A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Commentary on 1 Samuel · Chapter 31
1 Sam. CHAP. XXXI.
THIS Chapter contains the laſt War that Saul waged with the Philiſtines and the Event thereof. The Parts of it are, (1.) What happened while Saul was Living. And (2.) What likewiſe when he was Dead. Remarks upon the Firſt Part are,
Firſt, Much about the ſame time that David did diſcomfit the Amalekites, and ſent the ſpoils of them to the Men of Judah (his own Tribe,) were the Philiſtines Fighting againſt Iſrael, and putting them to a ſhameful flight.
N. B. Joſephus ſaith thoſe two Occurrences were contemporary, though they be ſet down in a way of Digreſſion, that the Hiſtory of David's exploits might not be interrupted, 1 Chron 10.1. Which declareth how God gave different and contrary diſpenſations to Saul and to David at one and the ſame time: Wicked Saul was fleeing before the Philiſtines, juſt at that Inſtant when Holy David was Triumphing over the Amalekites.
N. B, Note well. 'Tis fair wheather with them that fear God when 'tis exceeding foul (with a ſhowre of Fire) upon the heads of thoſe that fear him not, Mal. 4 1, 2. The Sun aroſe and ſhone upon (Zoar, (Lots Sanctuary) at the ſame time when Fire fell down upon Sodom, Gen. 19.23, 24. Both theſe Abraham beheld upon an Hill, ver. 28. and admired.
The Second Remark is, God had given to Iſrael many Victories over the Philiſtines formerly, according to his Promiſe to them upon their obedience; but how the Philiſtines have the Victory over Iſrael, ſo that [They fled and fell down ſlain upon Mount Gilboa,] v. 1. and 6. becauſe God's Wrath was againſt them, as he had threatned for their diſobedience, Levit. 26.36. Deut. 28.25. For as they were guilty of many other Sins; ſo now more eſpecially of that heinous wickedneſs by conſpiring with Saul in perſecuting Innocent David, and in ſhewing no diſlike of his moſt horrible Butchery of the Lord's holy Prieſts; Nor would they take any warning at Samuel's Sermon▪ ſaying to them, [If you do wickedly ſtill, ye ſhall be conſumed both you and your King,] chap. 12.25. Therefore they partaking with Saul in his Sins, partake with him alſo in his puniſhments.
The Third Remark is, the Death of Jonathan (David's dear friend) and of other two of Saul's Sons, v. 2. 'Tis a wonder Saul would thus hazard ſo many of his Sons in a Battle which he was foretold would prove fatal to Him and to his Sons [To Morrow thou and thy Sons ſhall be with me,] chap. 28.19. But more eſpecially that he ventered Jonathan, who was Heir Apparent of the Crown, and whom he might have left at home to manage publick matters there inſtead of Iſhboſheth who was not preſent in the Battle. But as Saul had not ſignified the fate of that Fight to any of his Sons leſt it ſhould have diſanimated their Courage, ſo the Divine Decree was unchangable for David's advantage. That the other two of Saul's obſcure Sons did Die in the Fight for their Father's ſins, no body doth admire; and Saul muſt ſtill be alive to ſee them ſlain before his Eyes for the aggravation of his miſery for his hateful Hypocriſie: But that good Jonathan ſhould be ſlain with them, Who can but commiſerate his caſe? Seeing he was a moſt Pious, Noble, Vertuous and Valorous Prince, and undoubtedly very dear to God; yet this peerleſs-Prince, the glory of Martial Chievalry (that Lumen & Columen Patriae, the Brighteſt Honour and Chiefeſt Pillar of his Country) Dieth among the reſt, and had his ſhare in the common Calamity.
N. B. Note well. The Reaſons rendred for it may be theſe: The Firſt is, To ſhew the Truth of Solomon's ſaying, [There is one event to the Righteous and to the wicked, &c.] Eccleſ. 9.1, 2. in this world: As the Harveſt-man cutteth down his Good Corn and the Weeds together, but for a differing purpoſe, the Weeds he caſts away and burns them, but the Corn he carries into his Barn: Thus God makes the Righteous and the Wicked to differ, and Men ſhall ſee the difference in a better World, Mal. 3.8.
