Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · 1 Samuel · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI.
HEre the History returneth againe to Sauls pursuing after David, and it is shewed, first, how he was instigated by the Ziphims, of whom see before, chap: 23. vers. 19. and they describe the place, as then they did, where David was, in the hill Hachilah over against Jeshimon. Now the Ziphimt were forward in stirring up Saul, because they had betrayed David once before, and now seeing him to live still and to bee quiet (for hee would not have set his minde upon marrying, but that hee now was Lyra.free from persecution) they feared, lest if hee should come to the crowne, hee would bee avenged upon them, wherefore they seeke to have him out off: so Lyra and Martyr, who addeth, that David might seeme not to Peter Martyr.have done wisely to goe againe into the confines of Ziph, where hee had beene in danger once before: but hee saith, that necessitie inforced him to abide thereabouts, because Abigails cattell, whom hee had married, were in those parts. And I doubt not, but there was a singular providence in it, that Saul might once more give proofe of his inveterate malice against David continuing, even after so great a benefit received from David, and his oath to him, and yeelding in a manner to him the Kingdome after his decease, that David might never by trusting to his faire speeches come within his danger; and also that Saul might againe come into Davids power to manifest his goodnesse the more and Sauls naughtinesse, and that David might hereby bee more comforted in respect of Gods providence over him, and confirmed in his faith in him, to bee preserved to the Kingdome, which he had promised him.
Saul being stirred up by the Ziphims commeth out againe to seek David, having with him 3000. men, and when hee was in Hachilah, and David in the V. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 7, 8. 9, 10. 11, 12.wildernesse, David knowing by his spies the place where his campe lay, went by night with Abishai, when hee and all his men were sleeping, so that hee might have killed him, and was perswaded by Abishai to let him doe it, but hee then also spared him, and taking his speare that stuck at his head, and a cruse of water for a signe, hee went away, no man perceiving it, for a dead sleepe was sent from the Lord upon them all. This may seeme to bee a desperate adventure of David, but it seemeth, that God by the instinct of his spirit stirred him up unto it, because hee sent a dead sleep upon Saul and all his men, as when Gideon went to the hoast of the Midianites, and Jonathan and his armour-bearer to the Philistims Campe, were moved by God so to doe.
But before Davids going with Abishai in the night, hee had been there disguised in his habit, saith Lyra, upon Vers. 5. to see where Saul lay. For it is V. 5. Lyra.said, David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: In the vulgar Latine, David surrexit clam, hee went privily, that is, saith hee, disguising himselfe, that he might not bee knowne, as Alexander sometime being disguised in his habit went into the midst of the campe of Porus, the King of the Persians.
Then having marked the place where Saul lay in the trench and his V. 6.men round about him, hee said to Abimelech and Abishai the sonne of Zerviah, brother to Joah, Who will goe with mee, &c. This Zerviah, saith Lyra, was one of Davids sisters, whose sonnes were Joah and Abishai, and besides her hee had another sister called Abigail of whom came Amasa. 2 Sam. 17. Martyr P. Martyr.saith, that some thinke, that David went not into Sauls campe till that Abishai went with him, but othrs that hee went first alone, and this agreeth best with the Text, and with reason for how should David know, where Saul lay, except hee had first scene the place by day light? Wee may see here, of what little Note. force a strong guard is about a King, if God will have him lye open to danger, that none may trust to men, and munition, but to God alone. For the cruse of water at Sauls head, either, saith Lyra, it was rose-water to refresh him against the heate, or other common water for him to wash his hands, when hee arose. Howsoever, that and the speare taken away were an evident token that he who took them, could as easily have killed Saul, if he had born him any malice.
Then David went to the other side and stood on the top of an hill a farre off, a great space being betweene them, and cryed unto the people and to Abner, the son of Net, &c. V. 13, 14.David went a farre off from Sauls campe, before hee uttered his voyce, that hee might bee out of danger, and then he cryeth not to the King, but to Abner, his Captaine, who should have provided better by a watch in the night for the Kings safety. But Abner answered, who art thou, that cryest to the King, the Vulgar Latin, that disquietest the King, respecting rather the sense, then the proper signification of the words. David replyeth, that Abner had committed a great fault, in that hee kept the King no better, saying, that hee was V. 15, 16.therefore worthy to dye. When Saul heard Davids voyce, hee spake and said, Is this thy voyce, (my sonne David?) Saul was againe now touched in conscience V. 17.for his bloody intention against David, seeing him to have had more care of his preservation, then they, to whom the custody of his body was committed, wherefore he now beginneth to speake kindely againe unto him. Then David in all submi…nesse expostulated with him, asking him, why hee did thus pursue his servant, and what evill he had done; and if it came from the Lord, meaning by the evill spirit in judgement sent upon Saul, hee desired him to offer V. 18.a sacrifice, but if men had stirred him up, then hee wished, that they might bee cursed, because they had by this meanes caused, that he could no longer V. 19.abide in the inheritance of the Lord, that is, in the land of Israel, which hee should bee compelled againe to forsake, as hee had formerly done, to flee Sauls fury and to goe for safegard into the land of the uncircumcised, who served other Gods, whereby he might bee indangered living amongst them to be likewise corrupted by idolatry. Touching these words, If the Lord hath stirred thee up against mee, let him accept an offering, the Vulgar Latin, odoretur sacrificium, and the Hebr. rendred word for word, let him smell a sacrifice, whereby his accepting of it is meant, because when Noah sacrificed, Gods acceptance of his sacrifice was by this phrase set forth, the Lord smelled a savour of rest. But amongst expositors all doe not