Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · 1 Samuel · Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX.
DAVID comming backe to Ziklag upon the third day found it spoiled V. 1.and burnt with fire, and their Wives and Children carryed all away, but not one killed. Here David might plainly see the hand of God chastising him, saith Martyr, for offering to goe with Achish against Israel, but rather he might see the singular providence of God, in that he was caused so speedily to returne from an unjust warre that he was towards, to a just warre for the rooting out of the rest of the Amalekites, whom Saul had formerly not slaine, when he was sent against them. These Amalekites did beare a deadly hatred Exod: 17.against the Israelites even from their first comming out of Aegypt, for which cause Saul was sent against them to destroy them all, and slew all that he 1 Sam: 15.could come by, except Agag the King, and David, ch. 27. 8. made another destruction of them more lately, wherefore their malice being now much increased, they tooke this opportunity, when all the men were gone out of Ziklag, to come and doe these Israelites all the despight that they could. But whereas David had slaine of their people in those parts that he invaded every living soule, both of man, woman, and childe, they contrariwise slew none, a divine power certainely overruling them herein, in favour to David, that he might recover them all againe alive. But with them doubtlesse covetousnesse wrought herein, they preserved all with an intent to sell them.
When David and the men with him saw, what had beene done, they first V. 4.wept exceedingly, and then the people were ready to stone him, because he had beene no more provident to leave some behinde to defend the City, but he comforted himselfe in his God. David was now in a great straight, by reason of his many enemies, Saul, the Philistims, Amalekites, and his owne men, but even now he shewed great strength of faith, he comforted himselfe in God, who he knew, would assuredly preserve him to raigne over Israel, as he had promised. And he called God his God, for the great experience that he in particular Peter Martyr.had of his goodnesse, so Paul Rom. 1. 8. I thanke my God, Gal. 2. 20. and whereas the faithfull soule calleth Christ, my well beloved, in the Canticles, Bernard noteth, that she challenged the Lord of the universe by a certaine kinde of propriety for Bernard. univer sitatis dominum quadam sibi proprietate vendicat in dilectum. Mirum hoc videtur sed verum, animam Deum videniem, haud secus vide re, quam si sola videatur a Deo.her beloved, which is wonderfull, but it is true, the soule seeth the seeing God no otherwise, then as if shee alone were seene of God. So particular is the faith of a true beleever against the doctrine of the Romanists, who taxe it for presumption to have a particular assurance of Gods grace and favour. In that David wept, note against the Stoicks, that passion is incident to wise men, and that such doe not upon any accident refraine from changing so much as their countenance, as they hold, for this 'twere to be a stocke without life, and sense, and not a man.
David being in this straight, consulteth with God by the Ephod and highpriest V. 7. V. 8.Abiathar; how this was done see Exod 28. 30. then the Lord answered, that he should pursue after the enemies and recover all, whereby it seemeth, that he answered by voice.
Then David hastened after them with his 600 men and came to the brooke Besor, where 200 that were faint, were left behinde, and he with 400 went on, and finding a young man an Aegyptian almost dead with hunger, when by giving V. 9. 10. &c.him to eate, he was revived, they were by him brought to the Amalekites, who were making merry with their great prey, and so suddenly destroyed by David and his men, coming unexpectedly upon them, all but 400, that escaped by fleeing away upon Camels, and all the prey was recovered, which they had taken both out of Judah, and from Ziklag, and they missed nothing of all that they had lost. v. 17. it is said, that David smote them from the twilight till the evening of the next day, he spent so long a time, saith Lyra, in slaying them, because many ranne away and some were hidden, so that they could no sooner finde Lyra.them out. Whereas David is now said to have consulted with the Lord, but not before, when he came first to Achish, when he went out to Warre upon the Amalekites and Gezrites, nor when he went with Achish to battle, Martyr noteth that till he was in great affliction he neglected his duty, and proceeded Peter Martyr.onelyonly upon his owne head, but now in his distresse he was humbled and sought to God, and he answered him, when as he had refused to answer Saul, of which see the cause, ch. 28. 6. And in that being encouraged by the Divine Oracle he pursued after the Amalekites, and although in the way 200 of his men were spent so, as that they could goe no further, yet he proceeded thence onelyonly with 400. that his faith was strong. For he doubted not even with these, seeing he had Gods promise to get the victory.
