A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Commentary on 1 Samuel · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
CHapter the Sixteenth is a Narrative of David's private Anointing, to be King, by Samuel, upon Saul's Rejection by God, wherein the Antecedents, Concomitants, and Conſequents be conſiderable. The Remarks firſt upon the Antecedents, whereof,
The Firſt is, The Dialogue, or Conference betwixt the Lord and Samuel, in which is,
N. B. Firſt, God's Speech to Samuel, [How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, &c?] v. 1. Mourn he might, but it was over-long that he mourned, and not only ſo, but pray'd alſo for his Reſtitution: Do not ſo, ſaith God, ſeeing I have Rejected him; loſe not thy Prayers and Tears upon ſuch a Reprobate, an Aethiopian that will never be waſhed white, with all thy Weeping: Didſt not thou tell him from me? [God is not a Man that will Repent,] chap. 15.29. I am reſolved to Reject him, and the Manifeſtation of my Reſolve muſt make thee ſubmit to my Pleaſure; and the Lord tells him, [As I am peremptory in Rejecting Saul, ſo no leſs am I in providing me a King among Jeſſe's Sons, one better than he, whom the People provided for themſelves; therefore fill thine Horn with Oyl to Anoint him.]
N. B. Saul was Anointed with Oyl out of a Glaſs Vial, chap. 10.1. the brittleneſs whereof, ſignified the Inſtability of Saul's Kingdom, which would ſoon be broken; but David muſt be Anointed out of an Horn-Vial, which is of a more durable ſubſtance, to ſignifie the continuance of his Kingdom, that never ſhould have an end; and this was accompliſhed in Chriſt the Son of David.
N. B. Secondly, Samuel's Anſwer, v. 2. He ſaith nothing to the Negative part of God's Speech; and therefore we may well ſuppoſe that he was ſatisfied, it was his Duty to forbear Mourning any longer for Saul, and praying any more for his Reſtitution: But as to the poſitive part of it, he makes his Objection, ſaying, [How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me.
N. B. A ſtrange Queſtion inſtead of a poſitive Anſwer, and ſuch an one as ſeemeth to favour of Humane Frailty in an old Servant of God, who had ſo much and ſo long experience of the Lord's faithfulneſs to him in a moſt familiar Converſation with him: Bernard could ſay, [Quid timet Homo in ſinu Dei poſitus?] What need that Man fear, who is ſeated in the very boſome of an All-ſufficient God? Samuel here ſhould have ſtrongly believed, that the Lord who call'd him to this word, would carry him ſafely through it: But 'tis more ſuitable to Samuel's Gravity, and Godly Experience, to ſuppoſe, that he ſaid, [How can I go?] Not ſo much out of any Diffidence and Diſtruſt, but out of a deſire of Divine Direction therein.
N. B. As the Bleſſed Virgin did in her Queſtion to the Angel, [How can this be, ſeeing I know not a Man?] Luke 1.34. The Lord's Anſwer to Samuel's Objection, makes it more probable, for he directs Samuel, how it might be done without danger, ſaying, [Take an Heifer, and ſay, I am come to Sacrifice unto the Lord.] This was uſual for Samuel to do, ſometimes in one place, and ſometimes in another, to keep up the Worſhip of God, and to keep out the Worſhip of Idols, unto which Iſrael was notoriouſly inclinable: This therefore was one cauſe of his coming to Bethlehem, but not the only cauſe; nor was Samuel obliged to declare all that he came about.
N. B. Note well. Some part of a truth may lawfully be concealed out of Civil Prudence, as Jeremy did, Jer. 38.27.
N. B. As he is a Fool (ſaith Solomon) that believeth all he heareth, Prov. 14.15. ſo he is no leſs▪ that declareth all he knoweth. The Lord farther directs Samuel to invite Jeſſe and his Sons to the Sacrifice, and to the Feaſt that followed the Peace Offering; and [thou ſhalt Anoint unto me, him whom I Name unto thee,] v. 3.
