6

And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing to meet king Saul, when he returned from his camp to his palace at Gibeah, with ta7 brets, with joy, and with instruments of music. And the women answered [one another] as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands, in slaying Goliath, and thus making way for the destruction of the Philistines. • And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him, his angry passions began to rise; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed [but] thousands and [what] can he have more but the kingdom? He now suspected that David was the person whom Samuel referred to as his successor. And Saul eyed David from that day and forward with envy and malice; he watched to see whether he took any steps to undermine him and gain the throne.

io

And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, his discontented, angry, melancholy disposition, exposed him to the attack of the evil spirit, and he prophesied in the midst of the house :* and David played with his hand, as at other times: and [there was] a javelin in Saul's 11 hand. And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall [with it.] And David avoided out of his 12 presence twice. And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul; this confirmed 13 his opinion that he was the man designed for the kingdom: Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; he employed him abroad in warlike and dangerous expeditions, hoping he might be slain in some of them, or that he should find an opportunity of destroying him privately ; 14 and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways, there was no 15 fault in his conduct; and the LORD [was] with him. Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him; this increased Saul's suspicion and desire of re16 venge. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them; all the tribes of Israel, more especially that of Judah, loved David: he headed them in all their expeditions, and his prudent conduct, courage, and success, gained their affection.

17

And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD's battles: Saul was under an obligation to do this, according to his promise for killing Goliath; but David's humility would not allow him to claim it. Now Saul offers it. And can any thing be more kind than to offer him his daughter? or any thing more religious than to wish success to the Lord's battles? yet this

The original is, he made himself a prophet, or feigned himself to be under a prophetic influence; sung some devout song, and used such signs and gestures as prophets usually die, to lull David asleep, that he might not suspect any danger.

treacherous wretch never intended more mischief to David, or more unfaithfulness to God, than at this time. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him; he did not care to murder him himself, but would be 18 glad that he should fall by the hands of the Philistines. And David modestly answered, and said unto Saul, Who [am] I? and what [is] my life, [or] my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king? myself and my family are too mean to expect such an honour, yea, even the hazarding my life cannot 19 deserve it. But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife. The match had been delayed, to endear it the more at length, when his hopes were at the highest, his affections fixed, and the time appointed, Saul broke it off at once; perhaps to raise David's resentment that he might have some pretence for putting him to death.

20

And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told 21 Saul, and the thing pleased him. And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, thou shalt this day be my son in law in [the one of] the twain, in the younger, though not in the elder, hoping that she would prove a snare to him, and join to execute a design against his life. 22 And Saul commanded his servants, [saying,] Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law. David was not forward to accept the offer, but the courtiers were commanded to urge him to it, by telling him that he had 23 the affection of the king and the people. And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you [a] light [thing] to be a king's son in law, seeing that I [am] a poor man, and lightly esteemed? I am not able to pay a dowry such as a king might expect. This was the custom of those days, and was to be settled on the wife and her 24 children. And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this 25 manner spake David. And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. This was a proposal which he thought David could not decline without the imputation of cowardice: but Saul, by pretending zeal against the Philistines, thought to make David fall by the hand of 26 the Philistines. And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son in law and the days 27 for the bringing in the foreskins were not expired. Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philis tines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

• Dr. Wall observes, that the Greek version here has only a hundred. Comp. v. 25. and David's own words, 2 Sam. iii. 14.

28

And Saul saw and knew that the LORD [was] with David, and [that] Michal Saul's daughter loved him, had too much af fection for her husband to join in the base designs of her father. 29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David, because his designs against his life had miscarried, and the way was paved for him to the throne by his being the king's son in law; and Saul became David's enemy continually; he was every day more fully bent to 60 destroy him. Then the Princes of the Philistines went forth to revenge the injury David had done them; and it came to pass, after they went forth, [that] David behaved himself more wise ly than all the servants of Saul: so that his name was much set by; he was highly esteemed by all, which raised Saul's passion, and increased his zeal to destroy him.

REFLECTIONS.

1.

"WE see here an affecting instance of the vanity of the

world. Who so seemingly happy as David! He returned in triumph, Saul caressed and advanced him, Jonathan the kings's son made a league with him, the king's daughter fell in love with him, the courtiers and soldiers esteemed him, and he was beloved by all the people; yet this was the beginning of his sorrows; and innumerable artifices were made use of to destroy him. See what slippery places great men stand in; and what little reason there is to envy their condition. David was much happier when a shepherd than now. Let us learn contentment in a low condition, and check the risings of ambition. The greater height, the greater danger.

