Chapter XXIV (continued, part 5)
fragment from tlie skirt of the royal robe. It is easy to
Imajjiiie how tliis dialogue could be carried on, and David's approach to tlie king's person could have been
ert'ected without arousing suspicion. Tlie ljustle and noise of Saul's military men and their beasts, the number of
cells or divisions In these Immense caverns, and some of them far interior, being enveloped In darkness, while every movement could be seen at the cave's mouth—the probability that the garment David cut from might have been a loose or upper cloak lying on the ground, and tliat Saul might have been asleep—these facts and presumptions will be sufficient to account for the incidents de-
tailed.
8-15. He Urges Thereby His Innocency. 8. Davia also arose . , . and went out of tlie cave, and cried after Saul—The closeness of the precipitous cliffs, though divided by deep wadys, and the transparent purity of tlie air enable a person standing on one rock to hear distinctly the words uttered by a speaker standing on another (Judges 9. 7). The expostulation of David, followed by the visible tokens he furnished of his cherishing no evil design against either the person or the government of the king, even when he had the monarch in his power, smote the heart of Savil in a moment, and disarmed him of his
10-13. The Churlish Answer Provokes Him. 10-13. Nabal answered David's servants . . . Who is DnvidT &c.—Nabal's answer seems to indicate that tlie country was at the time in a loose and disorderly state. David's own good conduct, however, as well as the important services rendered by him and his men, were readily attested by Nabal's servants. The prepai'ations of David to ciiastise his insolent language and ungrateful recpiital, are exactly what would be done iu the present day by Arab chiefs, who protect the cattle of the large and wealthy sheep-masters from the attacks of the marauding border tribes or wild beasts. Their protection creates a claim for some kind of tribute, in the sliajie of supplies of food and necessaries, which is usually given with great good-will and gratitude; but when withheld, is enforced as a right. Nabal's refusal, therefore, was a violation of liie established usages of the place. 13. two hundred men abode by the stutF—This addition to his followers was iiiade after his return into Judah (see on ch. 22. 2).
fell purpose of revenge. He owned the justice of what David said, acknowledged his own guilt, and begged kindness to his house. He seems to have been naturally susceptible of strong, and, as in this in.stance, of good and grateful impressions. The improvement on his temper, indeed, was but transient—his language that of a man overwhelmed by the force of impetuous emotions, and constrained to admire the conduct, and esteem the character, of one whom he hated and dreaded. But God overruled it for ensuring the present escape of David. Consider his language and behaviour. This language "a dead dog, a flea," terms by which, like Eastern peo-
ple, he strongly expressed a sense of his lowliness, and the entire committal of his cause to Him who alone is the judge of human actions, and to whom vengeance belongeth—his steady repulse of the vindictive counsels of his followers, the relentings of heart which he felt even for the apparent indignity he had done to the person of the Lord's anointed, and the respectful homage he paid the jealous tyrant who had set a price on his head—evince the magnanimity of a great and good man, and strikingly illustrate the spirit and energy of his prayer " when he was in tlie cave" (Psalm 112).
14-3.5. Abigail Pacifies Him. It-18. Ti>eu Abigail made haste—The prudence and address of his wife were the means of saving himself and family from utter destruction. She acknowledged the demand of her formidable neighbours ; but Justly considering, that to atone for the insolence other husband, a greater degree of liberality had become necessary, she collected a huge amount of food, accompanying it with the most valued products of the country, bottles—goat skins, capable of holding a great quantity, parched corn—It was customary to eat parched corn when it was fully grown, but not rijic 19. She said unto her servants, Go on before mc; behold, I come after you—People in the East always try to produi-e an effect by their presents, loading on several beasts what niiglit be easily carried by one, and britiging them forward, article by article, in succession. Abigail not only sent her servants in this way, but resolved to go in person, foUou'ing her present, as is commonly done, to watch the impression which her munificence would produce. 23. slic hasted, and lighted off the ass, an<l fell before David on lier face—Dismounting in presence of a superior is the highest token of respect that can he given; and it is still an essential act of homage to the great. Accompanying this act of courtesy with llie lowest form of prostration, she not only by her attitude, but her language, made the fullest amends for the disrespect shown by her husband, as well as paid the fullest tribute of respect to the character and claims of David. 2.5. Nabal—signifying fool, gave pertinence to his wife's remark. 26. let tlilue enemies , . . I)e as Nnlml—bo as foolish and contemptible as he. 29. tlie soul ofmy lord shall l>e bound in the bundle of life wltli the Lord thy God—An Orientalism, expressing the perfect security of David's life from all the assaults of his enemies, under
CHAPTEE XXV.
