2. Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash, and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. 3. And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it: and Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear." 4. And all Israel heard say, that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines: and the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal. 5. And the Philistines gathered themselves together, to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven. 6. When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. 7. And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead: as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8. And he tarried seven days, according to (g) the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him. 9. And Saul said, "Bring "hither a burnt-offering to me, and peace-offerings." And he offered the

(g) v. 8. "The set time, &c." When Samuel anointed Saul, one of the things he told him was, "Thou shalt go down "before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will "come down unto thee, to offer burnt"offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of "peace-offerings: seven days shalt thou "tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee "what thou shalt do. 1 Sam. x. 8." Saul's sin was, either that he did not wait the time he ought, or that he presumed to offer what none but Samuel should have offered. Some suppose, that he did not tarry seven

burnt-offering. 10. And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, be hold, Samuel came, and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. 11. And Samuel said, "What hast "thou done?" And Saul said, "Be

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cause I saw that the people were "scattered from me, and that thou "camest not within the days appointed, "and that the Philistines gathered "themselves together at Michmash: "12. Therefore said I, "The Philis"tines will come down now upon me to "Gilgal, and I have not made suppli"cation unto the LORD:" I forced "myself therefore, and offered a burnt"offering." 13. And Samuel said to Saul, "Thou hast done foolishly: thou "hast not kept the commandment of "the LORD thy God, which he com"manded thee: for now would the "LORD have established thy kingdom

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upon Israel for ever. 14. But now "thy kingdom shall not continue: the "LORD hath sought him a man after "his own heart, and the LORD hath "commanded him to be captain over "his people, because thou hast not

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kept that which the LORD com"manded thee." 15. And Samuel () arose, and gat him up from Gilgal, unto Gibeah of Benjamin: and Saul numbered the people that were pre sent with him, about six hundred men. 16. And Saul and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17. And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines, in three

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entire days, but sacrificed the seventh day: others, upon a different punctuation of 1 Sam. x. 8., understand that the sacri fices were to be seven days, and that the injunction to tarry was indefinite, not limited to seven days.

(h) v. 15. The Sept. and most copies of the Vulgate, read, and Samuel arose, "and gat him up from Gilgal: and the "people that were left went up after Saul "unto Gibeah, &c." There is no reason to suppose that Samuel went up to Gibeah. 1. Wall, 189. 2. Hales, 343.

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companies: one company turned unto the that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual. 18. And another company turned the way to Beth-horon: and another company turned to the way of the border, that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 19. Now there was no (i) smith found throughout all the land of Israel: (for the Philistines said, "Lest the He"brews make them swords or spears.") 20. But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. 21. Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. 22. So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. 23. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passsage of Michmash.

thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. 5. And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. 6. And Saul said unto the Kenites, "Go, depart, get you down "from among the Amalekites, lest I "destroy you with them: for ye shewed "kindness to all the children of Israel "when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7. And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah, until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. 8. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. 10. Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, 11. "It repenteth me "that I have set up Saul to be king: "for he is turned back from following "me, and hath not performed my com"mandments." And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night. 12. And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul came to Car"mel, and behold, he set him up a 66 place (m), and is gone about, and "passed on and gone down to Gilgal." 13. And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him, "Blessed be thou "of the LORD: I have performed the "commandment of the Lord." 14. And Samuel said, "What meaneth then this "bleating of the sheep in mine ears, "and the lowing of the oxen which I "hear?" 15. And Saul said, "They

(m) v. 12. "Place," or "memorial," in remembrance of his success; a monument of victory, (a pillar with a hand, the emblem of power, upon it) and that, not to the Giver of all victory, but in the pride of his heart, unto himself. See Ann. Reg. for 1779. Antiquities, 124. Parkh. 271.

