Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Samuel · Chapter 31
CHAP. XXXI.
Verſ. 2. ANd the Philistines ſlew Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchiſhua, Sauls ſonnes.] And thus the Lord did provide, to clear the way the better for Davids advancement to the kingdome, that he might have the leſſe trouble by the ſurviving poſterity of Saul: even Jonathan for this cauſe did fall amongſt the reſt; for if Iſhboſheth, a baſe and worthleſſe man, found ſo many of the people ſo ready to ſide with him againſt David; what would they have done for Jonathan, ſo brave and hopefull a Prince, had he out-lived his father? As for Abinadab here named, he is alſo called Iſhui, chap. 14.4. and Iſhboſheth Sauls fourth ſonne, it ſeems was left at home, perhaps to take care of the government of the kingdome in Sauls abſence: for God intended by him further to try the faith and patience of David.
Verſ. 3. And the battel went ſore againſt Saul, and the archers hit him, &c.] Saul therefore fell not at the firſt onſet, but for his greater terrour, and ſorer puniſhment, firſt he ſaw the army routed, and his ſons together with many of the people ſlain, & then at laſt he was wounded and purſued ſo cloſely, that there was no hope of eſcape.
Verſ. 4. Draw out thy ſword & thruſt me through therewith, leſt theſe uncircumciſed come and thrust me through.] Thus at the very houre of his death, yea when he was ready to lay violent hands upon himſelf, Saul could deſpiſe the Philiſtines, and ſpeak reprochfully of them, and that becauſe they were uncircumciſed, and conſequently none of Gods peculiar people, as he was; whereas being ſuch a wicked wretch, his condition was the worſe, becauſe he was circumciſed, and one of Gods peculiar people. No Philiſtine could be ſo bad as he in this regard.
Verſ. 4. Therefore Saul took a ſword, and fell upon it.] And thus with the ſword he had drawn againſt David, he ſlew himſelf, the Lord in his juſt judgement giving him over to this deſperate impatience, whereupon it is ſaid that the Lord ſlew him; 1. Chron. 10.14. and enquired not of the Lord, therefore he ſlew him, &c.
Verſ. 6. So Saul died, and his three ſonnes, and his armour-bearer, and all his men, &c.] That is, not all his ſouldiers (for many of them fled and eſcaped) but all his houſhold ſervants, and thoſe perhaps too that were the guard of his body.
Verſ. 7. They forſook the cities and fled, and the Philiſtines came and dwelt in them.] That is, ſome of the men of Iſrael the inhabitants of ſome cities on the other ſide of the valley, to wit, the valley where this battel was fought; and on the other ſide of Jordan, fled out of their cities upon this defeat, and ſo the Philiſtines came and dwelt in their room: Whereby I conceive is meant, that at the preſent they did purſue their victory for a time, and purſuing it took thoſe weaker towns out of which the inhabitants were fled for fear, and then left garriſons in them: for it is not likely that preſently they removed colonies of the Philiſtines to dwell there.
Verſ. 9. And they cut off his head, and ſtript off his armour.] As David had done to Goliath, chap. 17.54. and 21.9.
Verſ. 10. And they faſtened his body to the wall of Bethſhan.] His head they put in the temple of Dagon, 1. Chron. 10.10. but his body and the bodies of his ſonnes alſo, verſ. 12. they fastened to the wall of Bethſhan, that is, to a wall in the ſtreet of Bethſhan, 2. Sam. 21.12. a town that belonged to the lot of Manaſſeh, though not yet recovered from the Philiſtines, called alſo Bethſhean, Judg. 1.27.
Verſ. 11. And when the inhabitants of Jabeſh-Gilead heard of that which the Philiſtines had done to Saul, &c.] As being thankfully mindfull of that which Saul had done for them, 1. Sam. 11. when he came and helped them againſt the king of the Ammonites that had beſieged their citie: and beſides no doubt the Lord intended a little hereby to revive the dead hearts of the poore diſtreſſed Iſraelites.
Verſ. 12. And took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his ſonnes from the wall of Bethſhan, and came to Jabeſh, and burnt them there.] This was not the ordinary uſe of the Iſraelites; and therefore two reaſons are given for this by Expoſitours: 1. That it was becauſe the fleſh was now corrupt and putrified. 2. Leſt the Philiſtines ſhould again get their bodies into their power.
Verſ. 13. And they took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabeſh, and fasted ſeven dayes.] The fleſh being burnt from off their bones, they gathered up their bones, which would not be ſo ſoon burnt as the fleſh was, and buried them ſolemnly in Jabeſh; and there they continued till toward the end of Davids reigne, when he took up their bones, and buried them in the ſepulchre of Kiſh the father of Saul, 2. Sam. 21.12. &c. As for their faſting ſeven dayes, to wit, till the evening of each day, when they had thus buried the bones of Saul and his ſonnes, that was done doubtleſſe, not onelyonly by way of bewayling the death of Saul and his ſonnes▪ but alſo eſpecially that they might ſeek unto God in the behalf of the whole land and people of God, who were now in a ſad condition, by reaſon of this great defeat which the Philiſtines had given them. Nor is it neceſſary that we ſhould think that they did neither eat nor drink all theſe ſeven dayes (ſome maſters of Phyſick have concluded, that it muſt needs be mortall to be without all nouriſhment for ſeven daies together) rather we may think that they afflicted themſelves with faſting for ſeven dayes together, onelyonly taking ſtill at night ſome ſmall refreſhing: and yet indeed in thoſe eaſt countreys, they will far longer endure faſting, then we can do in the… pa….