Touching the servant, an Egyptian found in the way, it is said that his master left him, because hee was sicke, there to perish with famin; this was a cruell part in his master, and contrary to that which in common humanity hee ought to have done. The Centurion having a servant sicke sought Mat: 8. 5.with all diligence to have him healed, and so ought this mans master to have provided better for him, and to have put him into some Waggon, wherein other things were carried, or upon some Beast, especially having time and leysure so to doe, seeing no enemy yet pursued after them. But for this his inhumanity hee went not unpunished, the servant thus cruelly dealt withall, and Note. left not like a man, but a beast, became the overthrow of the whole Army: and let all masters, that deale cruell with their poore Servants, not looke to escape Gods revenging hand, who is the Patron of the distressed, and hath Servus in gravi morbo dimissus a domino liber esto. Si …erus negaverit servo suo alimenta & alius suppedites, sit occupentis.shewed his care, that Servants should not be cruelly used by divers Laws made in their behalfe, Exod: 22. Levit. 25. 39. see also Ier. 34. Also the Roman Laws did much favour servants, as in Digest. leg. 2. let the servant, that is left of his master in his sicknesse goe out free, because hee is then forsaken, when hee ought specially to be helped, againe lege ultima pro derelicto, if any master denyeth food unto his servant and another supplyeth him with food, hee shall thence forth bee his servant. But it may bee doubted here, whether David did well in seeking to make a servant to become an instrument to betray his Master. Sol. He was now no longer the Amalekites servant, but Davids, who had taken him and saved his life, and by his old master hee was quite put off, wherefore hee might well use his helpe to effect that the more speedily, which God had promised him, as taking him to bee an instrument prepared of God in the way to direct him, who otherwise might have wandred with his men about uncertainly. For Davids killing of all the Amalekites, and sparing none, he may seeme herein to have dealt too cruelly, especially seeing they had beene more favourable to their wives and children, and killed none of them. But forsomuch as the Amalekites were a people adjudged to destruction, he may well be justified in thus doing, and for their sparing of the Israelites wives and children, it was not done, as was shewed before, out of mercy, but covetousnesse to make money of them.
For the time, that David was killing and slaying, the Vulgar Latin hath it, V. 17.from the evening to the evening of the next next day, the Sept. from the morning to the evening and so untill the next day. Hebr. from the twilight and unto the evening of their Pagninus.morrow, that is, as Pagninus explaineth it, untill the evening of the day after these two twilights. Josephus saith, it was but from dinner time, till the night Iosephus.of the same day, but that cannot bee, seeing it is said, from the twilight, &c. and Iunius.I am sure they could not be said to bee at dinner so soone in the morning. Junius most probably, from the twilight of their morrow, that is, the twilight of the day after that, wherein David and his men set forth to pursue them, till the evening, so that it was not two dayes together that they were making this slaughter (for neither could their strength have held out so to doe, neither would the darke of the night have permitted them) but one whole day. Whereas they are said to have beene found eating and drinking, it is to bee thought that this being so early in the morning was done riotously, they having continued banquetting and playing all the night, had not yet broken off, even when the day began to dawne the next day.
