Verſ. 6. When the men of Iſrael ſaw that they were in a ſtreight (for the people were diſtreſſed, &c.] That is, their apprehenſion of the danger they were in was not without cauſe: for they were indeed in great diſtreſſe, the enemies being innumerable, and withall ſtrong and well armed with horſes and chariots, and the Iſraelites on the other ſide but few in number, and thoſe either unarmed, or very poorely provided to joyn in battel with that mighty army of the Philiſtines. And thus they that erewhile repoſed all their hope of ſafety in having a king, did now follow their king trembling as it follows verſ. 7. and were taught, that without Gods aſſiſtance all humane devices and counſell are nothing worth.
Verſ. 8. And he tarried ſeven dayes, according to the ſet time that Samuel had appointed.] That is, he tarried untill the ſeventh day, and part of that; for that he tarried not till the ſeven dayes were out, as Samuel had appointed, chap. 10.8. is evident in the thirteenth verſe of this chapter, where Samuel reproves him, becauſe he had not herein kept the commandment of the Lord.
Verſ. 9. And Saul ſaid, Bring hither a burnt-offering to me, and peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering.] That is, the Preiſts for him. As Elkanah did, chap. 1.3. And this man went up out of his city yearly, to worſhip and to ſacrifice unto the Lord of hoſts in Shiloh: and Solomon, 1. Kings 3.4. And the king went to Gibeon to ſacrifice there, for that was the great high place: a thouſand burnt-offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. Some conceive that he did it himſelf, and that this was the ſinne for which Samuel afterward reproved him, to wit, that he intruded himſelf into the Prieſts office. But this is not probable: firſt, becauſe Samuel being a Levite not a Prieſt, might not offer ſacrifice by the ordinary rule of the Law, no more then Saul: and therefore Sauls ſtaying for Samuel ſeven dayes, was not enjoyned upon this ground, becauſe it was lawfull for him to ſacrifice, not for Saul. And ſecondly, becauſe Saul afterward excuſeth himſelf, that what he had done contrary to the commandment of the Lord, he was conſtrained by neceſſity to do it: but for this ſacrificing himſelf without a Prieſt, he could pretend no neceſſity, Ahiah the high Prieſt the ſonne of Phinehas being then with him in the camp, chap. 14.3. Doubtleſſe therefore the ſinne of Saul was this, that having received a charge from the Lord by Samuel, chap. 10.8. that he ſhould ſtay for Samuel at Gilgal ſeven dayes, and not reſolve upon any thing till he came, when they were to offer up ſacrifices unto the Lord, and Samuel was to adviſe Saul what he ſhould do; Saul having ſtayed till the ſeventh day was almoſt expired, began to conclude that Samuel would not come, and fearing leaſt if he ſtaid any longer, his ſouldiers might all ſlink away, or that the Philiſtines might fall upon them on a ſuddain, before they had by ſacrifices ſought the Lords favour and help, he reſolved not to ſtay any longer for Samuel, for fear of the worſt, (which argued his diffidence and diſtruſt in God) and thereupon commanded ſacrifices to be offered, intending after that was done, to pitch upon ſome courſe or other for the defence of themſelves and their countrey againſt the Philiſtines. This I ſay was Sauls ſinne, not that he himſelf offered ſacrifices; for this Samuel never charged him with.
Verſ. 10. As ſoon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold Samuel came.] And thus for want of ſtaying an houre or two longer then he did, perhaps leſſe, he brake the commandment of God and forfeited his kingdome.
And went out to meet him that he might ſalute him.] The rather happely, becauſe out of a guilty conſcience he feared Samuels diſpleaſure, and by this externall reverence, therefore ſought to prevent it, and to let him ſee, that what he had done was not done out of any contempt of the directions which he had given him.
Verſ. 11. And Samuel ſaid, What haſt thou done?] He ſaw well enough what he had done: But by theſe words of diſcontent, What haſt thou done? he expreſſeth his diſpleaſure againſt him, and withall the danger that Saul was in, becauſe of this his diſobedience.
And Saul ſaid, Becauſe I ſaw that the people were ſcattered from me, and that thou cameſt not within the dayes appointed, &c.] In theſe words Saul intimates, that becauſe a great part of the ſeventh day was paſt, he conceived that Samuel would not have come within the appointed time; and ſo he ſeeks to caſt the blame upon Samuel, rather then he would acknowledge himſelf in a fault.
Verſ. 12. I forced my ſelf therefore, and offered a burnt offering.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, It went againſt me to ſacrifice before thou wert come, but I was conſtrained by neceſſity, I could ſtay no longer unleſſe I would have ſuffered the enemy to come upon this weak unarmed company, before we had made ſupplication to the Lord; and what a diſadvantage would that have been?
