Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · 1 Samuel · Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV.
THen Saul hearing, that David was at En-gedi went out with 3000. men V. 2.to seeke him upon the rockes of the wilde Goates, Junius, rupicaprarum, the Vulgar Latin, quoe solibicibus perviae sunt, which are passable onelyonly to the Ibices, that is, saith Lyra, a wilde Goate, which casting himselfe downe from the toppe Lyra.of a rocke, pitcheth upon his hornes without hurt; so that the place was difficult and dangerous to travaile in. Ibices, saith Comestor, are either those wilde. Goates, or fowles so called, being somewhat like astorke.
And they came to the sheepfoulds by the way, wherein was a cave, and Saul went in to cover his feet. This cave, it seemeth, was very large, for it receiveed David and V. 3.all his men, so that it seemeth to have beene a place, into which the shepheards brought their sheepe in the night season for their safegard. Osiander saith, in Germany there be caves so large, that in one, an whole band of men may be hidden. Now the nature of a cave siath Mortyr, is such, that they within may see him that entreth, but hee cannot see them, wherefore David with his men being P. Martyr.there saw Saul, but he could not see them. Then Davids men said unto him, The day is come, whereof the Lord hath said, I will deliver thine enemy into thy hand, and thou shalt doe unto him what seemeth good unto thee, wee do no where read of any such promise made, to David, yet happily it was made when David was with Samuel amongst the Prophets, but it is not recorded before this, as neither be many other things that were spoken or done, so Mar. and Lyra saith. Doctors do commonly hold, that this was spoken to David, when hee fled to Samuel; Junius hath it, Lyra.this in the day, in which the Lord saith, behold I deliver thine enemy into thy hand. Howsoever, it seemed not good to David now to slay Saul, but to cut off the lap of his V. 4.garment onelyonly; for hee said, that his hand should not bee upon the Lords anointed. This garment, saith Lyra, was a military garment called Chlamys, or Pyrautica, because it was shrp on both sides, and it reached downe to his ankles; Lyra.One of these laps David came softly and cut off. If it be doubted, how hee could doe its and not bee perceived, Peter Martyr saith, that happily he lay his upper garment aside, whilst he did his easment, but Pell. better, that the Jews were wont for decency, when they sat downe to do their easment with their upper Pellican.garment to cover themselves al over, and therefore it is called covering their feet, & so it hanging upon the ground in part, David might easily cut one lap off without being perceived, especially by reason of the noise made by the Army without in the meane season. But when David had done this, it is said, that his V. 5.heart smote him, whereupon the Rabbins say, that hee went with a purpose to kill Saul, but repented in going, and so did no more, but cut off a skirt of his garment, but for this God punished him in his kinde, in that when hee was old, he was cold and could not get any heare: but this soundeth like a frigid 1 King. 1. 1.and cold invention of theirs, for David alwayes abhorred from having a thought in his minde to kill the King, how injurious soever to him, because hee was, as hee saith in the next verse, the Lords anointed. But wherein was his fault, that his heart smote him, seeing hee did no more, but cutt off the skirt of Qu. his garment, for this seemeth to have beene a very small injury? Answ. Peter Peter Martyr.Martyr saith, that his heart smote him because at the first his fact seemed to bee injurious; but afterwards considering, that hee did not this to offer any injury to Saul, but hereby to manifest his humanity towards him, his deadly enemy, in sparing his life, when hee could as easily have taken it away, as cut off the lap of his garment, hee doubted not, but that it was warrantable both before God and men. And God would have him thus to obtaine testimony of his innocency from Saul, his utter enemy, which as Aristotle saith, is the greatest testimony of all others, Lyra saith, this cutting off some part of Sauls Lyra.garment could not be without some injury to Saul and therefore well might Davids heart smite him, seeing Saul was still his King, and therefore no injury ought by any of his Subjects to bee done unto him, no not with the best intention; and amongst the Jewes wee may note it to have beene counted an ignominy to have part of the long upper garment cut off, from the example of Davids men, who were so served by the King of Ammon, when they were sent to congratulate his comming to the Crowne after his fathers death, 2 Sam. 10. From this tendernesse in David wee may learne, how every Subject should Note. abhorre from killing his King, or doing him the least injury in word or deed for reverence to God, whose Vicegerent hee is, although hee bee a tyrant, and therefore as David, hee must with patience beare his tyranny, waiting the time that God hath appointed to take him away, from being any more a burthen to the Common-wealth, as David said, Ch. 26. 10.
David being blamed, as it is likely, by his men for sparing Saul, said unto V. 6. V. 7.them, the Lord forbid that I should doe this thing to my master, the Lords anointed, &c. and with these words stayed his men from rising against Saul. The Vulg. Latin, here hath these words further inserted, as the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come, &c. as Ch. 26. 10. But this Lyra judgeth well to have crept out of the margin into the Text through the ignorance of the scribe.