N. B. This Jeſſe, above all others, muſt be an Invited Gueſt, becauſe he was Grand-Child to Ruth the Moabiteſs, Ruth 4.22. who was now grown a great Lady in this little City Bethlehem, and now noted to be the Great-Grandmother to the King of Iſrael; ſo little loſt Ruth by renouncing the Idolatry of Moab, and cleaving cloſe to the Lord God of Iſrael
The Second Remark upon the Antecedents is, The ſad Alarm Samuel's coming to this City, gave to the Citizens: The Elders trembled at it, &c. v. 4, 5. out of Reverence to him, they met him at the Gate, and Courted him with, [Is all well?] Knowing that he was now an Old Man, and ſtirred ſeldom from his Houſe at Ramah, eſpecially ſince he deſerted Saul in ſo great diſpleaſure, they did juſtly wonder that he ſhould now take ſo long a Journey from home, and come to ſo ſmall a City as Bethlehem was, Micah 5.2.
N. B. It muſt be upon ſome extraordinary Errand, and their own Guilty Conſciences feared the worſt. They might fear,
Firſt, That ſome grievous ſin had been committed in the City, and he was come to denounce ſome grievous Judgment againſt them for it. Or,
Secondly, That Samuel, coming ſo privately, might flee from Saul who was ſore incenſed againſt him for his ſo late ſharp reproof, and ſhould they receive and harbour him, this would horribly expoſe them to Saul's Rage and Revenge; and ſo evil might befal Bethlehem for Samuel's ſake, as it did afterwards to Nob for David's ſake.
Thirdly, They might fear ſuch a great Prophet (as Samuel was) came to foretell ſome ſad Calamity would befal their City either from ſome Foreign Enemy, or from Saul himſelf, who now began to fall into Frantick Fits, &c.
N. B. But good Old Samuel doth not only comfort them againſt all thoſe Fears, but alſo Invites them to a Peace-Offering, and to the Holy Feaſt that followed it, only with this difference, their ſingle Perſons are only Invited, but Jeſſe and his Sons alſo were bidden Gueſts, in order to which he bids them [Sanctifie themſelves] by waſhing their Garments, Exod. 19.14, 15. but eſpecially their Hearts, Iſa. 1.16. Spiritually as well as Legally fitted for God's Service.
The Third Remark upon the Antecedents is, the Rejection of all the Elder Sons of Jeſſe, and the Election of the youngeſt Son, ver. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. where we have a bundle of Wonders. As,
N. B. Firſt, God had told Samuel, that [He it is whom I Name unto thee,] v. 3. yet had he not all this time, (which was ſpent in preparation for the Feaſt, and ſummoning Jeſſe and his Sons together for private Diſcourſe) named David to Samuel, but ſtill he leads him on (as it were) Blindfold, and altogether at a loſs, which of Jeſſe's Sons was to be the Lord's Anointed; to teach us.
N. B. Note well. God oft reveals his Will to Men, not all at once, but at ſundry times, and by divers degrees, not only in this caſe of David Literal, wherein God firſt told Samuel, he had found him a Man after his own Heart, chap. 13, 14. then that this Man ſhould be one of the Sons of Jeſſe the Bethlemite, v. 1. of this Chapter; and Laſtly, That it ſhould be David after the refuſal of all his Brethren, [the Lord ſaying then to him, This is he,] v. 12.
N. B. But thus it was alſo in David Myſtical, our Bleſſed Meſſiah, whom God made known to the Church firſt, only as the Seed of the Woman, Gen. 3.15. then to be of the Poſterity of Abraham, Gen. 22.18, &c. and then to be of the Tribe of Judah, Gen. 49.10, &c. and then of the Houſe of David, 2 Sam. 7.16. Iſa. 7.13. and laſtly, that he ſhould be born of a Virgin, Iſa. 7.14.
