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In this chapter we find David in great straits, and happily delivered by the interposition of Providence...

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OW the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek and the Israelites pitched by a fountain 2 which [is] in Jezreel. And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands, some at the head of an hundred, and some of a thousand soldiers; but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish, who was chosen general of the whole army, and David went with him as captain of his guards, 3.according to his promise. Then said the princes of the Philistines,. What [do] these Hebrews [here ?] thinking it odd that they should go against their own countrymen. 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 these days, or these years, a year, and four months, long enough to prove him, and I have found no fault in him since he fell [unto 4 me] unto this day? And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him at Ziklag, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us, should prove false and revolt: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? [should it] not [be] with the beads of these men? by betraying us into the hands of Saul? This was a plausible excuse, but the chief reason was, envy and indignation at his refutation, and seeing him so honourably treated. .5 [Is] not this David of whom they sang one, to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands? reminding Achish that he was a very dangerous person, and would hardly forfeit his popularity by fighting against his country.

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Then Achish, who was overruled in the council of war, called. David, and said unto him, Surely, [as] the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host [is] good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day; a very honourable testimony: nevertheless the lords favour thee not. 7 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease 8 not the lords of the Philistines. 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? David, though inwardly pleased, would not have Achish imagine he wanted to be 9 dismissed. And Achish, knowing that all things had been well

Achish swears as the Lord liveth, and not by Dagon: perhaps David, who spoke of God's testimonies before kings, had instructed him in the knowledge of Jehovah.

managed by him, and prospered in his hand, answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle; and Achish thought it was better to lose a favourite, than to have a mutiny in the army. 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 11 in the morning, and have light, depart. So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel. This was ordered by God's special providence, to preserve him either from fighting against his own people, or betraying his trust; as also that he might come seasonably to the rescue of his friends at Ziklag, and his own concerns.

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REFLECTIONS.

T is sometimes injurious even to have high reputation. plause of men, for it exposed David to the envy and hatred of the Philistine lords. Popular applause may soon be turned to reproach; therefore, while we behave honourably, and have the testimony of a good conscience, let us not be over solicitous about the applause of

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2. We may see by this remarkable appearance of Providence in David's favour, that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. He knew not what to do; he could not desert, without the imputation of cowardice, treachery, and ingratitude to his benefactor; and yet it was hard to fight against his country, and the Lord's anointed, and would exasperate the Israelites against him. He was under no engagements but to defend Achish; perhaps he would have done that as captain of his guard; and perhaps he might have saved. Jonathan's life, and accommodated matters between the contending parties. He was much wanted at home, though he did not know it. In this difficulty God appeared for him, by stirring up the Philistine lords against him, and suffering them to indulge and succeed in their resentment. David's honourable dismission freed him from all these difficulties, just time enough to save his wives, and children, and substance. His mind was undoubtedly much distressed; and God suffered this, to chastise his folly in going to the Philis tines; but because his heart was right, he interposed to rescue him, and his disgrace proved greatly to his advantage. This affords us encouragement to trust in God in all our straits and difficulties, for he can find out ways and means to rescue us, and even stir up our enemies to deliver us out of this or the other evil, from which our friends cannot. In all our ways, therefore, let us acknowledge him, and he will direct our paths.

CHAP. XXX.

We read here of the distressed circumstances in which David and his men found Ziklag on their return; his pursuit of the enemy ; the recovery of their families and effects; and the distribution of the 'spoil.

ND it came to pass, when David and his men were come

vaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it 2 with fire; And had taken the women captives, that [were] therein they slew not any, either great or small, but carried 3 [them] away, and went on their way. So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, [it was] burned with fire ; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken 4 captives. Then David and the people that [were] with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to 5 weep. And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. This was indeed a heavy trial. They had just escaped Saul's fury, and got safe from the Philistines, and expected to meet their wives and children with joy; but, behold, all were lost. We can scarce 6 imagine any thing more melancholy. And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; their grief for a time took away their reason, and they ascribed all their miseries to him for having attacked the Amalekites: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God, his piety kept up his courage. He had a great command of temper, did not threaten to punish their insolence, but remained silent under 7 all their ill usage. 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. In the day of his 8 trouble he sought the Lord. And David inquired at the 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.] God answered, and, for his encouragement, promised more than he required.