Saul thus escaping and going safe out of the cave, David followed him and V. 8, 9.cryed unto him, (My Lord the King) wherefore hearest thou mens words, saying, behold David seeketh thy hurt &c. David imboldened by his good conscience, dareth now to shew himselfe to Saul, but hee neglecteth no meanes, whereby hee might pacify his anger. For 1. hee boweth low unto him. 2. He acknowledgeth him to be his Lord and King, and father, and himselfe his humble Subject and Servant. 3. Hee proveth his innocency towards Saul against all traducers, because God having delivered him into his hand, hee spared his life. 4. He vilifyeth himselfe in comparison of Saul, as a dead dogge or a flea, after whom therefore it was a most unfit thing, that the King of Israel should come out, and take this travaile upon him to pursue him. Now whereas he saith, that God had delivered Saul into his hands, hee meaneth not, that hee might V. 10.lawfully have slaine him, although some thinke so, and the same phrase is afterwards used to Ahab, and hee is threatened, because the Lord having delivered 1 Kings 20.Benhadab into his hand, hee let him goe: and hee that is slaine casually by another man, is said to have been by God delivered iuto his hands, Exod. 22. 13. But here Saul. is said to have beene delivered into Davids hands, because P. Martyr.hee had an opportunity given him to slay him for the tryall of his patience and charity towards his enemy. For it was not lawfull for him to kill him, as Martyr reasoneth. 1. Because so he should have taken vengeance into his owne hands. 2. It might have beene an occasion of great dissention in the Commonwelath. 3. it would have beene scandalous to David thus to attaine the kingdome. 4. It would have beene an evill president to others to rise against their Kings, and to murther them, yea to his owne Subjects to have taught them afterwards to offer violence to him, upon their grievances. It may seeme indeed to have beene lawfull, as the case stood, because David was anointed King, Saul grew intolerably outragious and had killed the Priests of God, and came thither with a minde to kill David and his men, and it is not unlawfull to kill another in defending a man selfe; which last is true, if there be none other way to escape, but God shewed David a way to escape without killing Saul, as wee see in this place; and although David were anointed, and so appointed King after Saul, yet he must waite, till God, who had set him up, would pull him downe againe; and untill his actuall possessing of the kingdome, it belonged not unto him to punish outrages done upon any, except common enemies of the people of Israel. Lyra also saith that David was to honour Saul, as long as God tolerated him in his kingdome, and that he ought not to take revenge Lyra.upon Saul in his owne case, especially he having no office to execute judgement, and that this oppourtnity was offered him that his humanity might be manifested to his enemy.
As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked, &c. Hereby saith Lyra, he meant, that he went not about to kill Saul, neither V. 13.would he, but that he being wicked, he would leave him to be slaine by the more wicked, as it fell out, for he was slaine in a manner by the Philistims, 1 Sam. 31.when, to avoid that ignominy, he slew himselfe. The Hebrewes, saith he, thinke, that by the ancients, the ancient of dayes is meant, as God is called, Dan. 7. 9. and that this proverb was grounded upon that law, Exod. 21. 13. If a man smite his neighbour, not having layed waite for him, God hath delivered him into his hand, and I will appoint a City of refuge for him to flee unto: for this, they say, is either for some secret wickednesse in the slaine, thus judged by God, or in the slayer bringing that evill upon him, that he must live in exile from his owne house. But this is farre fetcht and little to the purpose, and for the former, that he would leave the wicked to be slaine by the wicked, it is not probable that he spake in such a sense, for hereby Saul might have beene more exasperated against him, and as improabable is it, that he is meant that he would leave him to fall by his owne wickednesse, as Vatablus hath it, as also that of Barrhoeus, that although Sauls wickednesse were such Vatablus. Barrhoeus.that he sought to kill David, yet David would not attempt the like against him, for thus he should have accused Saul, whereas he endeavoured not to accuse him, but onelyonly to excuse himselfe. The best then is that of Pellican, that he meant Sauls parasites by the wicked, such as Doeg and the Ziphims, as if he Pellican.had said, this wickednesse of killing any man unjustly commeth from the wicked, who stirre thee up against mee to take away my life, but I am none of that sort, for I fearre God, and therefore my hand shall not be upon thee, I abhorre from such a sinne.
