A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Commentary on 1 Samuel · Chapter 11
1 Sam. CHAP. XI.
CHapter the Eleventh, containeth the Confirmation of Saul in his Kingdom, after the Proclamation made at Mizpeh by the Sanhedrim that ſate there: Saul's Confirmation was made by two manner of means. The firſt was a Specimen, or Inſtance of his own Perſonal Valour, his Martial Courage, Conduct and Victory over the Ammonites, who then waged War againſt Iſrael: And the Second was by an Oath of Fidelity taken by all the People in another Convention. The Remarks upon the firſt are;
Firſt, The Antecedents of this Specimen, which are two-fold. Firſt, The Siege of Jabeſh by the Ammonites, which was ſo ſevere and preſſing upon them, that the People of Jabeſh come to a Capitulation, . 1, 2. Nahaſh the King of Ammon (having made long preparations for this Siege, which indeed was the Pad in the Straw, the cogent Reaſon of their calling for a King, when they had Intelligence of it, chap. 12.12.) made himſelf Cock-ſure of carrying the Conqueſt; and ſuch was the old hatred of Ammon againſt Iſrael, Ezek. 25.4, 5, 6, 15. upon the old claim of recovering their loſt Lands, Judg. 11.13. but more eſpecially to revenge the Overthrow then given them by Jephtah, v. 32, 33. that they could not be content to take in this City as one of their Confederates, as they conſented to be (tho' this was too far a complyance with that Curſed Nation, Deut. 23.3.) but they will have them not only their Slaves, but their ſtigmatized Slaves, by putting out their Right Eyes, and ſo, utterly diſabled to deliver themſelves out of his Inhumane Hands by war.
N. B. This would indeed have been a Reproach upon all Iſrae, as if they had been a baſe minded, a ſordid Spirited People, that ſo they might but live, would truckle to any terms on this fide Death; though they boaſted of an Almighty God, able to defend them, yet durſt they not in danger put their Confidence in him.
N. B. Even thus would the Devil and his Imps deal with us indeavouring to put out our Right Eyes: Nahaſh here ſignifieth a Serpent.
N. B. As that Old Serpent Satan would put out our Right-Eye of Faith, and leave us only the left Eye of Reaſon; ſo his Inſtruments would deprive us of the Scriptures to nuzzle us up in Ignorance: This Serpent Nahaſh knew well that in Battel the Left Eye was covered with a Shield, and only the Right Eye was uſeful for ſight in fight, and had that been put out, the People could not fight at all.
Note well. Nor can we fight the good fight of Faith, if we want Faith, or the Word of God our beſt Weapon, Matth. 4.4, 7, 10. Eph. 6.16, 17. and which teacheth our hands to fight, &c. Pſal. 144.1.
N. B. Nahaſh is content to leave them one Eye, that they might do his Drudgery. Theſe harſh terms put Jabeſh to their Wilieſt Wits, bo…ing upon Ammon on the other ſide of Jordan, and weakened exceedingly by the … Slaughter of their Men, Judg. 21. yea, and not like to receive relief from thoſe on this ſide Jordan, who were ſcarce able to defend themſelves againſt the Philiſtines; beſides, at this juncture they ill-agreed among themſelves about their choice of a new King, chap. 10.27. All theſe things conſider'd, put Jabeſh upon this project of deſiring ſeven Days reſpit, &c. v. 3. Making no mention of their ſending Meſſengers to a New King, but to a broken People only; that Nahaſh might more eaſily yield to it, which (Joſephus ſaith) he did out of a fooliſh ſelf-confidence of his Army, and contempt of Iſrael whom he thought utterly unable to afford any relief, eſpecially in ſo ſhort a time.
The Second Antecedent of the Specimen was Saul's Reſolution to Relieve the Beſieged City; from v. 4. to v. 11. Wherein Note, (1.) The Occaſion; Meſſengers came from Jabeſh to Gibeah, where Saul was, chap, 10.26. and where he continued about a month in his private Husbandry, chap. 11.4, 5, 7. before this publick occaſion.
