Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Samuel · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
Verſ. 1. ANd the Lord ſaid unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, ſeeing I have rejected him from reigning over Iſrael?] That it was a ſinne in Samuel to mourn for Saul, when God had rejected him from being king, we cannot ſay; for it is a work of charity well-pleaſing to God, to mourn for wicked men that lie under Gods wrath, and yet mourn not for themſelves; eſpecially in Gods Prophets and Meſſengers, whoſe duty it is to interpoſe themſelves when God is angry with his people, & by their prayers and tears to ſue for mercy for them. And therefore we ſee the Lord complains of theſe prophets, Ezek. 13.5. that had not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the houſe of Iſrael, to ſtand in the battell in the day of the Lord. And beſides, Samuel might well fear, that if Saul were cut off, a great deal of trouble and confuſion might happen amongſt the people. In which caſe he had juſt cauſe to mourn in their behalf. And why then did the Lord expoſtulate with Samuel▪ How long wilt thou mourn for Saul? &c. Surely, to make known to Samuel, that all his mourning for Saul was in vain, partly becauſe he continued ſtill obſtinate and impenitent, and partly becauſe God had abſolutely rejected him from being king. In which caſe though Samuel might bewail Sauls condition (for all mourning for that which we know God hath decreed is not unlawfull; when we looſe deare friends, we know it is Gods will, and yet may mourn for their death) yet he might not bewail it ſo as might imply an unwillingneſſe to ſubmit to the will of God; and therefore we ſee it is not for his mourning, but for his mourning ſo long, that God expoſtulates with him, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, ſeeing I have rejected him from being king.
Fill thine horn with oyl, and go, I will ſend thee to Jeſſe the Bethlehemite, for I have provided me a king among his ſonnes.] Though the Lord intended not that Saul ſhould be preſently depoſed from being king (and therefore David after he was anointed, did alwayes acknowledge Saul to be his Lord and Sovereigne, chap. 24.6. The Lord forbid that I ſhould do this thing unto my Master, the Lords anointed, to ſtretch forth mine hand againſt him, ſeeing he is the anointed of the Lord,) yet he would have him anointed before-hand that was to ſucceed Saul. 1. For the comfort of Samuel and others, that knew the Lord had forſaken and caſt off Saul; who by this might be aſſured, that for all this God intended not to caſt off the care of his people. 2. That David being anointed, when he was in the eye of reaſon ſo unlikely to come to the Crown, it might be the more evident when it came to paſſe, that it was of God. 3. That hereby David might be ſupported in his many following troubles. And 4. That the ſame hand that had anointed Saul, might teſtifie Gods rejecting Sauls poſterity, by anointing one of another family, to ſucceed him in the throne: for Samuel drawing now to his end, had therefore this buſineſſe now impoſed upon him, and was ſent to Jeſſe the Bethlehemite, who was the ſonne of Obed▪ and grandchild of Boaz and Ruth, the Lord making known to him, that one of his ſonnes was to be anointed king. The expreſſion the Lord uſeth in making this known to Samuel, is very obſervable, becauſe it implies that the king that was now to be anointed, was in a peculiar manner the Lords king: for (ſaith he) I have provided me a king among his ſonnes. Saul was choſen by the Lord to be the king of Iſrael, but it was upon the importunity of the people, who would needs have it ſo, and could not be beaten off from it; ſo that Saul was the peoples king rather then Gods, given them becauſe of the peoples prepoſterous and unruly deſires, and therefore his government being abortive, continued not, nor thrived well for the beſt things whileſt it did continue: but how when David was anointed king, there was no ſuch matter, but he was merely choſen of God, there was no body deſired, or ſpake the leaſt word for the erecting of his government; yea, even Samuel himſelf by his deſire after Saul, and mourning for him, did unwittingly what he could to oppoſe the advancing of David; onelyonly God did then of his own freewill, when no body thought any thing of it, ſend Samuel to anoint David; and ſo he was a king of Gods own providing, the king in whoſe ſeed the kingdome was to be eſtabliſhed, Gen. 49.10. The Scepter ſhall not depart from Judah, nor a Law-giver from between his feet, untill Shiloh come; and who would in his government carefully perform the will of God, chap. 13.14. The Lord hath ſought him a man after his own heart. And indeed in all theſe things David was a notable type of Chriſt: for firſt, he was the Sonne of David, Matth. 