Matthew Poole and continuators on 2 Samuel 1

NOW it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag .

Which though burnt, yet was not so consumed by the Fire, that David and his men could not lodge in it.

Marginal references: 1 Sam. 30. 17.

2 It came even to pass on the third day , that behold a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head : and so it was when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.

From David's return to Ziklag, as the foregoing words manifest.

Pretending sorrow for the loss of Gods People, in compliance with David's humour.

4 And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battel, and many of the people also are fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his [illegible: 1+ letters]on are dead also.

He mentions onely these two, as those who seemed most to obstruct David's coming to the Crown.

Marginal references: Heb. what was, &c.

5 And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead ?

For the knowledge of this did most concern both David and the whole Commonwealth of Israel.

9 He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me , and slay me: for anguish is come upon me , because my life is yet whole within me .

i. e. Lean upon me with thy weight and force, that the Spea[illegible: 1+ letters] may come through me: Or, stay by me: i. e. Stop thy flight, and tarry so long with me till thou hast killed me.

i. e. I am in great pain of Body, and anguish of Mind. Or thus, my coat of mail: or, embroydered coat, hath hindred me, that the Spear could not pierce into me. Thus divers both Hebrew and other Learned Expositors understand it.

I am heart-whole, and not likely to die, as well as not willing to live.

Marginal references: Or, my coat of Mail; (or, my embroidered coat) hindereth me, that my, &c.

10 So I stood upon him, and slew him i, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was saln : and I took the crown that was upon his head , and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord .

It is most probable this was a Lye, devised to gain David's favour, as he supposed. For, 1. Saul was not killed by a Spear, as he pretends, but by his Sword, 1 Sam. 31. 4. 2. It is expresly said, That Saul's Armour-bearer being yet living, saw that Saul was dead, 1 Sam. 31. 5. which doubtless he would very thoroughly examine and know, before he would kill himself upon that account, as he did. 3. Saul's death is manifestly ascribed to his own action, even to his falling upon his Sword, v. 4, 5.

Not that he then wore it; which would have exposed him too much, and that unnecessarily, to the Rage of the Philistines; but that he used to wear it. It is not likely that he found it now actually upon Saul's Head, but that he met with it in some part of the Camp, whithe[illegible: 1+ letters] Saul had brought it to wear it when he saw fit.

Unto thee, whom, now Saul is dead, I own for my Lord and King.

k This he addeth by way of caution and excuse, that it might be thought an act of necessity and kindness, and not of choice or ill-will that he killed Saul. But here also he betrays himself: for how could this be true, when Saul's life was whole within him, as he had now said, v. 9?

13 ¶ And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou ? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.

David heard and knew before what he was, but he asked it again judicially, in order to his Tryal and Punishment.

14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORDS anointed ?

Why didst not thou refuse to kill him, as his Armourbearer had done? For notwithstanding his great danger, something might have fallen out through Gods All-disposing Providence, whereby his Life might have been preserved.

Marginal references: Psal▪ 105. 15.

16 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head : for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORDS anointed .

The guilt of thy blood-shed or death lies upon thy self, not upon me.

Thy free and voluntary Confe[illegible: 1+ letters]sion is sufficient proof of thy guilt in killing the King.

18 ¶ Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow : behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.

Having mentioned David's Lamentation in general, before he comes to the particular description of it, he interposeth poseth this Verse by way of Parenthesis; to signifie, That David did not so give up himself to Lamentation, as to neglect his great business, the care of the Commonwealth, which now lay upon him; but took particular care to fortifie them against such further Losses and Calamities as he bewails in the following Song; and by his example, and this counsel, to instruct the People, that they should not give up themselves to sorrow and despondency for their great and general Loss; but should raise up their Spirits, and betake themselves to Action.

David being now Actually King upon Saul's Death, takes his Power upon him, and gives forth his Commands.

These he more particularly teacheth, because they were the Chief, and now the Royal Tribe, and likely to be the great Bulwark to all Israel against the Philistines, upon whose Land they bordered; and withal, to be the most friendly and true to him, and to his Interest.

i. e. The use of their Arms, which are all Synecdochically expressed, under the name of the bow, which then was one of the chief Weapons; and for the dextrous use whereof Ionathan is commended in the following Song: which may be one reason, why he now gives forth this Order, that so they might strive to imitate Ionathan in his Military Skill, and to excel in it, as he did.

Not the following Song, as many think, for that is written here, and therefore it was needless to refer us to another Book for it; but this foregoing counsel and course which David took to repair the last Loss, which is here mentioned but briefly, and in general terms; but, as it seems, more largely and particularly described in the Book of Iasher: of which, See on Iosh. 10. 13.

Marginal references: Josh. 10. 13.; Or, of the upright.

19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places : how are the mighty fallen !

