Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · 1 Samuel · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
HEre Samuel expostulateth with the people about their rejecting of him, V. 1.and desiring to have a King; wherein hee saith, hee had yeelded unto them, and they now rejoyced in him, as by whom they had gotten a great victory, so that all sense of their sinne was now past. Wherefore, as was needfull, hee taketh this opportunity of having them together, to summon them to repentance: 1 By shewing, that hee had given them no cause to bee weary of the government of Judges, for which they should desire a King. 2 By recounting Gods gracious dealing towards them ever since the time that they were in Egypt; for if they were at any time oppressed by their enemies for their sins, & cryed unto the Lord, he delivered them by Judges even to his time. 3 By denouncing as great judgements against them and their King, as they had formerly suffered, if they did evill; so that the having of a King should no more priviledge them from sufferings, by their enemies then living under Judges, contrary to their foolish surmise, who thought now that they had a King, they should bee safe, whatsoever they did. 4 By calling for raine and thunder to terrifie them, God shewing hereby from heaven, that hee was greatly displeased with them for rejecting his government, and that it was not Samuel's saying onelyonly.
And now behold your King walketh before you, and I am old and grayheaded, V. 2.and my sonnes are with you, &c. Some of the Rabbins say, that Samuel dyed at 52 yeares of age, 18 of which time hee lived after that Saul was made King; Josephus also saith, that at 12 yeares old hee began to bee a Prophet, and Josephus.to judge the people, and 12 he judged alone, and 18 with Saul. By the first account he could be but 34, by the other but 24, when Saul was made King, both which must needs be most false, for before this he was old, and made his sons Judges, and both his sonnes and his gray head, now argue him to have been neare 60, for in those dayes men were not counted old sooner. 1 Sam. 7. 6. Samuel is said to have judged Israel in Mizpeh, which was 20 yeares after that the Arke came to Kiriath-jearim, and that was almost a yeare after Eli's death, and before his death the word of the Lord came unto him, and hee was known to bee a Prophet. Allow unto him then a competent age for a Prophet in Eli's time, and hee could not be lesse then 20 or 25. whereunto adde 20 more till his being received for Judge, see my notes upon 1 Sam. 7. 6. and then he must bee 40, or thereabout, when hee began to judge, after which hee could not be so old as to need substitutes till 20 yeares more were expired; so that when Saul was made King, hee must needs bee above 60, unto which if 18 in the time of Saul bee added, hee must needs bee about 80 when hee dyed. But for his time of judging alone, and together with Saul, see my notes upon Acts 13. 21.
But why doth hee say, My sonnes are with you? Lyra answereth, he meaneth, Lyra.that they were as pledges to make satisfaction, wherein hee was not able, if he had done them any wrong. Ʋatablus and Pellican, that they were amongst Vatablus. Pellican.them to be consulted with, because Saul had yet no experience of government. Osiander, that they were as private men to bee called to an account, as he would Osiander.give account for himselfe. Borrhaeus saith, that hee speaketh of his sonnes by way of upbraiding them, in that they refused to have them for their Judges, comming of a father that had so well deserved of them. Of all these, that of Osiander seemeth to mee most genuine. I am old, and so unfit now any longer to beare the great burthen of governing alone, and therefore I have made you a King to governe in my stead; and for my sonnes, whom yee complained of, as unworthy for their corrupt dealing, to Judge, now that I have made you a King, they are with you, they are deposed, and become like your selves, private men and subjects, so as that they can trouble you no more by the abuse of their authority; but if yee will have them further punished for abuses past, yee may, but I have walked before you from my childhoold hitherto. And now in all this time of my being Judge over you, which hee meaneth by walking before them, if yee have any thing to object against me, wherin I have wronged any of you, speake, and I will make satisfaction, and if not, yee did headily and unadvisedly in rejecting mee for a King. Peter Martyr saith the same with Osiander, and addeth, that hee spake of them, because they knew him at home, and more inwardly, and therefore if they would, they might know of them whether he had any way dealt corruptly.