N. B. 'Tis a Wonder that this Town of Gibeah, once ſo abominably wicked, and as abominably deſtroyed, Judg. 20. ſhould afford Iſrael their firſt King: But 'tis no wonder, that the Men of Gibeah ſhould now ſo ſympathize with the Sufferings of the Men of Jabeſh, who had ſo deeply ſuffered formerly for their friendſhip towards them, Judg. 21. and well might the Benjamites weep with weeping Jabeſh (according to Rom. 12.15.) becauſe they had their Wives from thence to recruit their almoſt extinguiſh'd Tribe, Judg. 21.10, 12, &c.
N. B. Saul coming out of the Field from his Countrey-work with his Oxe-Plough, (a work anciently of great eſteem among the Old Romans and Graecians) finds a general Lamentation for their Brethrens Miſery at Jabeſh Gilead, who had already endured an hard Siege, and had promiſed to ſubmit to harder terms, v. 10 if Relief came not in the mean time, which they cunningly concealed; then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, v. 6. fills him with fortitude, and he who had been ſo cold in his own Cauſe, as to hold his Peace, (when he was both rejected and reviled, chap. 10.27.) is now all on a light fire and an hot flame, when he heard how God was ſo Diſhonoured, and his People ſo Diſcouraged and Reproached, v. 6. He takes his (likely his own) Yoak of Oxen, which he was following from the Field, Hews them in pieces, and ſends them into all the Coaſts of Iſrael, with this Meſſage: [Whoever comes not forth after Saul and after Samuel, his Oxen ſhall be hewed in pieces alſo,] ver. 7. This ſtruck a greater terrour even in the Deſpiſers of Saul, who durſt not refuſe to follow Samuel, their Old Judge, though Saul was not yet Inaugurated King, yet Saul (as ſuch an Elect King) ranks himſelf before a Prophet, or Judge, and like a King ſummons his Subjects, all (as it were) above Sixteen and under Sixty, and this he did by Deeds which are more perſwading than Words; and ſear of puniſhment he knew would prevail moſt with the Mobile, eſpecially with thoſe whoſe Wealth lay moſtly in Cattel.
N. B. Nor doth he threaten to hew themſelves in pieces, leſt he ſhould ſeem to begin his Reign with too much Rigour, but prudently lays the Penalty upon their Goods, and not upon their Perſons, the more to ſweeten his Government to them; nor would all Saul's Minaces in words have avail'd with the Male-Contents eſpecially, had not the Fear of God fallen upon them alſo; 'twas this made them come forth with one conſent, to the number of Three Hundred and Thirty Thouſand Men, v. 8. Saul diſpatcheth the Meſſengers with glad Tidings to Jabeſh, v. 9. who next Morning wilily ſent word to Nahaſh, [They would come forth, according to Covenant, v. 3.10. this made the Ammonites ſecure.
N. B. 'Tis lawful to deceive by Stratagems ſuch Enemies as it is lawful to ſlay with the Sword.
The Second Particular of the Specimen is the Concomitants of it. As,
Firſt, The time when Saul Aſſaulted the ſecure Beſiegers, it was in the Morning Watch, before they were looked for by either ſide; for Jabeſh expected them not till the Sun were hot, v. 9. and Ammon was lull'd aſleep with expectation of the Beſieged coming forth to them the next Day to have their one Eye put out, which indeed blinded the Beſiegers of both their Eyes with the ſleep of Security.
Secondly, The manner how Saul Aſſaulted them, namely, by a Stratagem of dividing his Army into three Battalions, to make Onſet upon all ſides at once, that ſo he might ſtrike the whole Camp with the greater terrour, and prevent the eſcape of any. And,
Thirdly, The Event, the utter Diſcomfiture of the Ammonites; all theſe three are in ver. 11.
N. B. Though they had few Swords left in Iſrael, chap. 13.19, 22. yet they Conquer here, &c.
The Third Particular is the Conſequents which be two. Firſt, The Zeal of the People to Vindicate the Dignity of their New King againſt ſuch as the Belialiſts that had deſpiſed him, [They ſaid to Samuel, Whoever rejecteth Saul as King ſhall die; v. 12.
N. B. It ſeems Samuel was preſent with them in this Expedition; and 'tis a wonder, how his Old Age cold endure the Marching of all the Day and all the Night before: And 'tis a Wonder likewiſe,
N. B. How Saul could raiſe ſuch an Army (as Joſephus ſaith, but falſly, as a bragg of his Jews to the Romans, conſiſting of Seven Hundred Thouſand, but the Scripture ſaith, Three Hundred and Thirty Thouſand) that he ſhould not only raiſe them, but alſo rally, and Muſter them into Companies and Regiments, yea, and March them over Jordan to Jabeſh, and Conquer the Enemy all in one Day and Night.