The Lord therefore judge betweene me and thee, and plead my cause and deliver me out of thy hand. Having briefly said what he could to Saul. he lastly fleeth to V. 15.prayer, having little hope to prevaile with him being so inveterated in malice But his humanity and oration so full of weighty reason, and patheticall, did so worke with Saul, that he wept, and was overcome, and acknowledged David V. 16. 17. V. 19. Peter Martyr.to be more righteous then he, in that he being his enemy he yet spared his life, and so prayeth God to reward good unto him therefore. Some saith Martyr, thinke that Saul spake thus to David in hypocrisie, because of those that were about him, and saw how well David had deserved of him, who could not but have condemned him, as a raging beast, and no man, if he had not shewed to relent, upon so extraordinary kindenesse shewed upto him, and he thought happily by this meanes to draw him to the Court againe, and there with lesse scandall cut him off. But he thinketh rather, that he was seriously touched with remorse for the present, because he dealt with him, as one that he verily beleeved should be King, and have his children in his power, in that he urged him to sweare, that he would deale mercifully by them: thus also Pellican, and Pellican.this is most probable, because even in the wicked there is a conscience accusing them for their horrible wickednesses, as in Judas, who also confessed his sinne in betraying the Lord, and in Caiu &c. but here was no true repentance, because no reformation followed, but after a while he persecuted David againe. But here was a wonderfull change for the present in Saul from that which he was before, when he challenged Jonathan for taking part with David, and David for conspiring against him, for now he justifieth him and condemneth himselfe. A great encouragement to David in his affliction, and to all the Note. godly, for that their wicked enemies cannot …in their consciences acknowledge their innocency, although out of an …d malice against goodnesse they persecute them, and speake evill of them: which should make such as feare God to continue constant in their upright dealing, notwithstanding their suffering, because one day their righteousnesse shall breake out as as the sunne, and their wicked enemies shall be ashamed.
Here Saul further saith, that he knew certainely that David should be King, V. 20.and that the kingdome should be established unto him, because he was so good and vertuous, God was so manifestly with him to preserve him and bring him into his hands, who before had said, when he was at Keilah, that God had delivered David into his hands, and because God did prosper him so in all his undertakings, and he was so gracious in the eyes of all the people. For his wickednesse had made, that God had left him and threatned, that his kingdome should not stand, and the hearts of the people were averse from him, wherefore from the contrary in David, he gathered, that David was the man whom Samuel meant, when he told him, that God would take his kingdome from him and give it to his neighbour, that was better then he: for I 1. Sam. 15.doe not thinke with Martyr, that the anointing of David by Samuel was yet come to Sauls eare, for then he would also have sought Samuels life, so that he knew not thereby, that David should be King, but by the signes before alledged.
Then Saul required David to sweare unto him, that he would not cut off V. 21.his seed, but leave him a name in Israel, whereunto David yeilded and sware unto him, wherein saith Lyra, it may seeme that David sinned, 1. Because Saul was reprobated of God, and so no oath ought to have beene made unto Lyra.him for the preserving of his name in Israel. 2. Because David did afterwards contrary to this oath deliver 7 of the children of Saul to the Gibeonites to be 2 Sam. 21.cut off. But he answereth to the first, that he knew not Saul to be any further reprobated of God, but onelyonly in respect of his temporall kingdome: and to the second, the will of God is alwayes to be understood to be excepted, so that when a man hath sworne to spare any, if God biddeth him kill, he may doe it without perjury, and this was the case of those 7 children of Saul, God bade him satisfie the Gibeonites, whose demand was to have so many delivered unto them to be hanged up in revenge of Sauls cruelty formerly against them. Yet neither was the seed of Saul quite cut off, for Mephihosheth the son of Jonathan, the sonne of Saul was preserved, yea David was so farre from sinning, when he made this oath to Saul, that he fulfilled a precept of greatest perfection. Love your enemies, and dye good to those that hate you, &c. Moreover God in his Mat. 5. 44.law provideth, that the sonne shall not dye for the offence of the father, so that David sware to nothing, but what was just, and if he should have refused to sweare thus, there might have beene some colour for Saul to persecute him againe. And as he sweare, he did his endeavour to keepe his oath, for he did both slay him that said he killed Saul, and both those conspiratours that 2 Sam. 1. 2 Sam. 4.slew Ishbosheth, the sonne of Saul. OnelyOnly in the matter of the Gibeonites, wherein he had no power, he suffered that to be done, which he could not hinder, it being understood when he tooke this oath, unlesse God should command to the contrary.
Mystically by David hidden in a Cave, understand Christ, by Saul comming into his power to kill him, the Jewes comming to take him, whom he The Mystery.shewed, that he could have destroyed, when he made them fall backward by Joh 18. 6.the breath of his mouth; the Cave, wherein Christ was hidden in respect of his divinity, was his flesh, so that the Jewes could not see it; the lappe of Sauls garment, which David cut off, was the kingdome in a figure, whereof the Lord deprived the Jewes; and as at the last, when David shewed himselfe to 1 Sam. 15. 28.Saul, there was compunction in him and he acknowledge his owne wickednesse and Davids righteousnesse and sought his favour, so the Jewes shall one day, when their eyes shall be opened to see whom they have pierced, be compunct and sorrow therefore and seeke his favour.2 Cor. 3. Zechar. 12. 10.