Behold here I am, witnesse against mee before the Lord and his anointed, &c. V. 3.Here by anointed hee meaneth not Christ, as some thinke, but Saul, as appeareth more plainly, v. 5. before whom hee spake thus, partly, that hee might by his example of just and equall dealing, bee put in minde of his duty, and not take occasion from that which hee had said before of the manner of a King, to play the tyrant; partly, to vindicate his government from all aspersion of injustice that might after wards be laid upon it; and partly, that the people Osiander.might see their owne folly, recounting the equity of their Judges, when they Borrhaeus.should see the unequal proceedings of some of their Kings. Whose oxe have I taken, that is, saith Lyra, to doe my worke, or whose Asse, that is, to ride upon from one place to another. Whom have I defrauded, that is, by unjustly drawing him Lyra.to judgement; or oppressed, that is, doing him any kinde of injury; Of whose hand have I received any bribe to blinde mine eyes therewith; the Vulg. Latine, & contemnam illud bodie, which Lyra following, saith, hee meaneth, that if hee had taken any thing for judging justly, hee would not hold it still, but restore it, as in the next words, Hebr. it is, That I might blinde mine eyes with it, because it is said, Deut. 16. 19. A reward blindeth the eyes of the wise, that is, that hee seeth not the goodnesse or badnesse of the cause, but is, as it were, blindly led to give sentence on his side that bribeth him. Wherefore without cause are those Expositors divided amongst themselves, who referre these words, with it, some to a bad cause, some to a good, and some to the person judged. Peter Martyr readeth Peter Martyr.it, Of whom have I received a price, and bid mine eyes from him. He saith also, that Samuel speaketh but of small things, intimating, that much lesse had hee taken any field or possession; so Moses in way of apology for himself, saith of Corah and his company, I have not taken an hoofe of them. Hereby it Numb. 16.appeareth what a good governour Samuel was, and hereunto the people gave all witnesse, hee sought not the inriching of himselfe and his children, but onelyonly the good of the Common-wealth to his own great charge.
And Samuel said, The Lord is witnesse this day, &c. here, saith Lyra, the V. 5. Lyra.Hebrewes have a tradition, that Samuel desiring that God would bee his witnesse, a voice came from God, saying, Witnesse, and indeed so the Hebrew soundeth, where the words are these, God is witnesse against you, and his anointed is witnesse this day, that yee have not found ought in my hand, and hee said, Witnesse; therefore it seemeth, that God himselfe by a lively voice testified his innocency.
Samuels innocency being thus cleared, hee now repeateth Gods gracious V. 6, 7, 8.dealing towards them ever since their being in Egypt, for neither there did he faile to deliver them, when they cryed unto him, by the hands of Moses and Aaron, and since their comming into Canaan, although for their sinnes hee gave them into the hands of their enemies divers times, yet when they cryed V. 9. V. 10.unto him hee raised up deliverers, who saved them from Sisera, the Philistims and Moabites, even Jerubbaal, Bedan, Iephthah and Samuel. In speaking of Moses V. 11.and Aaron, hee saith, Which brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. Wherepon a question is made, how Moses and Aaron could bee said to make them dwell in the land of Canaan, seeing they were both dead Qu. before their coming into Canaan? Junius answereth, Moses gave them part Iunius.of their inheritance before their going over Jordan, and in this regard it was thus said. Osiander, Hee by Joshua, whom hee substituted in his owne place, gave them possession. But most improbably of all Borrbaeus and Vatablus, they Osiander.made them dwell here by giving them Lawes, and Ordinances, whereby they Borrhaeus. Vatablus.attained it. For they were alwayes rebellious and disobedient to these laws. The true answer is, they made them dwell here, because they brought them to the very entrance of the land, and gave it unto them by assigning to the nine tribes and halfe the whole Countrey, and laying out the bounds thereof for them, when they had given to the other two Tribes and halfe actuall possession of their parts. They were so ascertained of the land by them as if they had had it then in possession.