N. B. Surely Saul might ſay (as to his wonderful Celerity) what the great Caeſar ſaid after him, [Veni, Vidi, Vici,] I no ſooner came, but I overcame.
The Second Conſequence is, Saul's Prudence and Modeſty, yea, Piety, v. 13. the People had been ſo prudent as not to ſpeak their aforeſaid words to Saul, leſt they ſhould have provok'd him to Revenge in his own proper cauſe, but they ſpake to Samuel as to their Judge, whoſe place it appertained more unto, than for Saul to right himſelf: Now Saul both prudently and modeſtly prevents Samuel's Anſwer to the People with a God forbid, [That any Man ſhould die this Day, wherein the Lord hath wrought ſuch a glorious Victory,] The Glory of this Deliverance ſhall not be ſtained with the Blood of any of my Subjects, and by thus openly declaring his Clemency in the beginning of his Reign, he did much ingratiate himſelf into their Affections to his own Eſtabliſhment.
N. B. 1. Humane Laws may be diſpenſed with upon Emergency, but not the Divine Law, &c.
N. B. 2. Many good Vertues were found in Saul, before the Evil Spirit entered into him, &c.
To which two Conſequents may be added, a Third not here mentioned; namely, Jabeſh Gilead's thankfulneſs to Saul for his ſo ſeaſonable ſaving of their Right Eyes, &c. The Memory of a good turn muſt never wax old.
N. B. Thoſe Men of Jabeſh-Gilead were truly grateful, ſuch as are rare to be found: Theſe Men remembred this kindneſs of Saul to them many Years after; for when the Philiſtines had beaten his Army, and abuſed his Dead Body, by hanging it up in the Sun againſt a Wall, till it putrified and became full of Vermin, they Arm themſelves and went all Night to reſcue his Dead Body from the Philiſtines, as he had marched all Night to Reſcue them from the Ammonites, Burnt it and Buried his Bones, faſting Seven Days, 1 Sam. 31.9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
The ſecond and laſt part of this Chapter is the Oath of Fidelity that Iſrael univerſally Swears to the new King, v. 14, 15. where Note.
N. B. Firſt, Samuel's Sublime Wiſdom in making no motion nor mention of this Covenant of the Kingdom, at Saul's firſt Election, while the People were generally diſaffected towards him, becauſe of his mean Extract, Ruſtick Life, &c. but now when Saul had given them ſuch eminent Proofs of his Valour and Vertue, and when God had honoured him with ſo glorious a Victory, which had made the People place their Affections upon him both eagerly and unanimouſly; then doth Samuel ſtrike while the Iron was hot, and ſet in with this fit Seaſon.
N. B. Secondly, Samuel calls a General Aſſembly from Jabeſh to Gilgal, which was in their way home to moſt of them, but more eſpecially becauſe it was a place famous for many publick Conventions there kept, and particularly for the Covenant renewed by Joſhua, between God and the People, when God rolled away Reproach from Iſrael in their Circumciſion, therefore was the place call'd Gilgal, which ſignifies Rolling, &c. Joſh. 5.8.
N. B. Thirdly, Here 'tis ſaid, The People made Saul King,] whereas it was the Lord's immediate Act to Conſtitute him King, Chap. 8, 9. and 10.1. and the People only accepted of that Election the Lord had made for them, recognizing the firſt Act by a renewed Univerſal Conſent. All now perſonally Swearing Allegiance to him to prevent any future Factions and Inſurrections, &c.
N. B. Fourthly, The Ceremonies of Saul's Inauguration before the Lord, and his Prophet Samuel, ſome ſuppoſe to be theſe. (1.) They ſet the King upon his Throne. (2.) They Crowned him. (3.) They Anointed him. (4.) They put the Book of the Law into his Hand. (5.) They took an Oath of him to obſerve it. (6.) They Offered Sacrifices of all ſorts upon the Altar that was at Gilgal, partly praiſing God for preſent Mercy both in the Victory over Ammon, and in their Settlement under Saul, from ſad Diſtractions, and partly praying to God for his future favour, &c. (7.) Shutting all up with ſundry Signs of publick Joy.