* ver. 18. See Lev. 11. 24-28 & 15. 1-4. Cp. ver. 34. z ver. 6. upon the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side: "but David's place was empty. 26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath beLev. 7.21. fallen him, "he is not clean; surely he is not clean. 27 And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon, which was the second day, that "David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to-day? 28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem: 29 and he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he is not come unto the king's table. 30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against_Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own shame, and unto the shame of thy mother's nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be stablished, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. 32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore should he be put to death? what hath he done? 33" And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to put David to death. 34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. ych 2 16 (mg. for Sam. 12.5 (mg for 2. 26 (mg. for mg.). z eb. 19. 5. a ch. 13. 11 & 19. 10. 6 ver. 7. 35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field 2 at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. 36 And he said unto his lad, Run, find now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond ever. 22. thee? 38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40 And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. 41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. 42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, foras- d ver. 18. much as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, d The LORD shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city. 21 to Ahimelech the priest: and ch. 1. 17. ever. 23. ƒ ver. 15. [Ch. 21. 1 In Heb.] I Then came David to Nob g ch. 22.9, 11, 19. Neh. 11. 82. Isai. 10. 32. A Cp. eh. 14.3 & Mark 2. 26. 16. 4. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 2 And David said Cp. ch. unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee; and I have appointed the young men to such and such a place. 3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or whatsoever there is present. 4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women. David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days; when I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, 5 And Ex. 25.30. Lev. 24. 5. Mark 2. Matt. 12. 3,4. 25, 26. Luke 6. Ex. 19. 15. 3, 4. though it was but a common journey; how much more then to-day shall their vessels be holy? 6 So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the shewbread, 'that was taken from Lev. 24. before the LORD, to put hot bread 8,9. 1 Or, is worthy to die Heb. is a son of death. 2 Or, to the place 3 Heb. making it pass over him. 4 Heb. from besile the South. Or, as read by the Sept., from beside the mound. 5 Or, and it may be used as common bread; and especially since to-day it will be holy in respect of their vessels. m ch. 22. 9. in the day when it was taken away. 7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the 1chiefest See Ps. 52. of the herdmen that belonged to Saul. 8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste. n ch. 17. 51. 9 And the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the vale of 2 Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me. 10 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to p See Ps.34. PAchish the king of Gath. II And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, o ch. 17. ?. 9 ch. 18. 7 & 29. 5. Cp. Luke 2. 19. & 142. t 2 Sam. 23. 13. 1 Chr. 11. 15. al. Mic. 1.15, Saul hath slain his thousands, 1 David therefore departed 9.4 & 11. 3. 18. 25 (mg. men. v 3 And David went thence to Miz peh of Moab and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, 31.13 23.21. ever. 13. 6 And Saul heard that David was 1 Or, mightiest 2 Or, the terebinth 3 Or, made marks 4 Heb. bitter of soul. 5 Or, on the height ech. 21. 1. Cp. ch. 14. 3. g ch. 23. 2, 4 & 30. 8. 2 Sam. 5. 19, 23. 27. 21. h ch. 21. 6, 9. & 30. 8. 2 Sam. 5. 19, 23. Cp. Num. 27.21. 10. 25 & II. 4, 6 2 Chr. 12. 10. into thy council, and is honourable in thine house? 15 Have I to-day 9 ch. 23. 2, 4 begun to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knoweth nothing of jeh. 25. 36. all this, less or more. 16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house. 17 And the king said unto Cp. 2 Kin. the guard that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and did not disclose it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD. 18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he Cp. ch. 2. fell upon the priests, 'and he slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. 19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword. 20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech ach. 23.6, 9. the son of Ahitub, named "Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain the LORD's priests. 22 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy pCp.1Kin. father's house. 23P Abide thou with 31. o eh. 21. 7. 2. 26. Josh. 15. 44. r See eh. 22. 10. a ver. 14. Josh. 24. 11. Judg. 7. 7 & 20. 28. me, fear not; for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: for with me thou shalt be in safeguard. I And they told David, say23 ing, Behold, the Philistines the Philistines into thine hand. 5 And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and slew them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. ch. 30. 7. Cp. Num. 27.21. 6 And it came to pass, when Abi- tch. 22. 20. athar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand. 7 And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath 2delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. 8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9 And David knew that Saul devised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring hither the ephod. 10 Then said David, O LORD, the God of Israel, thy servant hath surely heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. I Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down. 12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, "They will deliver thee up. 13 Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth. v ver. 20. w ch. 25. 13 & 27. 2. Cp.ch.22.2 & 30. 9, 10. x Cp.2 Sam. 15. 20. 24. 14 And David abode in the wilderness in the strong holds, and reare fighting against Keilah, mained in the hill country in the y See Ps. 63. and they rob the threshing-floors. wilderness of Ziph. And Saul Josh, 15. 2 Therefore David inquired of the sought him every day, but God deLORD, saying, Shall I go and smite livered him not into his hand. these Philistines? And the LORD 15 And David saw that Saul was said unto David, Go, and smite the come out to seek his life: and David Philistines, and save Keilah. 3 And was in the wilderness of Ziph in David's men said unto him, Behold, the wood. 16 And Jonathan Saul's we be afraid here in Judah: how son arose, and went to David into much more then if we go to Keilah the wood, and strengthened his against the armies of the Philis- hand in God. 17 And he said unto tines? 