Verſ. 13. And Samuel ſaid to Saul, Thou haſt done fooliſhly; thou haſt not kept the commandment of the Lord, &c.] To wit, becauſe he waited not for Samuel all the ſeven dayes, as Samuel had appointed him, chap. 10.8. See the note above, verſ. 9.
For now would the Lord have eſtabliſhed thy kingdome upon Iſrael for ever.] This may ſeem to contradict that prophecy of the eſtabliſhing the kingdome in Judahs tribe, Gen. 49.10. The ſcepter ſhall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, untill Shiloh come: and unto him ſhall the gathering of the people be. But we muſt know that God ſpeaks here to the capacity and according to the ſight and judgement of man, and therefore without reſpect to Gods decree which is ſecret to man, teacheth us to judge of Sauls rejection as a fruit of ſinne, and his ſuppoſed obedience as that which might have been a means to confirm the kingdome to him and his. For whereas ſome underſtand theſe words thus, The Lord would have eſtabliſhed thy kingdome upon Iſrael for ever, that is, all thy dayes; that cannot I conceive be the meaning, becauſe Saul did enjoy the kingdome all his life; whereas Samuel ſpeaks here of ſomething God would have done for him, if he had obeyed the commandment of the Lord which now by his ſinne he had forfeited and loſt.
Verſ. 14. But now thy kingdome ſhall not continue; the Lord hath ſought him a man after his own heart, &c.] That is, the kingdome ſhall not now be ſettled upon thee and thy poſterity, as it ſhould have been, but God hath provided himſelf of another man to ſucceed thee in the throne; and this was David, a man after Gods own heart, whoſe heart was ſincerely bent to do all the will of God, even according to Gods own heart, which could not be ſaid of Saul that alwayes had an hypocriticall heart; and the Lord, ſaith Samuel, hath commanded him to be captain over his people, &c. that is, he hath decreed to give him the charge of governing his people. It was ſome time after this ere Samuel was ſent to anoint David; onelyonly becauſe God had firmly decreed that it ſhould ſo be, therefore Samuel ſpeaks of it, as if it were done already; The Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people; and ſo we ſee elſewhere, the Lord expreſſeth his decree concerning the ravens feeding Elijah, I have commanded the Ravens to feed thee there, 1. Kings 17.4. It may ſeem ſtrange indeed that the kingdome ſhould be removed from Sauls family for ſo ſmall an offence as one would judge this of Sauls to have been; for what great matter was there in it, that Saul ſhould offer a ſacrifice perhaps an houre or two before it ſhould have been done? for, firſt, there was no hurt in the thing it ſelf, it was a part of Gods worſhip in the Law enjoyned: and ſecondly, it was done but a very little while before it ſhould have been done; Samuel had appointed Saul to wait for him ſeven dayes and he had waited till the ſeventh day was almoſt ended: thirdly, conſidering what a mighty army the Philiſtines had, not farre from him, and how many of his own people were runne away from him, and how full of fears the reſt were that remained with him, it might argue a great deal of courage and confidence in God, that he durſt ſtay there ſo long as he did: and fourthly, it was out of a good intention that he did not ſtay any longer, but offered a ſacrifice before Samuel came; namely, that he might not be ſet upon by the Philiſtines before he had made ſupplication to the Lord, and that he might by this means encourage his fainthearted ſouldiers, and prevent their running away after their fellows; and therefore I ſay it may perhaps ſeem ſtrange, that by this offence he ſhould looſe the kingdome. But for this we muſt conſider: firſt, that there may be much wickedneſſe of heart in doing that which may ſeem outwardly a ſmall offence: ſecondly, it cannot be a ſmall matter to diſobey any commandment of God; the excellency of the perſon makes the diſobedience great, in whatever the offence is committed: and thirdly, Saul being the firſt king of Iſrael, God was pleaſed by this ſeverity againſt Saul for his firſt rebellion againſt Gods command to make him an example to all that ſhould afterwards ſucceed in that throne, that they might fear to tranſgreſſe the commandment of the Lord as he had done. As the Lord did with great ſeverity puniſh the firſt ſinne of the Prieſts, to wit, that of Nadab and Abihu, Levit. 10.1. that all the ſucceeding poſterity of Aaron, might be rendred thereby the more warie how they carried themſelves in their preiſtly office; ſo likewiſe he did here ſharply puniſh the firſt ſinne of the firſt king of Iſrael, that all that ſhould afterwards ſit in that throne, might learn to be very ſtrict in obſerving whatever God ſhould give them in charge.
