David goeth to Gath.

BEFORE CHRIST

fulness: for the LORD delivered thee cir. 1060. into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD's anointed.

24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt Gen.32.28. still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

cir. 1058.

? Heb. be consumed.

ach. 25. 13.

b ch. 21. 10.

u

CHAPTER XXVII.

1 Saul hearing David to be in Gath seeketh no Achish. 8 He, invading other countries, persuadeth Achish he fought against Judah.

more for him. 5 David beggeth Ziklag of

ND David said in his heart, I

Ahallavi spirish one

by

Saul seeketh to a witch.

and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.

10 And Achish said, 2 Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeel-! ites, and against the south of the Kenites.

11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1058.

2 Or, Did make a road, &c. See 1 Chr.

you not

2. 9, 25. Judg.1.16.

12 And Achish believed David,saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he 3 Heb. shall be my servant for ever.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

having destroyed the witches, 4 and now in his fear forsaken of God, 7 seeketh to a witch. 9 The witch, encouraged by Saul, raiseth up Samuel. 15 Saul, hearing his ruin, fainteth. 21 The woman with his servants refresh him with meat.

a

2 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him bunto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man ch. 25. 43. with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.

4. And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

5 ¶ And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee? 6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that See Josh day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.

15. 31. & 19.

to stink.

a ch. 29. 1.

AND it came to pass in those days; cr. 1056. that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men.

2 And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.

3 ¶Now Samuel was dead, and all b ch. 25. 1. Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and * he said, I pray thee, divine unto 1 Chr. 10.13. me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.

k Deut. 18. 11.

Is. 8. 19.

1 ver. 8.

2 Heb. What is his form?

9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

10 And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.

11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.

13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I mEx. 22. 28. saw mgods ascending out of the earth. 14 And he said unto her, 2 What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered a ch. 15. 27. with "a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

2 Kings 2. 8, 13.

raiseth up

shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

Samuel.

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1056.

Heb.made fell with the stature.

haste, and fulness of

20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Sa-his muel and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

21 And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.

22 Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.

23 But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.

24 And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:

25 And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.

CHAPTER XXIX.

1 David marching with the Philistines, 3 is disallowed by their princes. 6 Achish dismisseth him, with commendations of his fidelity.

a

Judg.12.3. Job 13. 14.

ch. 19. 5.

a

NOW the Philistines gathered ch. 23. 1.

to b ch. 4. 1.

together all their armies Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.

2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.

3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me a these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day?

f

4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that Chr.12.19. he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him

19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow

Heb. thou art not good in the eyes of the lords. 8 Heb. do not evil in the eyes of the lords.

4 Heb. before thee.

7 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou 3 displease not the lords of the Philistines.

8 ¶ And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

9 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good 12 Sam. 14. in my sight, 1as an angel of God: 7.20. & 19. notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.

mver. 4.

10 Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart.

11 So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines.

2 Sam.4.4. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

b

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1056.

b ch. 25. 42, 43.

5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jez- 2 Sam. 2. 2. reelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

с

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of Ex. 17. 4. stoning him, because the soul of all the people was 2 grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

е

7 e And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

2Hcb.bitter. Judg. 18.25. ch. 1. 10.

27.9

Kings4.27. d Ps. 42.5. & Hab. 3. 17,

56. 3, 4, 11.

18.

e ch. 23.6,9.

8 And David enquired at the fch. 23.2, 4. LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.

10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: 8 for two hundred & ver. 21. abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

11 ¶ And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;

So Judg. ch. 14. 27.

12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins and when he had eaten, hish spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

13 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young

man of Egypt, servant to an Ama

lekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.

14 We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.

k

15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands

15. 19.

I ver. 16. 2 Sam. 8. 18.

1 Kings 1. 38,44.

Ezek. 25.16. Zeph. 2. 5. kJosh.14.13. & 15. 13.

David recovereth the spoil.

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 1056.

of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.

16 ¶ And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread 11Thess.5.3. abroad upon all the earth, 'eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening Heb. their of 2 the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.

morrow.

m ver. 8.

a ver. 10.

8 Or, asked them how they did. Judg. 18.15. • Deut. 13. 13.

Judg.19.22. 4 Heb. men.

81.27.

18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them m David recovered all.

:

22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.

23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.

24 For who will hearken unto you P See Num. in this matter? but Pas his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.

Josh. 22. 8.

Saul and his sons slain.

CHAPTER XXXI.

1 Saul having lost his army, and his sons slain, he and his armourbearer kill themselves. 7 The Philistines possess the forsaken towns of the Israelites._ 8 They triumph over the dead carcases. 11 They of Jabesh-gilead, recovering the bodies by night, burn them at Jabesh, and mournfully bury their bones.

Now

1-12.

OW the Philistines fought 1 Chr. 10. against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down 2 slain in mount 2 Or, Gilboa.

wounded. D ch. 23. 4.

2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abi-ch. 14.49. nadab, and Melchi-shua, Saul's sons.

с

3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers 'hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.

4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest fthese uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

7 And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to

1 Chr. 8. 33.

See 2 Sam. 1.6, &c.

8 Heb. shooters, men with

bows. Heb. So Judg. 9. 54 fch.14.6.& 17.26.

found him.

6 Or, mock

me.

2 Sam.1.14

b28am.1.10.

1 The Amalekite, who brought tidings of the overthrow, and accused himself of Saul's death, is slain. 17 David lamenteth Saul and Jonathan with a song.

Now it came to pass after the

death of Saul, when David was 18am. 30. returned from a the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;

ch. 4. 10.

camp

2 It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, ba man came out of 18am.4.12. the 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.

Heb. What was, &c.

3 And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.

4 And David said unto him, 2 How 18am 16. went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.

418am.31.1.

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

d

6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul 323, leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard

2,3,4.

Heb.

Behold me.

after him.

7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.

3

8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

9 He said unto me again, Stand, I

BEFORE CHRIST 1056.

pray thee, upon me, and slay me : for 3 anguish is come upon me, because & Or,mycoat my life is yet whole in me.

of mail, or, my embroi

hindereth

&c.

me, that my, Judg. 9.54.

10 So I stood upon him, and 'slewdered coat him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: 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.

11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise gch. 3.31. & all the men that were with him :

12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.

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.

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

15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.