For the enemies, into whose hands they were so sold, Judg. 3. Wee finde, that Cushanrishathaim was the first, and Moab the second, and Judg. 4. Jabin King of Canaan and Sisera his captaine, the third, and Iudg. 6. the Midianites the fourth, and Iudg. 10. the Philistims and Ammonites, the fifth, & Iudg. 13. the Philistims the sixt. The Judges raised up to deliver them was first Othniel, second Ebud, third Barak and Deborah, fourth Gideon, otherwise called Ierubbaal, fifth Iephtbab, sixth Samson, and after him Samuel who delivered them mightily from the same enemies. But here three sorts of enemies are onelyonly mentioned, the Canaanites, Philistims and Moabites, and that not in order neither, for Moab oppressed them before the other two: and of their deliverers foure onelyonly, and of these two saved them out of the other enemies hands, viz. the Midianites and Ammonites, Samuel from the Phisistims, Barak being left to bee understood, by the Canaanites and their Captaine Sisera mentioned, seeing it was well knowne, that by Barak they had that deliverance, and Ehud by mentioning the Moabites, yet the Vulgar Latin supplyeth Barak, but I see no reason, but Ebud might as well have had his name put in also. But Samuel thought it enough for brevities sake to give onelyonly a touch of every oppression and deliverance, by mentioning either the one or the other and not both, except in that of the Philistims, because they were their most noted enemies, and had beene longest grievous unto them. But as their first oppression by Cushanrishathaim is not touched upon, so neither is Othniel, their deliverer from him, but another strange name Bedan, never heard of before, put in: yet in the Sept. Translation omitted, and Ierubbaal, Barak, Iephthah, and Samuel mentioned. It is generally held both by Hebrew and Christian expositers, that Bedan was Samson, so called, because the Spirit of God moved him in the campe of Dan, for Bedan, is in Dan, but some Rabbins will have it Bedan, for Bendan the sonne of Dan: and they say, hee is mentioned before Iudg. 13. 25.Iephthah, although in time after him, because hee was more famous. Iunius hath a singular opinion by himselfe, whom Willet also followeth, that by Bedan Iunius. Iudg. 10. 3.Iair a Judge, a Manassite is meant, because hee was before Iephthah, but Samson after, and to make this the more probable hee alleadgeth 1 Chron. 7. 17. where this name is found amongst the Manassites, and hee might bee called both by it and Jair also. This opinion I confesse, moveth me somewhat, but seeing Iair onelyonly judged Israel, and was not famous for any particular deliverance, as the rest here named were, I cannot subscribe to him: for Samuel naming so few would never have put in one amongst them, that was of no fame for any warlike exploit, leaving out others of note. And why Bedan should bee put for Samson, I cannot see, for if hee were moved in Dan, other Judges were also moved in their Tribes, for which they might as well have beene named thereby. I therefore preferre the Sept. putting Barak for Badan, not through mistaking, as some thinke, or corruption, because in the Hebr. and Chaldee it is Badan or Bedan, but his knowne name is in the Hebr. concealed, because hee went about the worke to which hee was called so cowardly, for hee would not goe, except Deborab went with him, for which shee said, that it should not bee for his honour. Hee is then set forth by the name of Bedan signifying in judgement, to intimate, that although hee was used as an instrument to deliver Israel, yet it was under another that was Judge, viz. Deborah, so as was none of all the other Judges. For the totall omission of the first Judge and deliverance from Cushanrishathaim, it was of so short a time and so long a time of peace immediately followed, and happily in that short time the oppression was not great, but a tribute onelyonly exacted of them, as that it was not now much talked of. If the time of Barak bee objected, for hee was before Ierubbaal, but here Bedan is named after, Samuel was nothing curious in keeping order, as wee may see in that their oppression by Moab, which was before the other two is named last. Touching Samuels naming of himselfe, this was not out of vaine-glory, but because by him they had so lately beene delivered from the the Philistims, who were kept under ever since, to aggravate their sinne of ingratitude, in that now they would shake him off and have a King notwithstanding that great blessing injoyed by his meanes.
Yet when yee saw, that Nahash, the King of the Ammonites came against you, V. 12.yee said, Nay but a King shall raigne over us, when the Lord your God was your King. How is it said, that the comming of Nahash against them was a cause of their asking a King, when as Nahash came not against Iabesh, till after Sauls election, and that as some say, a monethmonth? Hugo answereth according to Josephus, Hugo Card. Ioseph. lib. 6. Antiq. cap. 5.that Naqash came against those, that dwelt beyond Iordan in divers places and vexed them before the election of a King, but now having gathered a farre greater army, he returned againe and besieged Iabesh, and put them to it so, as was said before, Ch. 11.