David did not onelyonly recover all that was lost, as God had promised him, V. 19, 20.but tooke also the Amalekites flockes and heards and drove them, as it were, in triumph before their owne cattle, saying, this is Davids prey, thus ascribing the victory to him to his greater honour, as before they had laid all the fault upon him, and were ready to stone him. If it bee doubted, whether Davids fact in carrying the cattle of the Amalekites were justifiable or not, because Saul was reproved for sparing any thing alive of theirs; It is answered, 1 Sam. 15.that David had no charge to the contrary, but Saul had, which made it a P. Martyr.sinne in him, but none in David. Moreover, these cattle had beene formerly taken by the Amalekites out of Judah, and therefore were stolne goods, wherefore Pellican.David might well take them from the robbers, so Pellian: but if so, hee ought rather to have restored them, as Abraham did the goods recovered to Gen. 14.the Sodomites. See here the difference betwixt the godly and the wicked, these Note. begin in sorrow, as David and his men, but end in joy, and the greater his extremity was, for that even his owne men were against him, the more is the honour now done unto him by them to make him amends by intituling him to all the prey, that was gotten, but the wicked have joyfull beginnings, and end miserably, as the Amalekites, when they looked for nothing lesse.
David after this approaching towards the place, where he left the foresaid V. 21.200. men, they came out to meete him and to congratulate this great victory, and hee curteously saluted them, but some conspired not to let them have any part of the prey, yet the goodnesse of David was such, as that hee would have it divided amongst them also, because they stayed and kept the stuffe, and he made it a law in Israel, that it should alwayes after be done so, such as stayed by the stuffe, and carriages to keepe them, should have part of the spoiles taken, as well as they that went to warre. Which law although it was now first made, yet the foundation of it was laid long before in Abrahams time, who would have his confederates, Eshol, and Mamre, and Aner to take their parts, although as it is thought, they were not in the battaile, but stayed to keepe his goods Lyra.at home, and the like was done touching the spoile taken from the Midianites, Numb. 31. by Moses, and afterwards, 2 Maccab. 8. 28. And equity required, that it should bee so, because they kept what they had before from enemies, that might otherwise have come and taken it away, whilst their brethren went to recover more, and they stayed not behinde, because unwilling to goe, but because they were faint and weary, yet it is not to be thought, but that they who went to the warre, had most as their paines were greatest, as was done, Numb. 31.
Then David sent a present of the spoiles, which he had taken, to all his friends in Judah, even to 13. severall places, where he and his men were used V. 26.to haunt, Josephus saith, to all parts of Judah, but that agreeth not with this. To some parts he was much beholding for relieving him and harbouring him Peter Martyr.when hee lurked amongst them for feare of Saul, and therefore having now wherewithall to shew his thankfulnesse hee doth it by sending presents unto them; and by this meanes also their affections might bee so stirred up towards him, as that, when Saul should dye, they would be the more ready to bring Borrhaeus.him in to bee King, as indeed they did. And unto these Pellican addeth another reason, viz. because a great part of this booty was taken from the men Pellican.of Judah, wherefore equity required, that some restitution should be made unto them againe. The places, to which, were 1. Bethel, Junius, the house of God, Junius.that is, to the Tabernacle in Kireath-jearim, which is called Bethel or the house of God, all others take Bethel for the proper name of a City here. Willet reasoneth for that of Junius, 1. Because it is not unlikely, that David would Willet.bee unthankfull to God. But first and chiefly send a present unto him, by whom hee had obtained this victory. 2. Because the word Bethel is thus used. 1 Sam. 7. 16. ch. 10. 3. Lastly, the City Bethel was not in Judah, but in Ephraim, Josh. 16. 2. and David sent onelyonly to Judah, and Kireath-jearim, otherwise called Kireath-baal, belonged to Judah, Josh. 15. 60. For the City Corhashan, v. 30. which, Junius thinketh, was Hashan mentioned, Josh. 19. 7. although it belonged to Simeon, yet it was a City of the Tribe of Judah. All the rest belonged to Judah, Ramoth, Josh. 19. 8. Jatter, Josh. 15. 47. Haroer, Josh. 13. 16. Siphmoth, Numb. 34. Eshtema, Josh. 15. 49. of the Jerameelites, see before Ch. 27. 10. of the Kenites, Judg. 1. 16. Hormah, Judg. 1. 17.