Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Samuel · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
NOw it came to paſſe after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the ſlaughter of the Amalekites, &c.] This book containeth the hiſtory of Davids reigne, who was choſen of God to ſucceed Saul in the kingdome; yet becauſe hereby is ſhown the accompliſhment of Samuels prophecy concerning the kingdom of David, therefore it is called The ſecond book of Samuel. And the firſt thing here related is, how the tidings of the death of Saul and his ſonnes were firſt brought unto David, whileſt he was yet in Ziklag. David was lately returned thither from the ſlaughter of the Amalekites, and had been preparing and ſending away preſents to his friends in Judah of the ſpoil he had taken from them; when behold on a ſudden their great joy was damped with the ſad tidings of the overthrow of Gods people, the death of Saul and his ſonnes, even Jonathan amongſt the reſt, the dearly beloved friend of David. And thus though a way was opened for David to come to the crown, yet it was by a ſad calamitie, that muſt needs allay his comfort therein with a great deal of ſorrow.
Verſ. 2. A man came out of the camp with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head.] See the notes, Gen. 37.29. and Joſh. 7.6.
Verſ. 4. And David ſaid unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee tell me.] This eagerneſſe of David to know what had paſſed betwixt the armies of the Iſraelites and the Philiſtines that had invaded their land, diſcovered plainly how ſolicitous he was for his brethren, though he ſojourned at that time in the land of the Philiſtines.
Verſ. 6. As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold Saul leaned upon his ſpear, &c.] By the relation we have of Sauls death in the laſt chapter of the former book, it is evident that Saul killed himſelf, and that many ſeverall paſſages in the relation which this Amalekite here makes of his death, were merely feigned by him, that he might the more ingratiate himſelf to David; For firſt, it is expreſſely ſaid that Sauls armour bearer killed not himſelf till he ſaw that his Lord and maſter was dead, verſ. 5. When his armour-bearer ſaw that Saul his maſter was dead, he fell likewiſe upon his ſword, and died with him. Secondly▪ It is no way probable, that after Saul had been firſt ſo ſorely wounded by the Philiſtine archers, that he could not get away from thoſe that purſued him, and then thruſt through by himſelf with his own ſword, he ſhould ſtill be able to talk with the Amalekite. Thirdly, If he were ſo loth to be killed by the uncircumciſed Philiſtines, why ſhould he deſire an uncircumciſed Amalekite to kill him? And fourthly, whereas this Amalekite pretends here, that he was fallen upon his ſpear, which he had thruſt into his body (for ſo thoſe Expoſitours underſtand theſe words, Saul leaned upon his ſpear, that hold that this Amalekite killed him) and that therefore he deſired him to ſtand upon him, verſ. 9. to wit, to force the ſpear through his body, that ſo he might die: this could not be, for it is expreſſely ſaid, 1. Sam. 31.4. That Saul thruſt himſelf through with his ſword, and not with a ſpear, Saul took a ſword and fell upon it; it ſeems therefore, that this Amalekite lighting upon Saul when he lay dead in the field he apprehended that if he ſhould carry the firſt tydings of Sauls death to David, (who was by generall fame known to be the man whom Samuel had anointed to ſucceed Saul in the throne) and together with thoſe tidings Sauls crown and bracelets, he ſhould not miſſe of ſome fair reward for the preſent, and ſome great preferment afterward; and ſo thereupon, away he went preſently to find out David; onelyonly withall, as ſuppoſing that this would endear him the more to David, and make his reward the greater, he reſolved to adde this lie beſides, to wit, that he found him leaning upon his ſpear, as not being able to ſtand, becauſe of the deadly wounds the archers had given him, and being intreated by him to kill him, and ſo to put an end to his miſery, he did what he deſired of him, verſ. 10. I ſtood upon him, ſaith he, and ſlew him.
Verſ. 9. Stand I pray thee upon me, and ſlay me, (for anguiſh is come upon me, &c.] Some tranſlate this laſt branch, as it is in the margine of our bibles, my coat of male (or my embroidered coat) hindereth me that my life is yet whole in me; and accordingly they conceive, that the reaſon that Saul alledges why he lay in ſuch extremitie and yet could not die, but continued heart whole, as we uſe to ſay, was becauſe his coat of male, or his embroidred coat hindred the ſpear from paſſing through his body, and that thereupon, he deſired this Amalekite to ſtand upon him, to wit, to force the ſpear through him and ſo to ſlay him; but becauſe there is no likelihood that Saul would attempt to kill himſelf in that manner, when he had a coat of male or any other garment on that ſhould hinder the ſpear from piercing through him. I rather approve of that tranſlation in our bibles, Stand I pray thee upon me and ſlay me, for anguiſh is come upon me, &c. and then by ſtanding upon him, he meant onelyonly, that he ſhould ſtand over him, and ſlay him, the very ſame that is elſe where expreſſed by a like phraſe of falling upon men to ſlay them, as verſe 15. of this chapter, where David enjoyned one of his young men to ſlay the Amalekite, David called one of the young men, and ſaid, Go near and fall upon him, and he ſmote him that he dyed.
Verſ. 11. Then David took hold of his clothes, and rent them, &c.] See the note, Gen. 37.29.
Verſ. 12. And they mourned and wept, and faſted untill even for Saul and for Jonathan, &c.] Though Saul was Davids enemie, and with an implacable hatred did continually perſecute him, yet he was the Lords anointed, and had been a valiant defender of Iſrael; and beſides the uncircumciſed enemies of Gods people, were like to inſult over them becauſe of this victorie, and to blaſpheme the name of God; and this grievous calamitie that was fallen upon them was a ſigne of Gods wrath againſt the whole people; and therefore no marvell though David mourned bitterly, not onelyonly for Jonathan, but alſo for Saul and for the people of God.