N. B. A Second Wonder was this, That ſo great a Prophet, and ſo old in his Experiences of Divine Revelations, ſhould fall here into ſo foul a miſtake in misjudging Eliab the Eldeſt Son for a Soveraign of God's ſingling out for Iſrael, when he ſaw him both of a Comely Countenance, and of a Tall goodly Stature (which two are Graceful Ornaments of a King, in the ſight of their Subjects) not conſidering how ill Saul had proved, who was a proper, perſonable Man enough: But Samuel ſaid thus within himſelf, [Ak neged Jehova Meſhicho, Surely before the Lord is his Chriſt, or Anointed,] v. 6. As he was a private Perſon, declaring his own private thoughts, and not as he was a publick Prophet, inſpired by God's Spirit; and thus other Prophets ſometimes miſtook, when they over-haſtily ſpake their own Humane Sentiments, before they had conſulted with God, and received his Divine Revelation, as Nathan did, 2 Sam. 7.3. and what a kind of Chriſt might Eliab have proved, even a ſecond Saul, who was of a Moroſe and Arrogant Temper, as appeared in his proud Inſulting Carriage towards David, and his cauſeleſs Choler againſt his own Younger Brother, Chap. 17.28. fronti nulla fides, a Conjecture from the Countenance is very fallible, therefore God comes here, and corrects Samuel's Miſtake, by ſecret Inſpiration, v. 7. ſaying, as it were, thou was once deceived by a likely Look in Saul, chap. 10.23, 24. thou ſhouldſt not be deceived the ſecond time.
N. B. Note well. Man ſeeth only the ſurface and outſide, but the Omniſcient God feeth the inſide alſo, Pſal. 7.9. 2 Chron. 28.19. Jer. 11.20. and 17.10. and 20.12. Luke 16.15.
The Third Wonder was, Objection, Why the Lord did not obſerve this Rule of Judging Saul by his Heart, (which he knew was naughty, as well as Eliab's and the reſt of his Brethren) before he was Anointed and Appointed King over Iſrael?
Anſwer. But that Wonder may ceaſe, if it be ſeriouſly conſidered, what great Grotius ſaith to this point; namely, [Deum illis Regem tunc dediſſe, non qualem ipſe probavit, ſed qualem populus Meruit, God would have gone by this very Rule of eſteeming Men according to the Goodneſs of their Hearts in the choice of Iſrael's firſt King, if the People's ſinful deſires had not provoked him to give them a bad King; Saul was ſuch a King as the People deſerved, though not ſuch an one as God approved; he was given in God's Wrath, Hoſeah 13.11.
The Fourth Wonder was, Why David was not preſent, when Jeſſe was bid by Samuel, to preſent all his Sons before him (being undoubtedly acquainted with Samuel's Errand from God) but this poor Boy was in the Field keeping Sheep, as one unregarded of his Father, and altogether incapable of any Royal Dignity, as his Elder Brethren (all Men of Note) were, and on whom David waited in the Wars, running his Father's Errands, chap. 17.17, &c. Now when God had refuſed all the Seven Sons of Jeſſe, Samuel was at a ſtand, and puts forth that curious Inquity, [Hathammo Hanegnarim,] Are here all thy Children? v. 11.
N. B. Thus ſhould we ſay in our Confeſſions to God, Are theſe all our ſins we have confeſſ…, &c?
Thus the Lord ordered thus by his Providence, that the Call of David to the Kingdom … plainly appear to be God's Work, and neither Samuel's nor Jeſſe's deſign: Samuel as yet knew nothing of him, for God as yet had not Named David to him, and Jeſſe his Father calls him his [Hakaton] or leaſt Son; having him in the leaſt and loweſt E…imation (poſſibly not yet throughly underſtanding his Worth, both for Wiſdom and Valour) ſo was not call'd unto the Feaſt, nor Sanctify'd among his other Brethren for it.