1.1. and the king of Iſrael, Joh. 1.49. upon whom the kingdome was ſettled for ever, Luke 1.33. And he ſhall reigne over the houſe of Iſrael for ever, and of his kingdome there ſhall be no end: ſecondly, he was given of God to be the king of his Church, that he might ſave them out of the hands of their enemies when no man deſired it; when we thought not of any ſuch mercy, nor begged it of God, he of his own free grace gave us his ſonne to be our king. I have ſet my king upon my holy hill of Sion, ſaith the Lord, Pſal. 2.6. Thou hast loved righteouſneſſe and hated iniquity, therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladneſſe above thy fellows, Heb. 1.9. and thirdly, he doth adminiſter this kingdome according to Gods own heart: Pſal 40▪7 8. Then ſaid I, Lo I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy Law is within my heart: which the Apoſtle doth plainly apply to Chriſt, Heb. 10.6, 7. So that beſides the reaſons formerly given, why the Lord appointed the kings of Iſrael to be anointed with oyl, chap. 10.1. this alſo may be added concerning David and his poſterity, to wit, that they were anointed to ſhadow forth that there was a Meſſiah to come, whom God had anointed to be king over his Church, even the Lord Chriſt, upon whom the Spirit of God, and the true oyl of anointing, was poured forth without meaſure; whence it was that Chriſt did apply to himſelf that propheſie, Iſa. 61.1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, becauſe he hath anointed me to preach the Goſpel, &c. Luke 14.18. It is much argued amongſt expoſitours, whether David and ſo his poſterity alſo, if not all the kings of Iſrael too, were not anointed with the holy oyl of the Tabernacle wherewith the Preiſts were anointed: and there are many, who though they think it altogether improbable, that the Prophets would uſe the ſacred oyl of the Tabernacle in anointing the idolatrous kings of Iſrael, yet they hold that David and his ſucceſſours were anointed with that oyl: firſt▪ becauſe it is ſaid, that David was anointed with holy oyle, Pſal. 89.20. I have found David my ſervant, with my holy oyl have I anointed him. And ſecondly, becauſe it is expreſſely ſaid of Solomon, 1. King. 1.39. that Zadok took an horn of oyl out of the Tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. But now on the other ſide, firſt, becauſe that Law of the Preiſts oyl, Exod. 30.32. ſeems to imply, that it was not to be uſed for any other but the Prieſts onelyonly: ſecondly, becauſe we find no command that this ſervice ſhould be performed with that ſacred oyl; and thirdly, becauſe when David was anointed the ſecond time by the men of Judah, 2. Sam. 2.4. the Tabernacle was then at Gibeon, & that was under the power of Iſhboſheth the ſonne of Saul, and ſo David could not then be anointed with that oyl of the Tabernacle; therefore it is judged moſt probable by many other Expoſitours, that neither David nor Solomon were anointed with that oyl; but, ſay they, becauſe the office and imployment of the ſupreme Magiſtrate, who ſits in Gods ſeat, and executes Gods judgements, may be called holy, as the Seat of Juſtice is called the holy place, Eccleſ. 8.10. therefore it is ſaid that David was anointed with holy oyl. And for that place 1. Kings 1.39. they anſwer, that it may well be that this horn of oyl wherewith Samuel was now ſent to anoint David, was afterwards laid up in the Tabernacle, and ſo Solomon was anointed therewith. But however, there was much oyl in the Tabernacle, beſides that which was made for the Prieſts anointing, which Zadok might take thence for the anointing of Solomon.
Verſ. 2. And Samuel ſaid, How can I go? If Saul heare it, he will kill me.] This queſtion might well proceed both from a fearfull apprehenſion of the danger of this act, & a deſire to be inſtructed, how with leaſt danger this buſineſſe might be carried.
And the Lord ſaid, Take an heifer with thee, and ſay, I am come to ſacrifice unto the Lord.] Thus the Lord adviſed him to conceal the principall cauſe of his coming, and to alledge onelyonly that buſineſſe which he had to do there, that might be ſafely made known; which was not unlawfull.
Verſ. 3. And call Jeſſe to the ſacrifice, &c.] That is, invite him to the feaſt thou makeſt with thy peace-offerings.
Verſ. 4. And the Elders of the town trembled at his coming, &c.] Bethlehem was but a little obſcure town, Micah 5.2. And thou Bethlehem-Ephratah, though thou be little among the thouſands of Judah, &c. Either therefore becauſe it was ſuch news to ſee Samuel there, they feared he came, as a Prophet, with ſome heavy meſſage of Gods diſpleaſure againſt them; or elſe, becauſe he came ſo unexpectedly, and withall ſo privately, and without attendance; they feared he had fled from Saul (as having happely heard of that which had paſſed betwixt him and the king, related in the former chapter) and ſo were troubled for him: and withall perhaps afraid, leſt Saul ſhould be enraged againſt them for entertaining him.
