1 Samuel 13:20 Komentář

Those that desired a king like all the nations fancied that, when they had one, they should look very great and considerable; but in this chapter we find it proved much otherwise. While Samuel was joined in commission with Saul things went well (Sa1 11:7). But, now that Saul began to reign alone, all went to decay, and Samuel's words began to be fulfilled: "You shall be consumed, both you and your king;" for never was the state of Israel further gone in a consumption than in this chapter. I. Saul appears here a very silly prince. 1. Infatuated in his counsels (Sa1 13:1-3). 2. Invaded by his neighbours (Sa1 13:4, Sa1 13:5). 3. Deserted by his soldiers (Sa1 13:6, Sa1 13:7). 4. Disordered in his own spirit, and sacrificing in confusion (Sa1 13:8-10). 5. Chidden by Samuel (Sa1 13:11-13). 6. Rejected of God from being king (Sa1 13:14). II. The people appear hear a very miserable people. 1. Disheartened and dispersed (Sa1 13:6, Sa1 13:7). 2. Diminished (Sa1 13:15, Sa1 13:16). 3. Plundered (Sa1 13:17, Sa1 13:18). 4. Disarmed (Sa1 13:19-23). This they got by casting off God's government, and making themselves like the nations: all their glory departed from them.

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 13 This chapter relates how Saul disposed of his army, Sa1 13:1 that Jonathan his son smote a garrison of Philistines, which provoked them to come out with a large army against them, to the great terror of the Israelites, many of whom fled to secret places, and to distant parts, Sa1 13:3, that Saul tarried at Gilgal waiting for Samuel, but he not coming so soon as expected, offered sacrifice himself, Sa1 13:8 for which Samuel, when he came, reproved him, and told him the kingdom should not continue with him, but be given to another man, Sa1 13:11 on which Saul departed to Gibeah, where he continued, the Philistines being encamped at Michmash, Sa1 13:15 from whence went out spoilers, in three companies, into the land of Israel, where they met with no opposition; for there were no weapons in the hands of any but Saul and Jonathan, the Philistines having taken care that there should be no smith in the land of Israel to make them any, so that they were defenceless, Sa1 13:17.

But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines,.... Were obliged to go into Palestine, into some one or other of the cities of the Philistines, or to their garrisons, where the trade of a smith was exercised: to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter; which are the parts of the plough made of iron, with which the earth is cut and thrown up: and his axe and his mattock; or pick axe; with the one wood is felled and cut, and with the other stones are dug; and each of these for their several uses needed sharpening; and when they did, they were obliged to go to the Philistines to have them done, they having no smiths among them.

For, as a result of the king’s sin [Saul’s offering of the sacrifice], fear had pervaded the whole army. The camp of the enemy, which was lying at no great distance, showed them how real the danger was, and no one had the courage to think of going out to battle: most had absconded to the marshes. For besides the lack of courage on the part of those who felt that God was alienated from them on account of the king’s sin, the army was in the greatest need of iron weapons; so much so that nobody, except Saul and Jonathan his son, is said to have possessed either sword or spear. For the Philistines, as conquerors in the former wars, had deprived the Hebrews of the use of arms, and no one had had the power of forging any weapon of war or even making any implement for rural purposes.

