12 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made A.C. 1055. his people Israel * utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall my servant for ever. be Death of Saul. 1 SAMUEL XXVIII. 1 Achish putteth confidence in David. 5 Saul, having destroyed the witches, 6 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. 1 And it came to pass in those days, 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. b * Heb. to stink. 3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented b Ch. xxv. l. 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. 4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa. 5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. 6 And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. 7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor 15. 45 This history of the witch of Endor has been made the subject of as much discussion as any history in the Old Testament; and the general concurrent opinion of both the Jewish and Christian churches, that the spirit of Samuel really appeared to Saul, has been treated with much ridicule by objectors; and it has been explained away, or otherwise interpreted by some, who think that a Christian may conciliate the sceptic, by yielding those points which appear mysterious in his religion. But if we at all believe in the existence of spirit, as something which is distinct from matter, there is no difficulty or absurdity whatever in this history. We know but little of the invisible world, or of the manner in which the disembodied spirit continues to exist, our understanding and our apprehension are so limited in this stage of our existence, that we cannot comprehend one half of those truths, which both our senses, our reason, and Revelation compel us to approve. Why then should it appear impossible that God should raise the dead? + Or, for himself. 8 And Saul disguised himself, and 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 me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. 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 Ånd 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 saw gods ascending out of the earth. 14 And he said unto her, *What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. 15 ¶ And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. 16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? 17 And the LORD hath done ‡ to him, as he spake by Ch. xv. 28. §me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine Hamine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: hand. 18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day. If Moses and Elias appeared from the invisible world, what greater difficulty can exist in supposing that Samuel did so. For the proofs that the spirit of the prophet was really made visible by the power of God in some mysterious manner to the woman, and for an enquiry into the nature of the objects which were to be answered by this manifestation of Samuel, see the various commentators, Bp. Patrick, Bp. Horne, Stackhouse, particularly Dr. Hales's Analysis, vol. i. pages 355 to 361. 19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee A. C. 1055. into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. * 20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: 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. 1 SAMUEL XXIX. 1 David marching with the Philistines, 3 is disallowed by their princes. 6 Achish dismisseth him, with commendations of his fidelity. 1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to 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 these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day? 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 he may go again to his place ₫ 1 Chron. xii. which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down 19. A.C. 1055. with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men? e 5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in e Ch. xviii. 7. dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands? & xxi. 11. *Heb. thou art not good in the eyes of the lords. + Heb. do not evil in the eyes 6¶ Then Achish 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: nevertheless *the lords faVOur thee not. 7 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou + disof the lords, please 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 Heb. before been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king? thee. 9 And Achish 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. 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. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel. 1 CHRONICLES XII. VER. 19-23. 19 And there fell some of Manasseh to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle but they helped them not: for the lords of the Philistines upon adf1 Sam. xxix. visement sent him away, saying, 'He will fall to his master Heb. on our Saul § to the jeopardy of our heads. 4. heads. II Or, with a band. 20 As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zilthai, captains of the thousands that were of Manasseh. 21 And they helped David || against the band of the rovers: for they were all mighty men of valour, and were captains in the host. 22 For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God. 1 SAMUEL XXX. 1 The Amalekites spoil Ziklag. 4 David asking counsel is encouraged by God to his friends. 1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were A.C. 1055. come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; 2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. 3¶ 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 captives. up 4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 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: but Heb. bitter. David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 7 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. 8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt 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: for two hundred 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; 12 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: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. |