referre this sacrificing to Saul, as I have done in the Paraphrase before going, but Pelliean and Osiander, who expound the whole passage, Pellican. Osiander.as I have done. Martyr and Borrbaeus understand of Davids offering sacrifice, as if hee had said, I will offer him a sacrifice. Lyra, let my patience bee accepted P. Martyr. Borrhaeus. Lyra. Junius. Hugo Card.of, as a sacrifice offered upon his Altar. Junius, let mee bee slaine, and so made, as it were a sacrifice. Others, as Hugo hath it, let us prove by sacrificing whether it cometh of him, for hee will give some signe, I doubt not, for my justification. I rest in the first referring it to Saul, because sacrificing was a meanes of atonement with the Lord, and for a man to have his sinnes mercifully pardoned, and so the judgement therefore sent removed, if then Saul by his sinnes had provoked God to send an evill spirit upon him, which made him to rage against men, and to seeke their destruction without cause, and in particular against David, as hee knew well by former experience that he did, 1 Sam. 18. 10, 11. he advised him to flee to this meanes of pacifying God, that the evill spirit spirit being taken away, and he restored to a good temper againe, might cease from this outrageous proceeding. For to referre the sacrificing to David seemeth to mee to bee unreasonable, both because hee could not come to the place, where hee might offer, and if hee thought, that the Lord in wrath against him had stirred up Saul to this persecution, hee would doubtlesse have sought long before by offering to pacify him, when he was at the Tabernacle with Ahimelech or with Samuel. Moreover David had done nothing to provoke God against him, but had many experiments of his favour towards him, and lately in the matter of Nabal, and now in bringing Saul into his power, hee did but goe on in the course, wherein God had set him as a poore patient, but Saul was manifestly extravagant, and therefore hee properly had neede to repent and seeke to God by prayer and sacrifice, as the interlinear Glosse hath it, and not David. Now the Lord may bee said to stirre up a man to evill, either by sending into him an evill spirit for his sinnes, as hee did to Saul, or by doing good to another, for which hee envyeth him and seeketh to doe him mischiefe, which was Sauls case also, for God is said to have hardned Pharaohs heart, when hee did that whereby hee was hardened: and for sacrificing to make a sweet savour, it was by reason of the relation which sacrificing had to Christs passion, which had a sweet smell before him, although the smell comming from the sacrifice it self, Lyra.was offensive. Whereas in speaking of the sonnes of men, if they had stirred him up, hee saith, that they were cursed, because by their meanes hee was driven from the inheritance of the Lord, and they said unto him, that is, facto, saith Lyra, Goe and serve other Gods, not onelyonly in respect of the danger, that Deut. 13. Peter Martyr. Note.is of being drawne to idolatry by living amongst idolaters, but also because they might use violence to compell him, such were indeed accursed because they were an occasion of drawing others into the wickednes of idolatry. Here Martyr noteth, what a grievous thing it was to David to live amongst idolaters, and how greatly hee preferred to live amongst the people of God, where he was rightly worshipped; and the same minde ought to bee in every faithfull person, it should not trouble him so much to goe from house and land, as from the place where the true religion is maintained to live elsewhere, and therefore they that for worldly gaine are content to live amongst idolaters, and to settle there, seeme not to be led with the spirit of David, but with the spirit of the world.V. 20.
And now let not my blood fall to the ground before the Lord &c. that is, slay mee not unjustly, for this cannot bee done, but God will see it and take vengeance Vatablus. Peter Martyr. Borrhaeus.upon thee therefore, so Vatablus. But Martyr and Borrhaeus, my blood shall not fall to the ground before the Lord, that is, the Lord will not suffer it, doe what thou canst, and therefore thou doest pursue after me in vaine. Yet Martyr hath the former exposition also, thou must not thinke, if thou slayest mee, that my blood shall be as water spilt upon the ground, that none regardeth, for God hath set mee in his sight, and I am alwayes under his protection: Hee also mentioneth a third, as if this were a prayer to God, that he would not suffer his bloud to be spilt, and a fourth, that he spake thus, because he meant to flee out of the land, so that Saul should not bee able to come neare him to Iunins.hurt him. Junius differing from all others hath it, let not my blood fall afarre off from the sight of the Lord, that is, before my cause cometh to bee heard before the Judge by a Legall proceeding. I subscribe to the first, that it is a request to Saul, not to seeke thus any more unjustly to take away his life, the Lord being mentioned, who heard and saw all things, that Saul might be the more moved by his speach to cease from persecuting him. And he concludeth with comparing himselfe to a flea and to a Partridge in the wildernesse, whom being so mean, it was not for the honour of a King thus to pursue, see Ch. 24. 14.
Saul being overcome with Davids carriage towards him condemneth himselfe againe, as Ch. 24. 17. hee confesseth, that he had erred exceedingly and promised V. 21.no more to seeke to hurt David: where by error understand, not error arising out of ignorance, but out of malice and envy, because hee knew David should have the Kingdom, and therefore although that he knew he did evill in persecuting David, he refrained not from this great wickednesse, and thus his fault was no whit the more extenuated as in other cases of erring.
The Lord render to every man his righteousnesse &c. These are the words of V. 23.David to Saul, and hee approves his owne righteousnesse, because Saul, hee saith, being delivered into his hands, hee yet spared his life, desiring Saul that V. 24.he would likewise spare his life. In desiring God to render every one his righteousnes he implieth not any merit in the righteousnes of man, but prayeth, that God would accept of it and rewardit out of his mercy. For the righteousnes of man, is no waymeritorious, but the way to attaine unto the good which God hath promised.
Saul replyeth, that David should doe great things, and also prevaile, meaning, V. 25.that he should live to come to the kingdome, and raigne prosperously, to which effect almost he had spoken before, ch. 24. 20.