Verſ. 5. And he ſanctified Jeſſe and his ſonnes, and called them to the ſacrifice.] That is, he appointed them to prepare and ſanctifie themſelves both legally and ſpiritually, that they might eat of the ſacrifices. See the note on Joſh. 3.5.
Verſ. 6. And it came to paſſe when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, &c.] Somewhat is here left to be ſuppoſed, as neceſſarily following upon that which is expreſſed, to wit, that Samuel had acquainted Jeſſe with the cauſe of his coming: and that hereupon Jeſſe brought in his ſonnes one by one into ſome private place, whither before they ſat down to eat of the ſacrifice, they had retired themſelves for that purpoſe, that he might be anointed whom God had choſen: and ſo when Samuel beheld Eliab the firſt-born, he ſaid to himſelf, Surely this is the man: The comelineſſe of his perſon made him think, this was he whom God had choſen: but herein he was led by his own ſpirit: as Nathan in a like caſe was, when he encouraged David to build a Temple, 2. Sam. 7.3. And Nathan ſaid to the King, Go, do all that is in thy heart; for the Lord is with thee: and hereby it was the more manifeſt, that it was not Samuel, but God that choſe David to be King.
Verſ. 7. But the Lord ſaid unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, &c.] To wit, by a ſecret voice of his ſpi…it within him.
Verſ. 8. Then Jeſſe called Abinadab.] To wit, after Samuel had told him that Eliab was not he whom God had choſen.
Verſ. 9. Then Jeſſe made Shammah to paſſe by.] Called alſo Shumma, 1. Chron. 2.13.
Verſ. 10. Again Jeſſe made ſeven of his ſonnes, to paſſe before Samuel.] Hereby it is manifeſt that Jeſſe had eight ſonnes, as it is alſo expreſſed chap. 17.12. Now David was the ſonne of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-Judah, whoſe name was Jeſſe, and he had eight ſonnes, &c. though there be but ſeven mentioned, 1. Chron. 2.13, 14, 15. becauſe happely one of theſe died immediately after this; and onelyonly thoſe are mentioned there, that were men of fame in after-times: for it hath no probability in it which ſome ſay, that he had amongſt theſe brought one of his grandchildren to Samuel, ſince we ſee that as yet he had not brought David his youngeſt ſonne.
Verſ. 11. And Samuel ſaid unto Jeſſe, Are here all thy children?] Jeſſe had omitted to bring his youngeſt ſonne, as concluding that it could not be he of all the reſt whom God had choſen; which was doubtleſſe ſo ordered by the ſpeciall providence of God, that Samuel being brought to this demurre, it might be the more evident that David was truely choſen of God.
Verſ. 13. Then Samuel took the horn of oyl, and anointed him in the midſt of his brethren.] That is, amongſt all the ſonnes of Jeſſe, Samuel by Gods appointment anointed David, from amongſt the reſt of his brethren he was taken and anointed to ſucceed Saul in the kingdome. The phraſe is not unlike that, Deut. 18.15. The Lord thy God will raiſe up unto thee a Prophet from the midſt of thee, of thy brethren, &c. The meaning is not therefore, that his brethren ſtood about him when he was anointed: For though it be evident that Samuel acquainted Jeſſe with that which God had commanded him to do, and that he was an eye-witneſſe of Davids anointing; yet it is not likely that his brethren ſtood by, and looked on when this was done, and heard what Samuel ſaid unto him; who no doubt made it known to David why he anointed him, as may ſeem to be implyed in that place, 2. Sam, 5.2. And the Lord ſaid to thee, Thou ſhalt feed my people Iſrael, and ſhalt be a Captain over Iſrael: For firſt, though Jeſſe might be enjoyned ſecreſie, yet it is not likely that his envious brethren, ſeeing him anointed by Samuel that famous Prophet, ſhould either not ſuſpect any thing thereby, or not blazon it abroad. And to what end was Samuel ſent ſo ſecretly, under the colour of a ſolemne ſacrifice, if David were to be anointed ſo openly, amongſt ſo many witneſſes that might publiſh it whereever they came? & ſecondly, how can we think that Davids brethren (had they known of Samuels anointing him) would have uſed him ſo ſcornfully as after this they did; chap. 17.28. And Eliab his eldeſt brother heard when he ſpake unto the men, and Eliabs anger was kindled against David, and he ſaid, Why cameſt thou down hither? and with whom haſt thou left thoſe few ſheep in the wilderneſſe? I know thy pride and the naughtineſſe of thine heart, &c. Surely they would never have uſed him with ſuch ſcorn, had they known he was anointed by Samuel, yea though we ſhould ſuppoſe what ſome affirm, that they imagined that he was anointed to be a Prophet, not a King: Many Expoſitours indeed anſwer, that either they underſtood not, or believed not Gods purpoſe in the anointing of David: But Samuel was a prophet of ſuch fame in thoſe dayes, that me thinks ſuch a ſolemne action of his ſhould not ſo be ſleighted.