The Second Reaſon, God ordered Jonathan's Death here, that David might be taught to depend upon God alone for his Crown and Kingdom, and not upon Jonathan, who (had he lived) out of a ſubmiſſion to God's declared will, and out of his moſt endeared love to David, would have ſpeedily ſettled David upon his Father's Throne: For he loved him as his own Soul, chap. 18.1. and had promiſed To do for him, whatever he deſired, Chap. 20.4. and had ſworn it once and again, v. 16, 42. and chap. 23.18. yea and twice he had heard Saul's conſent, chap. 24.20. and 26.5. So that David might depend too much upon this Intereſt in his ſworn Brother Jonathan for ſettling the Crown upon his Head after Saul's Death: No, ſaith God, thou ſhalt have it ſolely from my ſelf, and not from Jonathan who ſhall Die that my Glory may not be darkened by the interpoſition not Jonathan's.
The Third Reaſon, Jonathan Dies here, to make way for a Accompliſhment of Jacob's Patriarchal and Prophetical Benediction, that the Scepter might be eſtabliſhed in the Tribe of Judah until Shilo came, Gen 49.10. that is, till the comming of Chriſt: Now had Jonathan ſucceeded Saul his Father, then the Scepter had continued in the Tribe of Benjamin; therefore he Dies, and gives place to David who was of the Tribe of Judah.
The Fourth Reaſon, God ordered good Jonathan's Death, that he might be thereby freed from that ſhrew'd Temptation, which unavoidably he had met with had he ſtill lived after his Father's Fall. For if after Saul's Death the Ten Tribes and Abner (to Head them) were ſo mad to ſet up Iſhboſheth (a weak and worthleſs Man) in oppoſition to David for Saul's Succeſſor, 2. Sam. 2.8, 9. How much more mad might this People have been to Eſpouſe and Advance Jonathan's Title to the Crown, who was a Man of ſuch Tranſcendent Worth in himſelf, and had meritted ſo much from all Iſrael in Fighting the Lord's Battels for them; more eſpecially, in working that wonderful Deliverance for Iſrael, only by Himſelf and his Armour-Bearer, chap. 14.15. this endeared him to the People ſo, as to Reſcue him at that time, v. 45. And had he now been alive, they would undoubtedly have Promoted him to the Crown; and their preſſing him to Accept the Promotion, muſt needs have been a ſtrong Temptation to Jonathan, notwithſtanding his Love, &c. to David: Then Vox Popull, might ſeem Vox Dei, The Voice of the People would ſeem the Voice of God, &c. No Humane ſtrength had been able to reſiſt it.
In the Fifth place, Nor may it be ſaid by any that God did deal over Auſterely with Jonathan here, becauſe he was cut off amongſt ſuch Notorious Sinners; (which David deprecates from himſelf, Pſal. 26.9, 10.) though this ſeem hard Meaſure to ſo good a Man, and too much ſeverity in God; yet muſt it be conſidered that inſtead of rewarding his goodneſs with an Earthly Kingdom (full of cares and troubles) God gave him a preſent poſſeſſion of an Heavenly Kingdom, Eternal, Glorious, and filled with ſuch unconceiveable Joys as admit not of the leaſt mixture of Sorrow: Thus God deny'd to Moſes an Earthly Canaan, but gave him Heaven, of which Canaan was a Type and ſhadow. Oh! happy Creditor who hath God his Debtor, that pays in Gold of Glory, when not in Silver of a lower Life.
The Fourth Remark is, The Death of Saul himſelf, v. 3, 4, 5, 6. The Philiſtines followed hard upon Saul, as their Capital Enemy, and their Archers ſorely wounded him; yet God lets him Live to ſee his Army Routed, his Friends Killed, and his dear Sons Slaughtered before his Face; this could not but be a very great Heart-grief to him, who was already ſore wounded, and ſo hemmed in with the Enemy that he ſaw no way to eſcape. And now after a moſt Wicked Life, he is hurried head long to make choice of a moſt Deſperate Death, and deſired his Armour-Bearer to diſpatch him.
N. B. The Rabbins and other Expoſitors do unanimouſly affirm that this Man was Doeg. whom Saul had employed in ſlaying the Lord's Prieſts; and now would he employ the ſame Dogged fellow to ſlay himſelf, ſaying, [Leſt the Ʋncircumciſed take me, and put me to a more ſhameful and painful Death.] Thus he acted the part of an Hypoc…e to his laſt, in deſpiſing the Philiſtines for their Ʋncircumciſion, yet never bewailed his own Ʋncircumciſed Heart, in his being all his Life-time and now at his Death ſo deſperately wicked, Jer. 17.9. Gal. 5.6. and 6.15. When Doeg had deny'd him, he deſperately diſpatcheth himſelf by falling upon his own Weapon, even the ſame Javelin (ſome ſay) which he had twice caſt at David and once at his dear Jonathan; though he miſt them both, yet now he ſurely hits himſelf and thruſt it into his own Bowels, and ſo he Died even in a Damnable ſtate. Exit Tyrannus.