Verſ. 13, And David ſaid unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? &c.] He had before told David how he had anſwered Saul when he asked him this very queſtion, to wit, that he was an Amalekite; but it ſeems David diſturbed with the tidings he had brought him, minded it not, and ſo asked him again whence he was, and accordingly, he anſwered again, I am the ſonne of a ſtranger an Amalekite, and lived amongſt the Iſraelites though he were not of that nation.
Verſ. 16. And David ſaid unto him, Thy bloud be upon thy head, &c.] See the note, Lev. 20.9.
Verſ. 18. Alſo he bad them teach the children of Judah the uſe of the bow.] Beſides, upon occaſion of this heavy overthrow (which made David compoſe this mournfull ditty) wherein Saul and Jonathan were overcome and ſlain by the archers amongſt the Philiſtines, David took order that his people ſhould be taught the uſe of the bow: and perhaps indeed (as ſome think) this might be one end why David compoſed this dittie, that being uſed frequently in the tribe of Judah, it might ſtirre them up to labour to be expert in the skill of ſhooting.
Behold, it is written in the book of Jaſher.] This ſeems to have been a generall Chronicle of the memorable acts of this nation, which was continued from time to time by the prophets. See Joſh. 10.13.
Verſ. 19. How are the mighty fallen!] This clauſe is three ſeverall times repeated, to wit, here, and verſ. 25. and 27. as is uſuall in ſongs.
Verſ. 20. Tell it not in Gath, publiſh it not in the ſtreets of Askelon, leſt the daughters of the Philistines rejoyce, &c.] This is onelyonly a poeticall expreſſion of Dauids deſire that it might not be; or a bemoaning of that which he knew would be; for he knew that the Philiſtines would rejoyce, and make great triumph for this, and at ſuch times the women uſed to go forth with muſick and ſongs. See the note 1. Sam. 18.6.
Verſ. 21. Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you, &c.] This is alſo a poeticall expreſſion of the great and grievous loſſe of the Iſraelites, in the death of Saul and Jonathan, and of their juſt ſorrow for it; that they had cauſe enough to wiſh, if ſo it might be, that the place where they were ſlain, might for ever be a ſad and dolefull monument of this lamentable accident: it is much like that of Job, chap. 3.3. Let the day periſh wherein I was born, and the night in which it was ſaid, there is a man-child conceived.
There the ſhield of the mighty is vilely caſt away, the ſhield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oyl.] To wit, becauſe he fell and died as any other of the common ſouldiers.
Verſ. 22. From the bloud of the ſlain, from the fat of the mighty the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the ſword of Saul turned not empty.] The ſword in warre is ſaid to devoure in the Scripture phraſe, Shall the ſword devoure for ever? ſath Abner to Joab, chap. 2.29. And thence that which is tranſlated the edge of the ſword, is in the Hebrew, the mouth of the ſword, and in reference to this it is ſaid here, that Jonathans bow, and Sauls ſword returned not empty from the bloud of the ſlain, and from the fat of the mighty, meaning that they did alwayes devoure the bloud and fleſh of the ſtouteſt enemies; for fat is mentioned to imply men luſty, healthfull, and ſtrong.
Verſ. 23, Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleaſant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided.] By this that they were lovely and pleaſant in their lives, is meant that they were dearly beloved of one another, and indeed, though Saul was ſometimes enraged againſt Jonathan, yet it proceeded from his fatherly affection to him, becauſe he was …ealous of David for Jonathans ſake, and how piouſly affected Jonathan was towards his father, he now manifeſted, by dying with him in this battell againſt the Philiſtines; and indeed it is likely that this clauſe of Jonathans living and dying with his father, is the rather inſerted, to clear him from that ſuſpicion of having conſpired with David againſt him.
They were ſwifter then eagles.] This may be meant, firſt, of their nimbleneſſe and agilitie of body, which is in ſouldiers very commendable▪ becauſe it is a great advantage for the evading of the ſtroke of an enemy, and for ſtriking home upon them, and eſpecially for the purſuit of them when they are put to flight, though men be never ſo ſtrong, yet if they be lumpiſh and heavie, an active nimble man of leſſe ſtrength may do better ſervice then they: and ſecondly, of their ſpeedy proſecuting any noble ſervice they had undertaken or reſolved upon, they were not ſlothfull, but active and quick; and were often upon their enemies before they could well hear any tidings of them.
Verſ. 24. Ye daughters of Iſrael weep over Saul who clothed you in ſcarlet, &c.] To wit, partly by the ſpoils taken from the enemy in his warre, wherein he was alwayes victorious, according to that expreſſion, Pſalme 68.12. Kings of armies did flee apace, and ſhe that tarried at home divided the ſpoil: and partly by the benefit of his government, under which they grew rich and wealthy; and obſervable it is, that ſpeaking of the rich and coſtly attire wherewith they were enabled to adorn themſelves, through the flouriſhing proſperity they enjoyed under Sauls government; he addreſſed his ſpeech in this to the women of Iſrael. Ye daughters of Iſrael weep over Saul who clothed you in ſcarlet, &c. becauſe women are moſt delighted in glorious attire.
Verſ. 25. How are the mighty fallen in the midſt of the battell!] Theſe words in the midst of the battell, may be addde to imply, how valiantly they died, not as cowards flying and purſued by the enemy; but as gallant men ſtanding it out ſtoutly againſt the violent aſſaults of the Philiſtines, till they fell down dead in the place.
Verſ 27. How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of warre periſhed!] This laſt clauſe is either added by way of bewailing the loſſe of their arms in that laſt battell fought with the Philiſtines, or elſe, to ſet forth the worth of thoſe gallant men that fell in that fight, and then it is all one as if it had been ſaid, that all the glory of warre was periſhed with them.