30. All these things are indeed described so that the manner of the victory that followed might be made clear. For armed men were conquered by the unarmed, so that everything that is overcome might be attributed to the praises of Almighty God. But if we pursue these things spiritually in our customary manner, we will not find them devoid of mysteries. What then does it mean when it says: "No blacksmith was found in Israel," except that for spiritual battles we are instructed not through secular letters but through divine ones? For no blacksmith is found in Israel because the faithful who see the Lord do not fight against malign spirits by the art of secular knowledge. For they would conquer aided by the blacksmith's art if they prevailed against hidden enemies by the weapons of secular eloquence. And indeed this learning of secular books, even if by itself it does not benefit the spiritual conflict of the saints, when it is joined to divine Scripture, one is more subtly instructed in the knowledge of that same Scripture. Liberal arts are to be learned for this purpose alone: that through instruction in them the divine utterances may be understood more subtly. From the hearts of some, malign spirits remove the desire for learning, so that they neither know secular things nor reach the heights of spiritual things. Therefore it is rightly said: "The Philistines had taken care lest the Hebrews should make sword or spear." The demons clearly know that when we are instructed in secular letters, we are aided in spiritual matters. When therefore they dissuade us from learning these things, what else do they guard against except that we might make a spear or sword? Let the prophet therefore declare the history and make known the zeal of the elect, and let him explain: "Israel went down to the Philistines so that each might sharpen his plowshare or his hoe." We go down to the Philistines when we incline our mind to learning secular books. And it is called a descent because Christian simplicity is on high. But what does it mean that secular letters are said to be on the plain, yet their manner of teaching is lofty? Because although they narrate nothing heavenly, they unfold what they set forth in a marvelous order of speech, and they are elevated by their narration, yet brought low by speaking of carnal things. Whoever desires to know this manner of speaking or understanding, let him go down to the Philistines, let him sharpen plowshare and hoe, so that he who strives to be thoroughly instructed by their eloquence may be brought low even to hearing the carnal things of the secular writers. Almighty God indeed set this secular knowledge on the plain before us so that it might make for us a step of ascent that ought to lift us to the heights of divine Scripture. For this reason He willed it to come first, so that in it He might instruct us to pass over to spiritual things. Hence Moses, who gave us the beginnings of the divine utterances, did not first learn divine things, but so that he might be able to grasp or express divine things, he first formed his untrained mind in all the knowledge of the Egyptians. Isaiah also proved more eloquent than the other prophets, because he was not, like Jeremiah, from Anathoth, nor, like Amos, a herdsman, but was nobly educated and urbane. Paul too, the vessel of election, was first instructed at the feet of Gamaliel before he was caught up into paradise or raised to the height of the third heaven (Acts 22). And perhaps for this reason he excelled the other apostles in teaching: because he who was destined for heavenly things first diligently learned earthly ones. 31. But now, as I think, the properties of rural implements must be examined spiritually. What then is indicated by the plowshare, which is drawn by oxen going before, if not the affection of twofold charity? And what is shown by the hoe, with which each person alone labors in the cultivation of a field, if not the pursuit of the private life? For certain wealthy and strong farmers plow with oxen: because they both love the Lord mightily and, through brotherly love, attend more diligently to the gain of souls. They therefore sharpen the plowshare at the smiths of the Philistines: because they compose the pursuit of holy preaching from secular learning. But some, being poor, use the hoe: because those who judge themselves unable to suffice for winning the souls of others do not cease to prepare for themselves alone what they can regarding eternity. Each of them uses, as it were, a hoe: because they do not cease to prepare the field of their mind for divine worship. And because in this pursuit of the private life secular learning is also greatly profitable to them, one sharpens the hoe while being taught: because a learned person in the pursuit of his own life attends to everything more keenly. With the axe, however, we do not dig the earth but cut off the branches of trees. What then does the axe signify, if not the zeal of good emulation? For when we are kindled to imitate the examples of better persons, we cut branches for ourselves, as it were, with which to feed a fire for driving away the chills of our negligence. The Apostle Paul commands us to hold this axe, saying: "Be zealous for good in all things" (Gal. 4:18). This axe is indeed sharpened: because learned believers, just as they better recognize the examples of the faithful, so also they more fervently desire to imitate them. The weeding-fork or trident digs the earth more finely, so that it is understood not so much to dig as to scrape and break up clods. What is expressed by this three-pronged weeding-fork, if not the virtue of discernment? By which, certainly, when we examine things done or to be done with subtle consideration, we level the clods of our land, as it were, into fine dust for sowing. This weeding-fork is indeed declared to be three-pronged, because the power of discernment arranges not only what is to be done, but also what is to be thought and spoken. It clears away all harmful things from the hand, the heart, and the tongue, so that the seed which we commit to the soil of our mind may bear abundant fruit. Fittingly therefore it is said: "All Israel went down to the Philistines, so that each might sharpen his plowshare, his hoe, his axe, and his weeding-fork": because the affection of twofold charity, the pursuit of the private life, and the examples of another's perfection we read in sacred eloquence; but we who are ignorant of secular knowledge are unable to penetrate the depth of that same sacred eloquence. Whence also, adding reasonably, he says: (Verse 21.) "Therefore the edges of the plowshares, and hoes, and axes, and tridents were blunted, until the goad needed correcting."

Therefore all Israel descended to the Philistines, etc. And today, some descend, leaving behind the elevation of the word of God, to which they ought to have ascended to hear, and they listen to worldly fables and doctrines of demons, and by reading philosophers, rhetoricians, and poets of the Gentiles, to exercise earthly intelligence, as if going to the blacksmiths of the Philistines to sharpen tools for wild or rural cultivation, they come unarmed, that is, deprived of spiritual knowledge.

Saul chooses a body of troops, Sa1 13:1, Sa1 13:2. Jonathan smites a garrison of the Philistines, Sa1 13:3, Sa1 13:4. The Philistines gather together an immense host against Israel, Sa1 13:5. The Israelites are afraid; and some hide themselves in caves, and others flee over Jordan, Sa1 13:6, Sa1 13:7. Samuel delaying his coming, Saul offers sacrifice, Sa1 13:8, Sa1 13:9. Samuel comes and reproves him, and Saul excuses himself, Sa1 13:10-12. Samuel shows him that God has rejected him from being captain over his people, Sa1 13:13, Sa1 13:14. Samuel departs; and Saul and Jonathan, with six hundred men abide in Gibeah, Sa1 13:15, Sa1 13:16. The Philistines send out foraging companies, and waste the land, Sa1 13:17, Sa1 13:18. Desolate state of the Israelitish army, having no weapons of defense against their enemies, Sa1 13:19-23.

But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines - We find from this that they did not grant them as much as Porsenna did to the Romans; he permitted the people to manufacture the implements of husbandry.

SAUL'S SELECTED BAND. (Sa1 13:1-2) Saul reigned one year--(see Margin). The transactions recorded in the eleventh and twelfth chapters were the principal incidents comprising the first year of Saul's reign; and the events about to be described in this happened in the second year.