Verſ. 15. And Samuel aroſe, and gat him up from Gilgal, unto Gibeah of Benjamin.] And Saul with him, or immediately after him, as is evident in the 16. verſe, And Saul and Jonathan his ſonne—abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: and indeed it is not likely that he would have gone nearer to the enemy (for Gibeah was farre nearer to Michmaſh where the Philiſtines were, then Gilgal) if he had not been encouraged by Samuel, eſpecially conſidering, that of his three thouſand ſouldiers mentioned verſ. 2. and the people that were afterward called to Gilgal, verſ. 4. there were now but ſix hundred left, and thoſe unarmed, and in great terrour becauſe of the Philiſtines: unleſſe happely he went thither, becauſe it was his own city, a place of greater ſtrength, and better aſſured unto him then Gilgal was.
Verſ. 17. And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philiſtines in thru companies, &c.] Theſe were ſent out to ſpoil the countrey, and to fetch in booty to the camp, and therefore they went out three ſeverall wayes, one to Ophrah a city of Benjamin, Joſh. 18.23. that lay ſouthweſt from Michmaſh; the other to Bethoron a city of Ephraim, Joſh. 16.3. that lay northweſt; and the third toward the valley of Zeboim, that is, the deſert of Jordan, which was eaſtward.
Verſ. 19. Now there was no ſmith found throughout all the land of Iſrael: (for the Philistines ſaid, Leſt the Hebrews make them ſwords or spears.] This they did after they had diſarmed them; and for the ſame cauſe it may well be that Nebuchadnezzar carried away all the craftsmen and ſmiths out of the land of Iſrael, 2. King… 24.14. And he carried away all Jeruſalem, and all the Princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thouſand captives, and all the craftsmen and ſmiths: and Jer. 24.1. Nebuchad-rezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the ſon of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the Princes of Judah, with the carpenters and ſmiths from Jeruſalem, & had brought them to Babylon. Now it is probable that the Philiſtines diſarmed the Iſraelites in thoſe dayes when the Ark was taken, and that ever ſince that time they had uſed this policy of keeping them from having any ſmith in Iſrael: for firſt, after that ſolemn repentance of the Iſraelites in the dayes of Samuel, chap. 7.3, 4. we reade not of any memorable victory which the Philiſtines obtained againſt the Iſraelites; but rather the contrary, chap. 7.13, 14. So the Philiſtines were ſubdued, and they came no more into the coaſt of Iſrael: and the hand of the Lord was against the Philiſtines all the dayes of Samuel. And the cities which the Philiſtines had taken from Iſrael, were reſtored to Iſrael, from Ekron even unto Gath, and the coaſt thereof did Iſrael deliver out of the hands of the Philistines: and ſecondly, though the Iſraelites prevailed often againſt the Philiſtines, yet all this time they might have few other weapons but ſuch as in ancient times they moſt uſed, to wit, clubs, and bows, and ſlings, &c. The chief victory they got was we ſee miraculous, not gotten with ſword or ſpeare, but with thunder from heaven, 1. Sam. 7.10. and thirdly, theſe craftsmen being once rooted out, in a ſhort peace under Samuel they could not eaſily be replanted again, the Philiſtines eſpecially keeping garriſons ſtill for this purpoſe in their land.
Verſ. 20. But all the Iſraelites went down to the Philiſtines to ſharpen every man his ſhare and his coulter, &c.] That is, either into the land of the Philiſtines, or rather to the garriſons of the Philiſtines that were in the land of Iſrael, where it ſeems they kept ſmiths for this purpoſe.
Verſ. 22. There was neither ſword nor speare found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan.] But how then a little before this did Jonathan ſmite the garriſon of the Philiſtines in Geba, verſ. 3. I anſwer, firſt, they might have clubs, and bows, and ſlings, and theſe were the moſt uſuall weapons in thoſe times, ſee 1. Chron. 12.1, 2. Now theſe are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he kept himſelf cloſe, becauſe of Saul the ſonne of Kiſh: and they were among the mighty men helpers of the warre. They were armed with bows, and could uſe both the right hand and the left in hurling stones, and ſhooting arrows out of a bow: Judg. 20.16. Among all this people there were ſeven hundred choſen men left-handed, every one could ſling ſtones at an hair breath, and not miſſe: ſecondly, ſome iron arms they might hide and keep ſecret from the Philiſtines: and thirdly, thoſe happely that were better armed of the three thouſand mentioned verſ. 2. were thoſe that fled from Saul, and the ſix hundred that ſtayed with him, were of the people that were come up to him unfurniſhed of ſuch arms: for it is very improbable which ſome ſay, that thoſe that ranne not away from Saul, but followed him trembling, as it is ſaid verſ. 7. did in their fear caſt away their arms, or leave them in the camp behind them.
Verſ. 23. And the garriſon of the Philiſtines went out to the paſſage of Mich…aſh.] That is, the body of the Philiſtines army remaining in the plain adjoyning, there went out a company and took a paſſage near to them, which was a place of advantage, and kept it againſt the Iſraelites.