N. B. Though Lavater thinks he was, and after the Sacrifice was done, he was diſmiſs'd to his Charge in the Countrey, leſt the Sheep ſhould want their Shepherd; however Samuel would not ſit down to the Feaſt until he (deſpiſed of all) came and was Anointed, &c. wherein David was a Type of Chriſt, who when he was moſt Deſpiſed and Rejected of Men, was then moſt highly eſteemed in the Eyes of God, Pſal. 118.22. Acts 4.11. and 1 Pet. 2.7.
The Fifth Wonder was, How could Samuel be ſaid to Anoint David in the Preſence of all his Brethren, or in the midſt of them, v. 13. ſeeing ſome of them were ſo envious to him? chap. 17.28. then Saul might ſoon have heard of all, &c. but ſeeing Samuel's deſign was to be tranſacted in ſecrecy for fear of Saul. The Hebrew word [Bekereb] muſt be read, [out of the midſt of his Brethren,] and not in the preſence of them all; for Samuel took David out of the midſt of the Company, and privately Anointed him, none but Jeſſe only being preſent at the Action.
Now come we to the Concomitants (which is the ſecond part of this Chapter) of David's Anointing: Remarks hereupon are,
Firſt, The principal efficient Cauſe was the Lord himſelf, and Samuel was but the Inſtrument the Lord made uſe of; who being ſo grave a Prophet, did undoubtedly inform David concerning the will of God, that was ſecretly reveal'd to him upon his appearance, [Ariſe and Anoint him, for this is he,] v. 12. and this is intimated in 2 Sam. 5.2.
The Second Remark is, The Perſon Anointed, David, which ſignifies, Dilectus, deſiderabilis, one Amiable and Acceptable to all: His Character as a Type of Chriſt, was White and Ruddy; yea, Totus deſiderabilis, altogether Lovely, and all aſunder Lovely, Cant. 5.10, 16. Lovely David was both for his Inſide, a Man after God's own Heart, Chap. 13, 14. one of an Ʋpright Heart (notwithſtanding his foul Failings) Pſal. 57.7. not of a Rotten Heart, as Saul was; David did all the Wills of God, Acts 13.22. and therefore was he God's Corculum, a Man of God's Deſire and Delight, better than Saul for his Inſide, chap. 15.28. and as for his Outſide, 'tis deſcribed here, v. 12. he was of a Comely Countenance, not Effeminate, but of a Maſculine and Majeſtick Aſpect; his very Eyes ſeemed to ſparkle and to breath forth a Military Magnanimity, as Martinius Interprets, [Japhe Gnenim] here, not that he had Red Hair, as ſome ſay, but that he had a meet mixture of White and Red in his freſh Complexion, which argued both a Loving, Comely, Amicable Diſpoſition, and a Lively Martial Conſtitution, a brisk Spirit for the Nobleſt Exploits.
The Third Remark upon the Concomitants of David's Unction is, That he was Anointed with Oyl out of an Horn, v. 13. as is noted before upon v. 1. and not out of a Glaſs-Vial, as Saul was, and Jehu after him, 2 Kings 9.1. though it be read there, [a Box of Oyl,] yet the Hebrew word is the ſame with that, 1 Sam. 10.1. which is Tranſlated, a Vial, [Pak] Vaſculum is in both places, to ſhew the ſhort continuance (ſay ſome) of their Kingdoms, but David and Solomon were Anointed out of an Horn of Oyl, 1 Sam. 16.1. 1 Kings 1.39.
Thirdly, The Conſequents of David's Unction; the third part hath theſe Remarks.
Firſt, The Spirit of the Lord came upon David when Anointed, v. 13. namely, to endow him with extraordinary Gifts of Fortitude, Prudence, &c. and of Prophecy, as well as of Piety and Poeſie, after which he did Noble Exploits, (as the ſlaying of a Bear, and a Lyon, &c.) and became famous for ſuch Heroick Facts, inſomuch that the very Courtiers of Saul, had notice of them, and took notice of him for them, whereupon they, upon occaſion, afterward commended him to their King, v. 18. as one every way accompliſhed.