Ver. 1-9. Sasiukl, Dies. 1. Samuel died—After a long
life of piety and puljlic usefulness, having left behind him a re]Hitation wliich ranks him amongst the greatest of Scripture worthies. Iinried Iilm in Iiis own liouse at Kainali i. e., his own mausoleum. The Hebrews took as great care to provide sepulchres anciently as people do
In the East still, where every respectable family has its own house of the dead; and often this is in a little detached garden, consisting of a small stone building, where there is no rock, resembling a house, which is called the sepulchre of the family—it has neither door nor window. David arose and went down to tlie wilderness ofParan—This removal had, probably, no connec-
tion with the prophet's death ; but was, probably, occasioned by the necessity of seeking provision for his numerous followers, the wlldcmesg of Paran—stretching from Kinal to the borders of I'alestine in the southern territories of Judea. Like other wildernesseji, it presented large tracts of natural pa.sture, to which the people sent their cattle at the grazing season, but where they were liable to constant and heavy depredations by prowling Arabs. David and his men earned their subsistence by making reprisals on the cattle of these freebooting Ishmaelites; and, frequently for tln-ir useful services, they oldained voluntary tokens of acknowledgment from the peaceful Inhabitants. 2. in Cannel—now Kurmul. The district takes it8 name from this town, now a mass of ruins; and aboul a mile from it is Tell Main, the hillock on which
ine protecting shield of Providence, who hath destinea
David Marrielh Abigail. 1 SAMUEL XXVI. ITe Spares Saul Again,
him for high things. 33-35. David said to Abigail, Blessed be tlie Liord—Transported by passion, and blinded by revenge, lie was on the eve of perpetrating a great injury; and, doubtless, the timely appearance and prudent address of Abigail were greatly instrumental in changing his purpose. At all events, it was the means of opening his eyes to the moral character of the course on which he had been impetuously rushing; and in accepting her pre,sent, he speaks with lively satisfaction as well as gratitude to Abigail, for having relieved him from bloodshed.
the disposition of Saul's camp—In this hasty expedition he seems to have carried no tent, but to hav ; slept on the ground. The whole troop were sunk in sleej around him. S-Vi. Ablsliai said to David, . . . God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand—This midnight stratagem shows the activity and heroic enterprise of David's mind, and it was in unison with the style of warfare in ancient times, let me smite him . . . even to the earth at once— The ferocious vehemence of the speaker is suflicienlly apparent from his language, butDavid's magnanimity soared far above the notions of his followers. Tliough Saul's cruelty and perfidy, and general want of right principle, liad sunk liim to a low pitch of degradation, yet tha t was no reason for David's imitating him in doing wrong
36-44. Nabal's Death. 30. he held a feast In his house like tlic feast of a king—The sheep-shearing season was always a very joyous occasion. Masters usually entertained their shepherds; and even Nabal, though of a most niggardly disposition, prepared festivities on a scale of sumptuous liberality. The modern Arabs celebrate the season with similar hilarity. 37, 38. in the morning Ills wife told him these things, and his heart died within liliii—He probably fainted from horror at the perilous situation in which he had unconsciously placed himself; and such a shock had been given him by the li'ight to his whole system, that he rapidly pined and died. 39-42. tlie Lord hath returned the wiclitedness of Nabal upon Ills own head—If this was an expression of pleasure, and David's vindictive feelings were gratified by the intelligence of Nabal's death, it was an instance of human infirmity which we may lament; but perhaps he referred to the unmerited reproach (v. 10, 11), and the contempt of God implied in it. David sent and communed wi<h Abigail, to take her to wife—This unceremonious proceeding was quite in the style of Eastoru monarchs, who no sooner take a fancy for a lady than they despatch a messenger to intimate their royal wishes that she should henceforth reside In the palace; and her duty is Implicitly to obey. David's conduct shows that the manner.s of the Eastern nations were already imitated by the great men in Israel; and that the morality of the times which God permitted, gave its sanction to the practice of polygam.v. His marriage with Abigail brought him a rich estate. **. Michal—By the unchallengeable will of her father, she who was David's wife was given to anothtr, but she returned, and sustained the character of his wife i^-lien he ascended the throne.
; besides, he was the sovereign, David was a subject; and though God had rejected him from the kingdom, it was every way the best and most dutiful course, instead of precipitating his fall by imbruing their hands in his blood, and thereby contracting the guilt of a great crime, to wait the awards of that retributive providence which sooner or later would take him otT by some sudden and mortal blow. He who, with impetuous haste, was going to exterminate Nabal, meekly spared Saul. But Nabal refused to give a tribute to which justice and gratitude no less than custom entitled David. Saul was under the judicial infatuation of heaven. Thus David withheld the hand of Abishai; but, at the same time, directed him to carry ofl' some things which would show where they had been, and wliat they had done. Thus he obtained the best of victories over him, by heaping coals of fire on his head. 11. the spear that is at his bolster, and the ci-use of water—the Oriental spear had, and still lias, a spike at the lower extremity, intended for the purpose of sticking the spear into the ground when the warrior is at rest. This-common custom of Arab sheicks was also the practice of tlie Hebrew chiefs, at lils bolster lit., "at his liead;" but, perhaps, Saul as a sovereign had the distinguished luxury of a bolster carried for him. A "cruse of water" is usually, in warm climates, kept near a person's couch, as a draught in the night-time is found very re-
fi eshing. Saul's cruse would probably be of superior materials, or more richly ornamented than common ones, and therefore by its size or form be easily distinguished. 13-20. tlien David stood on the top of a hill afar oft, and cried to the people—(see on Judges 9. 7). The extraordinary purity and elasticity of the air in Palestine, enable words to be distinctly heard, that are addressed by a speaker from the top of one hill to people on that of another, from which it is separated by a deep intervening ravine. Hostile parties can thus speak to each other, while completely beyond the reach of each other's attack.