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So David went, he and the six hundred men that [were] with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left 10 behind stayed. But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor; their grief had made them neglect to take proper refreshment. This was à great trial of David's faith, as it took from him a third part of his army; yet he showed them great tenderness, and though the case was urgent, 11 did not hurry them beyond their strength. And they found an

• It was strange that they did not destroy them, as David had done their wives and children. There was however a remarkable providence in it, as they did not stop till they got to the borders of their own country: then they staid to refresh themselves, and rejoice in their victory.

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Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him 12 bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water. And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; they did what they could to recover and comfort him, for he had eaten no bread, nor drank [any] water, three days and three 13 nights, that is, part of three days and three nights. 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 Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick. This was the highest degree of inhumanity and cruelty he left him sick, in an enemy's country, destitute of necessaries, when they had plenty, and with their camels could We made an invasion 14 easily have taken him with them.

[upon] the south of the Cherethites, the Philistines, and upon [the coast] which [belongeth] to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb's inheritance, where Nabal's possessions were, and we 15 burned Ziklag with fire. 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 bands of my master, of whose cruelty I have had sufficient proof, and I will bring thee down to this company.

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And when he had brought him down, behold, [they were] spread 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; here they thought themselves perfectly secure, because the Philistines 17 and Israelites were gone to war. And David came upon them early in the morning, and smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon 18 camels, and fled. And David recovered all that the Amalekites 19 had carried away and David rescued his two wives. 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: David recovered all, according to God's 20 word. And David took all the flocks and the herds, taken by the Amalekites from the Philistines and the men of Judah, [which] they drave before those [other] cattle, belonging to David and the men of Ziklag, and said, This [is] David's spoil, obtained by The soldiers now repented of their inso his valour and conduct. lence, and were willing that David should have all the new spoils 21 which were taken. And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that [were] with him, to congratulate them on their success, and receive their wives and children; and when David came near to the people, he saluted them, in the most friendly manner inquiring about their health, for he had left them weak and faint.

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Then answered all the wicked men and [men] of Belial, of those that went with David, properly so called, because they were covetous and barbarous ; probably David when he saluted the two hundred men, told them they should have their own things restored, and part of the spoil; but these wicked men objected, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them [aught] 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 de24 livered the company that came against us into our hand. For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part [is] that goeth down to the battle, so [shall] his part [be] that tar25 rieth by the stuff: they shall part alike. And it was [so] from that day forward, that he made it a perpetual statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

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And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, [even] to his friends,t saying, Behold a 27 present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD: To

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[them] which [were] in Bethel, and to [them] which [were] in 28 south Ramoth, and to [them] which [were] in Jattir, And to

[them] which [were] in Aroer, and to [them] which [were] in 29 Siphmoth, and to [them] which [were] in Eshtemoa, And to

[them] which [were] in Rachal, and to [them] which [were] in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to [them] which [were] in 30 the cities of the Kenites, And to [them] which [were] in Hormah, and to [them] which [were] in Chorashan, and to [them] 31 which [were] in Athach, And to [them] which [were] in Heb ron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt; to the friends among whom they had lurked, and from whom they had received intelligence and provisions. He sent these presents, as a token that he wished them prosperity, in gratitude for their kindness, and as a means of securing their affection.

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REFLECTIONS.

EE here a striking instance of the uncertainty of all created comfort. Little did David and his men think of so melancholy a sight. Being dismissed from the army, they were highly delighted with the thoughts of rejoicing with their families and friends. But what a dreadful scene opened to their view! When we go abroad, we know not what occurrence may happen before we return; we may go out cheerful, and return doleful; our houses

David overruled their cruel proposal, yet in a friendly manner; and argued, that since God had been so good to them, it would be peculiarly base and impious in them to be unkind to their brethren. He reasoned from the equity of the thing; they were left behind by common consent, were part of the same body, and might have been serviceable in case of a retreat.

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The Amalekites were a rich, luxurious, effeminate people, see Judges viii. 24, 26. David sent part of the jewels and other spoils to the elders of Judah, and other friends, lest his men should grow efféminate by'using them,"

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