If yee will feare the Lord and serve and obey him, then shall both yee and your King V. 14.continue following the Lord your God: the Vulgar Latin, eritis sequentes dominum, and Hebr. yee shall bee after the Lord, so Vatablus, Peter Martyr, Arias, &c. but Iunius, perman…bitis sequentes, expounding it, whilst ye follow the Lord, ye remain Iunius.safe. But rendring it word for word, yee shall be after the Lord, is best if with Peter Martyr, wee expound it, yee shall be still under him, as your King, and he will Peter Martyr. V. 15.protect you and take care for you. But if you will not obey, but rebell against the commandement, Hebr. the mouth of the Lord, then shall his hand bee against you, … it was against your fathers, Hebr. and against your fathers. But hereupon a question is moved, how it could bee threatened to bee against their fathers? Peter Martyr answereth, it is meant either against their Princes, who are parents of the Country, or being against them, it was also against their parents, because they were part of their parents, or else according to our translation, and foreign being taken for, as; Yet some, hee saith, understand it against their parents, in that his promises, made to them should not bee performed. I preferre the first way, as also doth Pellican, Vatablus, and Borrheus; the Sept. to put it out of doubt read it, and upon your Kings, and this is made plaine, v. 25. But the Chaldee, Iunius, and Osiander are for this rendring, as against your fathers. Thus Samuel having put them in hope of having God on their side, if they did well notwithstanding their fore-objected ingratitude, but terrifying them if they did ill; now that they might have some sensible signe of this their sinne, and bee humbled for it, hee calleth to God for raine and thunder V. 16, 17, 18, 20.in the time of wheat-harvest, which God accordingly sent, and then the people feared greatly, and desired Samuel to pray for them, and confessed their great sinne in asking a King. Samuel prayed once before, 1 Sam. 7. 10. and it thundered upon the Philistims, wherefore now to make them to see into their sinne, hee prayed for thunder againe, and yet for raine withall, because otherwise it might have been more dangerous. And this hee did, because hereby they might bee put in minde of the former thunder, and of Gods power shewed therein, to the destruction of the Philistims, and consider againe in what grace Samuel was with him, so as that when hee would he could procure thunder, that they might both be sorry, & condemn themselves of folly for rejecting such a Judge for a King; and seeing that if hee would, hee could have procured a destroying thunder against them, as well as against the Philistims, they might feare and tremble before God and him, and so the more readily hearken to his instructions. And it is noted to have been in the time of wheat-harvest, because this tended to the magnifying of the miracle the more, seeing that in those hot Countreys it never used to raine at that time of the yeare. For some say, it rained not there from the midst of March to the midst of October, betweene which times they had their early and their latter raine, and all generally, that they seldome had any raine in harvest. Against this, Hugo saith, it may bee objected, that Jordan is said to have overflowed the bankes, Josh. Hugo Cardin.3. 15. at harvest time, and the same is touched upon, Ecelus. 24. and how could this bee, but by the abundant falling of raine? Hee answereth, this might either be caused by the rain falling abundantly before harvest, or by the snow, which melting now came downe and made it to overflow, see Josh. 3. 15. But the overflowing of Jordan in harvest, is to bee understood of the barley harvest, and not of the wheat harvest, of which it is spoken here, and that was long before this, and so nearer to the time of raine. For the peoples fearing, it was because the tempest was so terrible, that it seemed to threaten destruction unto them, of which terrour in the time of thunder and lightening wee have had often experience, and many have perished thereby. For their sin in asking a King now acknowledged, see before, 1 Sam. 8.
Samuel seeing the people greatly perplexed, comforteth them, by promising V. 20, 21.that the Lord would not forsake them, because hee had made them his people, having first exhorted them constantly to serve God, and not to goe after vanity, although they had done this great wickednesse to aske a King. V. 22. For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great Names sake, because it hath pleased him to make you his people: the word foreign rendred, hath pleased, signifieth also, hath sworne, and hath begun; wherefore the Vulg. Latine hath it, begun; Pellican, sworne; Peter Martyr, hee would, rejecting neither of the other, for it may well bee understood any way, but rather the good pleasure of God is here pointed at as the cause of their election to bee his people, so that hee could not for the glory of his Names sake, this being knowne to the Nations round about, but spare them and uphold them from perishing, and defend and make them yet a greater people. For if he should not, other peoples would either have said, that hee was not true of his promise, or that he was not able, which would have been to his great dishonour. And this is the ground of the comfort of all his elect, he will not forsake them because of his owne good will he hath chosen them.
Moreover, God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord, in ceasing to pray V. 23.for you, &c. that is, although yee have rejected mee, yet I am so farre from any enmity or hatred in my minde against you therefore, as that I will not cease to pray for your good; and hereby it shall appeare that I have not prayed for this thunder out of hatred against you, but to bring you to repentance and better obedience, that yee might escape Gods destroying judgements, and still keep his favour. And hee saith, God forbid that I should sinne, to imply, that a Prophet who neglecteth his duty in praying for the people committed unto him, sinneth against God, and consequently if he should neglect to instruct and teach them: And againe, that the enmity of others against us may not bee requited with enmity, but with love, and praying for them, according Matth. 5.to that, Love your enemies, and pray for them that hate you and persecute you, and therefore to cease to pray even for such is a sinne.
Having comforted the people in promising to pray for them, hee concludeth with an exhortation to serve God in truth, and with a threatening if they V. 24, 25.did otherwise, that both they and their King should perish. In truth, saith Lyra.Lyra, that is, without dissimulation, and with all your heart, that is, without dimunition.