And the ſpirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.] That is, the Lord gave him an extraordinary meaſure of the gifts and graces of his holy ſpirit, whereof his anointing was an outward ſigne: and ſo he was moved and led on by the ſpirit of God, to undertake great and noble enterpriſes, ſuch as was that of his killing the lion and the bear, mentioned in the following chapter, verſ. 34, 35, 36. Whence it was that he became ſo famous, that Sauls Courtiers could ſay of him, verſ. 18. that he was a mighty valiant man, and a man of warre, and prudent in matters. Yea, and beſides it may well be, that from that time forward he had alſo a ſpirit of prophecy, and the gift of Poetry and Muſick conferred upon him, wherein he became afterward exceeding eminent.
Verſ. 14. But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil ſpirit from the Lord troubled him.] That is, the Lord bereaved him of thoſe gifts he had formerly beſtowed upon him, and then by degrees he began to be troubled with melancholly and frantick fits, as is evident, chap. 28.10.11. And that by means of an evil ſpirit ſent from God (for even the devils ſtirre not without Gods allowance.) Doubtleſſe he was tormented with the terrours of an evil and guilty conſcience; & oppreſſed with grief and ſadneſſe of heart for the loſſe of his kingdome; and then Sathan making uſe of this diſtemper both of body and mind, drove him into fits of phrenſie and rage, that he was for the time as one poſſeſſed with a devil. He had preferred his own reaſon before Gods directions in the buſineſſe of the Amalekites, and ſo made an idole of his own wiſdom and reaſon; and now God deprives him of the uſe of his reaſon, and brake (as it were) this his idole in pieces.
Verſ. 15. And Sauls ſervants ſaid unto him, &c.] That is, his Phyſicians who were called to adviſe about this diſtemper of Saul.
Verſ. 16. And it ſhall come to paſſe, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he ſhall play with his hand, and thou ſhalt be well.] Not that Muſicall ſounds have any force to drive away devils, but becauſe they conceived that his ſad heart, his dead and penſive ſpirits (which were the inſtruments of Sathans working) might be cheared and revived hereby, and his melancholly paſſions much allayed, and ſo be the leſſe ſubject to the devils operations. And indeed, ſo as they ſaid it fell out, verſ. 23. And it came to paſſe, when the evil ſpirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand; ſo Saul was refreſhed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him: yet not ſo much I conceive through the virtue or naturall power of muſick, as by the ſpeciall hand of God, who was pleaſed extraordinarily to cauſe it thus to work upon Saul: however, herein we may well look upon David as a type of Chriſt who caſt out many devils out of men poſſeſſed; and now by the glad tidings of the Goſpel, doth daily caſt them out of the hearts of naturall men, and quiets thoſe ſouls that are diſtempered with greif or fear: working peace unſpeakable in thoſe that lie under the greateſt terrours of conſcience by reaſon of ſinne.
Verſ. 18. Behold, I have ſeen a ſonne of Jeſſe the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man.] Which he had approved in killing the Lyon and the Beare, chap. 17.34, and perhaps by ſome other ſuch exployts performed by him, ſince the Spirit of God came upon him, verſ. 13.
Verſ. 19. Send me David thy ſonne which is with the ſheep.] This laſt clauſe, which is with the ſheep, is added, to imply what an advancement it would be to him to be taken from keeping ſheep to attend upon Saul at the court. With ſuch contempt could Saul ſpeak now of keeping ſheep, that had himſelf been formerly in as mean a condition.
Verſ. 20. And Jeſſe took an aſſe laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and ſent them by David.] Jeſſe knowing God had anointed him to ſucceed Saul in the kingdome, might well fear to put him into Sauls hands, but his faith overcame his fear herein.
Verſ. 21. And he became his Armour-bearer.] See the note upon chap. 17.55.
Verſ. 23. So Saul was refreſhed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.] That is, for a time his fits left him. See the former note, verſ. 16.