Their Flower and Glory, Saul and Ionathan, and their Army, consisting of young and Valiant Men.

Heb. upon thy high places; i. e. Those which belong to thee, O Land of Israel.

How strangely! how suddenly! how dreadfully and universally!

20 Tell it not in Gath , publish it not in the streets of Askelon: lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoyce, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

This is not a Precept, but a Poetical wish; whereby he doth not so much desire, that this might not be done, which he knew to be vain and impossible; as, express his great sorrow, because it was, and would be done, to the great dishonour of God, and of his People.

He mentions these, because it was the custome of Women in those times and places to celebrate those Victories which their Men obtained, with Triumphant Songs and Dances; as Exod. 15. Iudg. 11. 34. 1 Sam. 18. 6.

Marginal references: Mic. 1. 10.

21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you , nor fields of offerings : for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away , the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oyl .

This is no proper Imprecation; which he had no reason to inflict upon those harmless Mountains; but onely a passionate representation of the Horror which he conceived at this publick Loss; which was such, as if he thought every person or thing which contributed to it, were fit to bear the tokens of Divine displeasure, such as this is, when the Earth wants the blessed and necessary Influences of Dew and Rain.

i. e. Fruitful fields, which may produce fair and goodly Fruits fit to be offered unto God.

The Shields of the Valiant men of Israel.

Dishonourably: for it was a great Reproach to any Soldier, to cast away or lose his Shield.

To wit, by themselves, that they might flee more swiftly away, as the Israelites did, and Saul with the rest; as is said, 1 Sam. 31. 1, 2.

As if he had been no more, nor better than a common Soldier: he was exposed to the same kind of Death and Reproach as they were.

Marginal references: Heb. heaveofferings.; Heb. was loathed; so Gr.

22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back , and the sword of Saul returned not empty .

To wit, without Effect: comp. Isa. 45. 23. and 55. 11. Their Arrows shot from their Bows, and their Swords did seldom miss, and commonly pierced Fat, and Flesh, and Blood, and reached even to the Heart and Bowels.

i. e. Not filled and glutted with Blood: for the Sword is Metaphorically said to have a mouth, which we Translate an edge; and to devour, 2 Sam. 2. 26. and 11. 25. Ier. 2. 30. and 46. 10. And this their former successfulness is here mentioned as an aggravation of their last infelicity.

23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely, and pleasant in the[illegible: 1+ letters]r lives n, and in their death they were not divided : they were swifter than Eagles , they were stronger than lions .

Amiable, and obliging in their Carriage and Conversation, both towards one another, and towards their People: for, as for Saul's fierce behaviour towards Ionathan, it was onely a sudden Passion, by which his ordinary temper was not to be measured; and for his carriage towards David, 1 Sam. 20. 30, 33. that was from that jealousie and Reason of State which usually engageth even good-natured and wellnurtured Princes, to the same Hostilities in like cases. But it is observable, That David speaks not a word here of his Piety and other Vertues; but onely commends him for those things which were truly in him. A fit pattern for all Preachers in their Funeral Commendations.

Ionathan was not false to his Father, as was reported; but stuck close to him: and as he lived, so he died with him, at the same time, and in the same common and good Cause.

Expeditious and nimble in Pursuing their Enemies, and Executing their Designs; which is a great commendation in a Prince, and in a Soldier.

In regard of their bodily Strength, and the Courage of their Minds.

Marginal references: Or, sweet.

24 Ye daughters of Israel weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet , with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

These he mentions; partly, because the Women then used to make Songs both of Triumph, and of Lamentation, as occasion required: and partly, because they usually are most delighted with the Ornaments of the Body here following.

This he did, partly, because he procured them so much Peace as gave them opportunity of enriching themselves: and partly, because he took these things as spoils from the Enemies, and clothed his own People with them. Comp. Psal. 68. 12.

25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battel! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places .

Which were in thy Country, and (had not thy Father disinherited thee by his Sins) in thy Dominions.

26 I am distressed for thee , my brother Jonathan, very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to we was wonderful, passing the love of women .

i. e. For the loss of thee. For besides the loss of a true Friend, and all the comfort of friendship, which is inestimable; he lost him who both could, and undoubtedly would have given him a speedy, and quiet, and sure Possession of the Kingdom: whereas now, he met with long and troublesome interruptions.

i. e. That Love wherewith they love their Husbands, or Children: for their Affections are usually more vehement and ardent than Mens.

27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished?

Either, 1. Metaphorically so called; to wit, Saul and Ionathan, and the brave Commanders and Soldiers of Israel; who might have been called, the chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. Or rather, 2. Properly: for together with the Men, their Arms were lost, which was a very great aggravation of their loss, and that loss seems to be at this time more irrecoverable and dangerous, than the loss of their men.