4 Then David "inquired of him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul the LORD yet again. And the LORD my father shall not find thee; and answered him and said, Arise, go thou shalt be king over Israel, and a ch. 24. 20. Cp. ch. 2. down to Keilah; for I will deliver I shall be next unto thee; and that 31. 1 Heb. runners. 2 Heb. alienated him. The Sept. has, sold. 3 Or, Horesh b ch. 18. 3 42. & 20. 8, 16, Cp. 2 Sam. 21.7. c ch. 26. 1. See Ps. 54. 20. e ver. 12. See Ruth 2. 20. g Cp. ch. 22. 8. also Saul my father knoweth. 18' And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house. 19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in the strong holds in 1the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on d Num. 21. the south of 2d the desert? 20 Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him up into the king's hand. 21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have had compassion on me. 22 Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his shaunt is, and who hath seen him there for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly. 23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurk ing places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me of a certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out among all the 5 thousands of Judah. 24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south See Deut. of 2d the desert. 25 And Saul and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them. 27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have made a raid upon the land. 28 So Saul returned from 2 Chr. 20. 2. pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth. 29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in the strong holds of En-gedi. λ ch. 25. 2. Josh. 15. 55. 1. 1. j Josh. 15. 62. S. of S. 1. 14. Ezek. 47. 10. [Ch. 24. 1 in Heb.] k ch. 23. 28. And it came to pass, were m Judg. S. 24. See Ps. 57 & Ps. 142. over. 7. Cp. ch. it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. 2 Then Saul took 'three thou- ch. 26. 2. sand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. 3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet. Now David and his men abiding in the innermost parts "of the cave. 4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold, the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, and thou shalt do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. 5 And it came to pass afterward, that PDavid's heart smote him, because p2 Sam. 24. he had cut off Saul's skirt. 6 And 10. he said unto his men, The LORD 9 ch. 26. 11. forbid that I should do this thing unto my lord, the LORD's anointed, to put forth mine hand against him, seeing he is "the LORD's anointed. r See ch. 7 So David checked his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. 8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance. 9 And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearkenest thou to men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? 10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to-day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade tver. 4. me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; " for he is the LORD'S anointed. II Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that "there is neither evil u Ps. 7. 3. nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee, though thou huntest after my v ch. 26. 20. soul to take it. 12 The LORD judge w Gen. 16.5. between me and thee, and the LORD 27 w T 24 when Saul was returned from avenge me of thee: but mine hand following the Philistines, that 1 Or, Horesh families shall not be upon thee. 13 As saith 2 Or, Jeshimon 3 Heb. foot. 4 Or, with the certainty Or, to a set place 5 Or, 8 Or, layest wait for Judg. 11. 43. * See ch. 17. y ch. 26, 20, Gen. 16.5. Judg. 11. 27. ch. 25. 39. Pr. 35. 1 & 43.1 &119. 154. Cp. ch. 25. 39 23 Prov. & Jer. 30. 34, al. 22. ach. 26. 17. 21. a the proverb of the ancients, Out of the wicked cometh forth wickedness: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. 14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea. 15 The LORD therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand. 16 And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. 17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: Cp. ch. 26. for thou hast rendered unto me good, whereas I have rendered unto thee evil. 18 And thou hast declared this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me up into thine hand, thou killedst me not. 19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. 20 And now, ech. 23. 17. behold, I know that thou shalt surely be king, and that the king dom of Israel shall be established dCp. Gen. in thine hand. 21 Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, Cp. 2 Sam. that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house. 22 And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up fch. 23. 29. funto the hold. 21. 23. 21. 7. 8 pCp.1 Chr. & Matt. 10. 12.18 13 Esth. 8. 17 & 9. 19, 22. 9.28. was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb. o Cp. ch.30. 4 And David heard in the wilder- 14. ness that Nabal "did shear his sheep. 5 And David sent ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name: 6 and thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both unto thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. And now I have heard that thou hast 10.5. shearers: thy shepherds have now been with us, and we did them no hurt, neither was there aught q ver. 15, 21. missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel. 8 Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee: wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes; for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand, unto thy servants, and to thy son David. 9 And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased. 10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? 'there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. II Shall I then take "my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto "men of whom I know Cp. ch. not whence they be? 12 So David's young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words. 13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David "about four hundred men; wand two hundred abode by the Cp. ch. stuff. 14 But one of the young x ch. 30. 24. men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he flew y ch. 14. 32 upon them. 15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not 10 hurt, neither missed we any z ver. 7, 21. thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields: 16 they were "a wall 10. 1 Heb. give sentence for me. 2 Or, business was 3 Or, thus shall ye say, All hail! and peace be unto thee &c. 4 The Vulgate has, to my brethren. 5 Heb. put them not to shame. 6 Or, remained quiet 10 Heb. put to shame. e 19 And Samuel died; and 25 all Israel gathered themselves Cp. 1 Kin. Paran. 2. 34. 2 And there was a man in 'Maon, whose possessions were in "Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, Cn. Gen. and a thousand goats: "and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel, 3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man & 2 Sam. 13. 23. 7 Heb. slaughter. 8 Heb. bless. Or, railed on 2 7 น Cp. Judg. Cp. Judg. 12.4. Cp. Judg. 8.6. 22.2. w ch. 23. 13 & 27. 2. 22.2. & 15. 19. a Cp. Job 1. |