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"have brought them from the Amalek"ites: for the (n) people spared the "best of the sheep, and of the oxen, "to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God, "and the rest we have utterly destroyed." 16. Then Samuel said "unto Saul," Stay, and I will tell thee "what the LORD hath said to me this "night." And he said unto him, "Say ❝ on." 17. And Samuel said, "When "thou wast little in thine own sight, "wast thou not made the head of the "tribes of Israel, and the LORD "anointed thee king over Israel? "18. And the LORD sent thee on a "journey, and said, "Go, and utterly

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destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, "and fight against them until they be "consumed." 19. Wherefore then "didst thou not obey the voice of the "LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, "and didst evil in the sight of the "LORD?" 20. And Saul said unto Samuel," Yea, I have obeyed the "voice of the LORD, and have gone "the way which the LORD sent me, "and have brought Agag the king of "Amalek, and have utterly destroyed "the Amalekites. 21: But the people "took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, "the chief of the things which should "have been utterly destroyed, to sacri"fice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal." 22. And Samuel said, "Hath the "LORD as great delight in burnt"offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying "the voice of the LORD? Behold, to "obey is better than sacrifice; and to "hearken, than the fat of rams. 23. For "rebellion is as (o) the sin of witch"craft, and stubbornness is as iniquity "and idolatry: because thou hast re"jected the word of the LORD, he hath "also rejected thee from being king." 24. And Saul said unto Samuel," I "have sinned: for I have transgressed

"the commandment of the LORD, and "thy words: because I feared the peo"ple, and obeyed their voice. 25. Now "therefore, I pray thee, pardon my

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sin, and turn again with me, that 1 "may worship the LORD." 26. And Samuel said unto Saul, "I will not re"turn with thee: for thou hast rejected "the word of the LORD, and the LORD "hath rejected thee from being king "over Israel." 27. And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. 28. And Samuel said unto him, "The LORD hath rent the kingdom of "Israel from thee this day, and hath

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given it to a neighbour of thine that "is better than thou. 29. And also "the strength of Israel will not lie, nor repent: for he is not a man that he "should repent." 30. Then he said,

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I have sinned, yet honour me now, I "pray thee, before the elders of my 66 people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship "the LORD thy God." 31. So Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshipped the LORD. 32. Then said Samuel," Bring you hither to me "Agag the king of the Amalekites:" and Agag came unto him delicately (p). And Agag said, "Surely the bitterness "of death is past." 33. And Samuel said, "As thy sword hath made women "childless, so shall thy mother be "childless among women." And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. 34. Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. 35. And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

CHAP. XVII.

Now (q) the Philistines gathered to gether their armies to battle, and were gathered together at (r) Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah (r), in Ephesdammim. 2. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 3. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side and there was a valley between them. 4. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span (s). 5. And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail: and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels (t) of brass. 6. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. 7. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels (u) of iron and one bearing a shield went before him. 8. And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, "Why are ye come out to set your battle in "array? am not I a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? choose you a man and let him come down to

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me. 9. If he be able to fight with "me, and to kill me, then will we be "your servants: but if I prevail against "him, and kill him, then shall ye be 66 our servants, and serve us." 10. And the Philistine said, "I defy the armies of "Israel this day; give me a man, that may fight together." 11. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the

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(q) v. 1. "Now." Before Christ, 1063 years.

(r)" Shochoh and Azekah," which both belonged to Judah. Josh. xv. 35.

(s) v. 4. "Six cubits and a span," i. e. "if a cubit be only 18 inches, 9 ft. 9 in.; if "21 inches, eleven feet four inches and a "half. A span was half a cubit."

(t) v. 5." 5,000 shekels," i. e. "190 pounds."

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Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. 12. Now (2) David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah, whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. 13. And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the first-born, and next unto him, Abinadab, and the third, Shammah. 14. And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul. 15. But David went and returned (y) from Saul, to feed his father's sheep at Beth-lehem. 16. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. 17. And Jesse said unto David his son, "Take now for thy "brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to "the camp to thy brethren. 18. And carry these ten cheeses unto the cap"tain of their thousand, and look how "thy brethren fare, and take their "pledge." 19. Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20. And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. 21. For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. 22. And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. 23. And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion (the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name) out of the armies of

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(u) v. 7. “600 shekels," i. e. "about "22 pounds."

(x) v. 12 to 31. is omitted in the Sept.

(y) v. 15. "Returned from Saul." He had before been sought out to play upon the harp before Saul, and Saul had made him his armour-bearer. See 1 Sam. xvi. 16 to 23.