band of men, whose hearts God had touched.

271But the children of Belial said, ch. 11. 12. How shall this man save us? And they despised him, "and brought him Kings 4.21. no presents. But he held his peace.

m Deut. 18. n2Sam.8.2.

& 10. 25.

2 Chr. 17.5. Ps. 72. 10. Matt. 2.11.

8 Or, he was as though he had been deaf.

ch. 12. 12.

Nadg. 21.3. Gen. 26. 28.

Ex. 23. 82. 1 Kings 20.

34. Job 41. 4. Ezek.17.18.

CHAPTER XI.

1 Nahash affereth them of Jabesh-gilead a reproachful condition. 4 They send messengers, and are delivered by Saul. 12 Saul thereby is confirmed, and his kingdom renewed.

HENNahash Ammonite

Team up and sen tamped agonist

b

Jabesh-gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, Gen 34.14 and lay it for a a reproach upon all Israel.

ch. 17.26.

bear us.

3 And the elders of Jabesh said unHeb. For- to him, 3 Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.

⚫ch. 10. 26. & 15. 34.

2 Sam. 21.6. Judg. 2.4.

&21.2.

Judg.3.10. &6.34&11.

29. & 18. 25. ch. 10.10. &

& 14.6.

16. 18.

29.

4 ¶ Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.

5 And, behold, Saul came after the

herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.

6 And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.

7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and Judg. 19. hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Judg. 21.5, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

8, 10.

of Jabesh-gilead.

11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three See ch. 31. companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

Samuel, Who is he that sad, shall
And the people unto

Saul reign over us? a bring the men,
that we may put them to death.

13 And Saul said, 'There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.

CHAPTER XII.

Samuel testifieth his integrity. 6 He reproveth the people of ingratitude. 16 He terrifieth them with thunder in harvest time. 20 He comforteth them in God's mercy.

AND Samuel said unto all Israel,

Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.

2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this

ch. 10. 17.

ch. 10. 8.

ch. 8. 5, 19,

bch.10.24. &

11. 14, 15.

17.

• Num. 27. ch. 8. 20. d ch. 8.1, 5.

ver. 5. 24.6. 16.

ch. 10. 1. &

2 Sam. 1. 14,

15.

Num. 16. Acts 20.33. 2 Heb. ran

1 Thess. 2.5.

80m.

3 Or, that I

should hide mine eyes at Deut. 16.

him.

19.

Acts 23.9.& 24. 16, 20.

1John 18.38.

k Ex. 22. 4.

1 Mic. 6. 4.

ad-Or, made.

8 When Jacob was come into nGen.46.5,6. Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD P Sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

• Ex. 2. 23. p Ex. 3. 10. & 4. 16.

q Judg. 3.7.

Judg. 4. 2.

Judg. 10.7.

& 13. 1.

Judg.3.12.

" Judg. 10. 10.

Judg. 2.13.

y Judg. 10. 15, 16.

r

9 And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

10 And they cried unto the LORD, and said, "We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now y deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. 11 And the LORD sent JerubJudg.11.1. baal, and Bedan, and. a Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.

z Judg. 6. 14, 32.

b ch. 7. 13.

c ch. 11. 1.

C

He comforteth them.

18 So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.

20 T And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all heart; your

21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

22 For "the LORD will not forsake

his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD 22 in ceasing to pray for you: but will teach you the good and the right way:

I

BEFORE CHRIST 1095.

q Ex.14. 81. See

Ezra 10. 9. Ex. 9. 28. Jam. 5. 15. 1 John 5.16.

& 10. 17.

• Deut. 11. 16.

Jer. 16. 19.

Hab. 2. 18.

Cor. 8. 4. 1 Kings 6. Ps. 94. 14.

13.

x Josh. 7.9. Ps. 106. 8.

Jer. 14. 21.

Ezek. 20.9,

24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: Or, what for consider how great things he hath done for you.

d

3

14 If ye will 'fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you 5 continue following the LORD your God:

15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.

16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.

17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? • I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

a great thing, &c. • Deut. 10. 21.

P. 126.2, 3. Josh. 24.

20.

g Deut. 23. 36.

Heb. the year in his

son of one

reigning. 1093.

2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in "Gibeahch. 10. 26. of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

hill.

3 And Jonathan smote the gar-bch. 10. 5. rison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of 50r, the it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

4 And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

stink.

Heb. did Gen. 34. 30.

Ex. 5. 21.

Samuel reproveth Saul.

CHRIST 1093.

BEFORE 5 ¶ And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven.

When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the Judg. 6. 2. people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

? Heb. trembled after him.

d ch. 10. 8.

& Heb.

bless him.

4 Heb. intreated the face.

2 Chr.16.9.

с

7 And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people 2 followed him trembling,

8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace of ferings. And he offered the burnt offering.

10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

3

11 ¶ And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;

12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.

f

13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou ch. 15. 11. hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee:

ch. 15. 28.

Acts 13. 22.

for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for

ever.

14 But now thy kingdom shall P. 60. 20. not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

15 And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people

2

The policy of the Philistines.

that were present six hundred men.

16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present found. with them, abode in 3 Gibeah of Ben-1 ch. 14. 2. jamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.

8 Heb.

ver. 3.

19 Now "there was no smith found throughout all the land of Is-2 Kings 24. rael: for the Philistines said, Lest Jer. 24. 1. the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.

21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.

CHAPTER XIV. 1 Jonathan, unwitting to his father, the priest, or the people, goeth and miraculously smiteth the Philistines' garrison. 15 A divine terror maketh them beat themselves. 17 Saul, not staying the priest's answer, setteth on them. 21 The captivated Hebrews, and the hidden Israelites, join against them. 24 Saul's unadvised adjuration hindereth the victory. 32 He restraineth the people from eating blood. 35 He buildeth an altar. 36 Jonathan, taken by lot, is saved by the people. 47 Saul's strength and family.

pch. 14. 1,4. ing camp.

• Or, stand

4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over ch. 13. 23. unto the Philistines garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

5 The 2 forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.

6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.

7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.

8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.

9 If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.

10 But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto

us.

11 And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.

12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.

13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.

14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a Judg.7.21. yoke of oxen might plow.

4 Or, half a furrow of an acre of land.

12 Kings 7.7.

Job 18. 11.

15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all

Philistines' garrison.

the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was 21a very great trembling.

16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

m

17 Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.

18 And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1087.

k ch. 18. 17. 2 Heb. a

trembling 1 Gen. 35.5.

of God.

m ver. 20.

21.

8 Or,tumult.

19 And it came to pass, while Saul "talked unto the priest, that Num. 27. the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.

20 And Saul and all the people that were with him 'assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

21 Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.

Heb. ther oJudg.7.22

were cried

2Chr. 20.23.