2. See what a malignant passion envy is, and what a demon it turns a man into. Never was Saul's breast so fit a lodging for the evil spirit, as when full of envy. He needed no worse spirit than his own to torment him. The case was, David had behaved well, and the women gave Saul more and David less than he deserved; and yet how does his envy and resentment rise! It is plain that the Spirit of God is departed from men, when they can bear to hear no one praised but themselves; when they are jealous and suspicious of every body about them; can resent undesigned affronts, and are peevish and ill natured in their language. The wisdom which is from above is different from this, it is peaceable and gentle; but where envy and strife is, there is every evil work.

3. Those that behave wisely, and have God with them, ought to be reverenced and loved. The respect which Saul's courtiers and soldiers paid to David, was no more than he deserved; even Saul feared him. The way to secure esteem and respect, is to behave ourselves gently. Men,' as Mr. HENRY observes, think the way to be feared is to huff, and hector, and threaten; which makes them feared by fools only, but despised by the wise and good. Whereas the way to be both feared and loved, feared by those to whom we would wish to be a terror, and loved by those to whom

we would wish to be a delight, is to behave ourselves gently, prudently, and circumspectly, humbly and unblameably.' Wisdom makes the face to shine; it commands esteem and respect.

4. If David reckoned it such an honour to be Saul's son in law, what an honour is it to be the sons and daughters of the Most High, the King of kings! David speaks of the alliance with great respect though he himself had many deserving qualities. How great an honour then, have the saints, to call God their father, and to receive the tokens of his love and care; and an heavenly inheritance! If this is a light matter to any of us, we know not the dignity and happiness resulting from it. But every good man will say with John, 1 Epistle, i. 3. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath be◄. stowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.

CHAP. XIX.

David spoke by experience when he said, 'Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.' He has in this chapter four remarkable escapes from destruction; the first by Jonathan's interposition; the second by his own activity; the third by means of his wife; and the fourth by the immediate hand of God.

'Α

ND Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David; when he could not destroy him by craft, he proclaimed open enmity; and hopes the courtiers would kill him, or at least that Jonathan would, out of regard 2 to his father's authority and his own interest. But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David and Jonathan told David, say. ing, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret [place,] and hide thyself: when the courtiers found that Saul was fully set against David, none of them durst appear to plead for him, but Jonathan his faithful friend. He informed David of the private orders which had been given, and exhorted him to hide 3 himself immediately. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou [art,] I will attend him in his morn◄ ing walk, or to his military exercises, and I will commune with my father of thee: I will plead thy cause; perhaps his anger may have abated, and his mind be changed; and what I see that I will tell thee, that if necessary thou mayest escape at once.

And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David: because he hath not sinned against thee, and because 5 his works [have been] to theeward very good: For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest [it,] and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent

6 blood, to slay David without a cause ?* And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan and Saul sware, [As] the LORd liv. eth he shall not be slain: but he did not continue long in this good mind. And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.

8

And there was war again and David went out with his thousand men and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him. This success raised 9 Saul's envy and malice. And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand, which were then used for sceptres: and David played with [his] 10 hand. And Saul, forgetting his oath, as rash swearers usually do, sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin 11 into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

Saul,

having added perjury to his other crimes, his conscience being grown seared and his designs desperate, also sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning and Michal David's wife, having intelligence from court, perhaps from Jonathan, told him, saying, If thou save not thy 12 life tonight, tomorrow thou shalt be slain. So Michal let David down through a window and he went, and fled, and es13 caped. And Michal took an image, and laid [it] in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' [hair] for his bolster, or rather, put goats' hair about the head of the image, the better to resemble Da14 vid, and covered [it] with a cloth. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He [is] sick; and probably showed them the bed, to prevent their suspicion; and they had so much humanity as not to distress him, but went to inform Saul; 15 which gave David more time to escape. And Saul sent the messengers [again] to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. He would not wait to see whether his sickness would prove mortal or not, but orders them to bring him, sick or well, that he might have the pleasure to dispatch him 16 with his own hands. And when the messengers were come in, behold, [there was] an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats' 17 [hair] for his bolster. And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? Saul did not expect to be served so by his daughter; but Providence made her the means of his deliverance, though she was intended to be his ruin. And Michal answered Saul, he said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee? Here she told another lie, which

• What a noble act of disinterested friendship! to plead his cause before his sworn enemy, who was a man of such violent passions. He suggested to his father, what a sin and a dishon eur it would be to slay so faithful a servant, who had hazarded his life and saved a whole nation. There is a great deal of skill and delicacy in this address; had he said more of David's merits, it would only have inflamed Saul's enmity; and therefore he chose to select this instance in which Saul had some merit and much complacency, and it had the happiest effect.

It was now he composed the fifty ninth psalm, which shows the disposition his mind as in, and may be properly read after this chapter.