The Second Remark is, The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil Spirit from the Lord came in its ſtead, v. 14. That is, Saul loſt thoſe Royal and Heroick Gifts given him, when the Spirit of God came upon him to qualifie him for Regal Government, 1 Sam. 10.6, 9, 10. and the Lord for his ſins did deliver him up to Satan, ſo that he was frequently diſquieted by the Devil, and fall into Fits of Phrenzy and Fury.
N. B. 'Twas juſt with God, that he who had Idoliz'd his own Reaſon above God's Command in the Caſe of Amalek, ſhould now have that Idol broke in pieces, and be bereaved of the common uſe of his Reaſon. No doubt, but when Satan ſaw Saul ſo extreamly diſcontented for the loſs of God's Favour, and with it, of his Kingdom alſo, then did he fill his Melancholick Mind with Fears and Frights from his own guilty Conſcience, ſo that like a diſtracted Man, he was for deſtroying all he found in his way, Friends as well as Foes; nor did his Body (ſay ſome) fare better than his Mind, for this Diabolical Diſtemper ſeem'd ſometimes to choak him.
The Third Remark is, The Renowned Remedy againſt this Melancholick Malady, v. 15.16, &c. Wherein Obſerve,
Firſt, That though David was thus choſen of God, and Anointed by Samuel to be a King, yet in the Humility of his Heart, he returns to his keeping of Sheep, being willing to wait upon God, for his leiſure and pleaſure of raiſing him to Royal Dignity.
Secondly, Now begins God by his good Providence to work for the bringing of David to the Court, that he might be known a Man fit to wear a Diadem, to which he was deſtinated after Saul's Death.
Thirdly, The Inſtruments God uſeth to bring David to the Court were two.
The Firſt and general, were Saul's Phyſicians, who adviſed Saul, that Muſick would mitigate his Melancholy, v. 15, 16. and indeed their Advice was confirm'd by the ſucceſs; for Nature demonſtrates, That the Devil hath not that power over Man, when his Mind is compoſed, as when 'tis diſorder'd by Paſſion and diſcompoſed; yea, and Scripture declares, that the Devil had leſs power over Lunaticks in the Decreaſe, than he had at the Increaſe of the Moon, that Mater Humidorum, the Mother of Moiſtures, which cauſeth the Ebbing and Flowing of Humours (as it doth of the Main Ocean) in the Body of Man, Matth. 17.15. Mark 9.22. It was but ſometimes that he caſt the Lunatick into the Fire, and ſometimes into the Water; now becauſe Natural Philoſophy did ſuggeſt to Saul's Phyſicians, that Muſick had a mighty Influence in ſweetening thoſe bitter Paſſions of his Melancholick Mind, which the Evil Spirit made improvement of, to his grievous Moleſtation, they therefore gave Counſel (at a general Conſultation of Court-Phyſicians,) That the moſt skilful Muſician might be ſought forth, and brought thither to make Muſick before him.
The Second Inſtrument God uſed, was more immediate and particular for fixing that general Advice of the Phyſicians, perſonally upon David; this was one of Saul's Courtiers, whom the Rabbins (upon what grounds is not known) do affirm to be Doeg; however it was ſome Courtier that had ſuch perſonal knowledge of David's Accompliſhments, that he gives the King a diſtinct account of them, Characterizing him as a Man of a great figure, v. 17, 18.
The Fourth Remark is, The marvelous Manner how this famous Matter came about, that David was brought from his Father's Sheep to Saul's Court: Wherein conſider,
N. B. 1. Saul, upon his Servant's double Suggeſtions (both general and particular) ſends for David to his Father, v. 19 and though Samuel had told, Iſrael the manner of a King. [That he would take their Sons to himſelf, &c.] chap. 8.11, 12. Yet Saul takes not David from Jeſſe by violence, but obtains him by Intreaty.