N. B. Note well. Firſt, Joſephus and the Rabbins make Saul a Martyr in Dying thus Valourouſly by his own Hands to avoid diſgrace, &c. But ſurely he Dyed the Devil's Martyr not God's, whoſe expreſs command is, [Thou ſhalt not kill.]
Secondly, Saul had ſpared Agag contrary to God's command, and now from a Righteous Judgement of God he will not ſpare himſelf; but is Felo de ſe, a Self-murderer, deſtroying God's Image in himſelf.
Thirdly, He Dyed in his Sin, Joh. 8.21. and in the worſt ſort of ſin, the ſin of Witchcraft whereof he was guilty in Conſulting with a Witch, &c. A Man had better Die in a Ditch or in a Dungeon, than Die in Sin, Unrepented of, or Unpardoned.
Fourthly, Not one hint have we of his Repentance, but 'tis ſaid the Lord ſlew him for his Sins, 1 Chron. 10.14.
The Second part of this Chapter is what happened after Saul's Death. The Remarks hereupon are,
Firſt, If Saul's Armour-Bearer were Doeg, (following his Maſter's Evil Example of Self-Murther,) when he ſaw his Maſter Dead, whom he would not over-live becauſe of his over-love, as Brethren in Iniquity: Hereby God juſtly Revenged upon him the Blood of the Lord's Prieſts (which he had ſlain) in his being his own Executioner.
The Second Remark is, Saul's Death and his Army Routed, put the Parts Adjacent to the Valley of Jezreel (the place of this Defeat) into ſuch a Conſternation, that they fled from their Cities, and the Philiſtines came and dwelt in them, v. 7. Thus the Philiſtines prudently purſued their Victory; and had not God raiſed up David at this time to put a ſtop to their Proceedings, in all likelihood, Iſrael had loſt Canaan hereby.
The Third Remark is, The Philiſtines Triumph over Slain Saul, ver. 8, 9, 10. All Saul's care was for his Body that it might not be Abuſed, ver. 4. but no care he took for his Soul; and his Body was abuſed nevertheleſs. They cut off his Head (as David had done to Goliah) and devoted it to Dagon for this Victory: His Armour they Dedicated to Aſhtaroth, another Idol: And they Hung up his Carcaſe as on a Gibbet in Bethſhan for ſcorn.
The Fourth Remark is, The Men of Jabeſh-Gilead (hearing of it, and remembring the old kindneſs Saul had done them, Chap. 11.11.) Marched all Night, as he had done for their Deliverance: Though they were far Remote beyond Jordan, yet they Zealouſly Marched thither, and took down the Bodies of Saul and his Sons (now Putrified by Hanging ſo long in the Sun and Wind) by ſtealth; carried them away, Burnt their Fleſh and Buried their Bones under an Oak in Jabeſh for a Monument thereof, v. 11, 12. and then Lamented the Publick Calamity with Faſting and Prayer for Seven Days, which was the very Term of Truce Nahaſh had given them in chap. 11.3. So long here, v. 13. they ſeek God's Love of Iſrael.
The Second Book of SAMUEL.
Which, in the general Proſpect of it, is an Hiſtory of the Kingdom of David holding forth his whole Life, as Firſt, His Inauguration to the Throne of Iſrael (1.) By one Tribe. only, Chap. 1, 2, 3, 4. and (2.) By all the Tribes, Chap. the 5th. Secondly, His Royal Actions in his Regal Government; as firſt, thoſe that were laudable; Chapters, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. and ſecondly, thoſe that were culpable; Chapters, 11. & 12. Thirdly, His Checker'd State of Life, partly in Adverſity both as to his private Capacity by his two bad Sons, (1.) Amnon, Chap. 13. and (2.) Abſalon, Chap. 14. and as to his Publick Condition. Firſt by Sedition, which was (1.) Domeſtick, moved by Abſalon, Chapters 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. and (2.) Extrinſick by Sheba, Chap. 20. Secondly, by Famine, Chap. 21. and Thirdly, by Plague, Chap. 24. and partly in Proſperity, which David Celebrates, Chapters 22, 23. After this Recapitulation of the whole Book in General; Now the particular proſpect of each Chapter is to be conſidered.