N. B. 2. Had thoſe Servants of Saul been better inſtructed, they would have incited Saul to ſend for Old Samuel, rather than Young David: That the Lord's Prophet might have tryed his skill for healing Saul's Soul, which was now much out of frame; this had been better than the ſending for a Young Muſician who could only qualifie the Diſtempers of his Body.
N. B. 3. Conſider how Jeſſe, being but a mean Man in the World, ſent a ſmall preſent with his Son to Saul, v. 20. a Preſent that would be contemptible to a King in our Times.
N. B. Yet this Jeſſe did, to Ingratiate his Son into Saul's Favour, whom, he preſumed, it would not find over-critical and curious, eſpecially now being, as it were, in an Exile Eſtate by Samuel's Doom from God upon him, but he would accept a little of the beſt, where better and more could not be expected from ſo mean a Man, ſeeing Jacob, long before him, thought a little of the beſt ſent to the Lord of the Land of Egypt, would be acceptable to him, Gen. 43.11, &c. 'Tis well known, how that great King Artaxerxes did with a moſt grateful mind accept of an handful of Water hal'd haſtily out of the River by a Ruſtick, who had no better to bring him.
4. Conſider how …aul ſo accepted of both the Preſent and of the Perſon that brought it, inſomuch that he conferr'd upon him a double Court-Office, conſtituting David to be both the King's Muſician, and the King's Armour bearer, v. 21. not judging the former Office to be Honour enough to him, whom he ſo greatly loved; but alas, Saul's Love to David was too hot now to hold long.
5. Conſider, Though Saul ſent to Jeſſe that he would ſuffer his Son to continue in the King's Service, v. 22. yet this lofty Kindneſs laſted not long, for David was diſmiſſed from the Court by Saul upon ſome occaſion not mentioned.
N. B. Some conjecture▪ that it was, when Saul ſaw himſelf ſalved of his Melancholy by David's Muſick; ſo having no farther need of him, he ſent him home to comfort his kind Father, with whom he had abode ſome conſiderable time, before the War with the Philiſtines happened, which is deſcribed in the next Chapter, where David was unknown to Saul and Abner, v. 55. for a little time might make a great change in a growing Youth, eſpecially coming after ſome diſtance of time, not in the Garb of a Courtier, but in the Habit of a Shepherd; this ſeems a ſafer Sentiment, than to admit of a tranſpoſition in Scripture, which (ſome ſay) is of dangerous conſequence; but more of that in its proper place: However almoſt all Expoſitors concur, that David was ſent from his Court-Life to his Countrey-Life, [Et magis Caulam quam Aulam diligebat.] He loved his Hook the better, after he had been at, and ſeen the Court, where high Seats are very ſlippery, and a vain thing to truſt in Princes, Pſal. 118.9. and 146.3. Better love little and love long, &c.
6. Saul loved David greatly, for curing and procuring ſome lucid Intervals to his Melancholy by his Muſick, v. 23. which was not only an Ordinary effect (as that on Eliſha when diſcompos'd by the preſence of a wicked Prince, 2 Kings 3.14, 15.) but Extraordinary, able to Maſter Saul's Devil, by the Spirit of God which came upon David after his Unction, and put him upon ſinging Pſalms to his Harp, as Joſephus ſaith, whereby Saul's Evil Spirit was Charmed.
N. B. This Effect was doubtleſs Supernatural reſpecting David, whom God deſign'd by this means to bring into favour with King and Court, and thereby ſmooth a way to future advancement; yet this was only an intermiſſion of Fits: 'Twas Faſting and Prayer that would have wrought a perfect Cure (had Samuel been ſent for as well as David,) Matth. 17.21.