1 Samuel 19:15 Komentář

Immediately after David's marriage, which one would have hoped would secure him Saul's affection, we find his troubles coming upon him faster than ever and Saul's enmity to him the cause of all. His death was vowed, and four fair escapes of his from the hurtful sword of Saul we have an account of in this chapter: the first by the prudent mediation of Jonathan (Sa1 19:1-7), the second by his own quickness (Sa1 19:8-10), the third by Michal's fidelity (Sa1 19:11-17), the fourth by Samuel's protection, and a change, for the present, wrought upon Saul (Sa1 19:18-24). Thus God has many ways of preserving his people. Providence is never at a loss.

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 19 This chapter relates the dangers David was exposed unto through Saul's enmity at him, and his deliverance from them, as by the notice Jonathan gave him of his father's designs against him, and by his kind interposition on his behalf, Sa1 19:1; by David's slipping out of Saul's presence, when he was about to cast a javelin at him, Sa1 19:8; by Michal's letting him down through a window, when Saul sent messengers to kill him, and by deceiving them with an image laid in his bed in the room of him, Sa1 19:11, and again by Samuel's protection of him at Naioth, whither David fled, and where Saul sent messengers after him, and at length came himself; and instead of laying hands on David, both he and the messengers were set a prophesying, Sa1 19:18.

And Saul sent the messengers again to see David,.... Not to visit him, or to see how he was, or inquire of his health, in a kind manner, but to see his person, whether he was sick or not, and whether he was there or not; for Saul might suspect some deceit was used, because the messengers took the report of Michal, and saw not David, nor attempted to see him; but now they have strict orders to see him, and not take Michal's word as before, Sa1 19:14; wherefore the supplement again may be left out: saying, bring him up to me in the bed; if so bad that he was not able to rise, or not fit to be taken out of his bed, his orders were, that he should be brought to him in it; resolved he was to have him, sick or well: that I may slay him: not content that he should die a natural death, or willing to wait for it, he is in haste, being full of wrath and malice, to slay him himself.

Now Michal’s name means “reign,” because sin reigned over our nature up to that time. And at the very time he himself was born, he [the Lord in the figure of David] went out through a window. And the window indicates the return to the light again of the one who made himself known to those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death.And his image is seen on the bed. For the angel says to those seeking the Lord in the tomb, “Why do you seek the living with the dead? He is not here; he is risen.” “Behold the place” in which he lay. Those seeking the Lord saw the tomb in which he was buried empty of the body of the one they were seeking. Only the burial sheets were in it. We think, therefore, that the image of David on the bed signifies the resurrection of the Lord in the tomb, through which the true averting of our death through expiatory sacrifice occurs.

And not in war only, but also in peace the need of deceit may be found, not merely in reference to the affairs of the state but also in private life, in the dealings of husband with wife and wife with husband, son with father, friend with friend, and also children with a parent. For the daughter of Saul would not have been able to rescue her husband out of Saul’s hands except by deceiving her father. And her brother, wishing to save him whom she had rescued when he was again in danger, made use of the same weapon as the wife.

And again Saul sent messengers to see David, etc. When the Church was preaching Christ from the advent of the Holy Spirit, the leaders of the Jews sent [people] to more carefully see what was believed about Jesus, whether He was Christ or a prophet; whether He had risen or still lay in the sepulchre, saying: Proclaim to us who are present; because He has not risen from the dead, but still lying in the bed of earth, He awaited the day of universal resurrection, so that thus faith in Him may be uprooted and eliminated from the world. When the persecutors began to confront the Church, with the faithful rejoicing over Christ's triumph, nothing met the impious except the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense to those who stumbled at the word and did not believe; considering Him as if a leper, struck and humbled by God (Isaiah 53). But He, as the prophet subsequently added: He was wounded for our iniquities, He was crushed for our sins.

Jonathan pleads for David before Saul, who is for the present reconciled, Sa1 19:1-7. David defeats the Philistines; and Saul becomes again envious, and endeavors to slay him, but he escapes, Sa1 19:8-10. Saul sends men to David's house, to lie in wait for him; but Michal saves him by a stratagem, Sa1 19:11-17. David flees to Samuel, at Ramah, Sa1 19:18. Saul, hearing of it, sends messengers three several times to take him; but the Spirit of coming upon them, they prophesy, Sa1 19:19-21. Saul, hearing of this, goes after David himself, and falls under the same influence, Sa1 19:22-24.

JONATHAN DISCLOSES HIS FATHER'S PURPOSE TO KILL DAVID. (Sa1 19:1-7) Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David--The murderous design he had secretly cherished he now reveals to a few of his intimate friends. Jonathan was among the number. He prudently said nothing at the time, but secretly apprised David of his danger; and waiting till the morning, when his father's excited temper would be cooled, he stationed his friend in a place of concealment, where, overhearing the conversation, he might learn how matters really stood and take immediate flight, if necessary.

Bring him to me in the bed--a portable couch or mattress.

Jonathan warded off the first outbreak of deadly enmity on the part of Saul towards David. When Saul spoke to his son Jonathan and all his servants about his intention to kill David (את־דּוד להמית, i.e., not that they should kill David, but "that he intended to kill him"), Jonathan reported this to David, because he was greatly attached to him, and gave him this advice: "Take heed to thyself in the morning; keep thyself in a secret place, and hide thyself. I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will talk to my father about thee (בּ דּבּר, as in Deu 6:7; Psa 87:3, etc., to talk of or about a person), and see what (sc., he will say), and show it to thee." David was to conceal himself in the field near to where Jonathan would converse with his father about him; not that he might hear the conversation in his hiding-place, but that Jonathan might immediately report to him the result of his conversation, without there being any necessity for going far away from his father, so as to excite suspicion that he was in league with David.

But when Saul sent the messengers again to see David, and that with the command, "Bring him up to me in the bed," and when they only found the teraphim in the bed, and Saul charged Michal with this act of deceit, she replied, "He (David) said to me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?" - "Behold, teraphim were (laid) in the bed." The verb can be naturally supplied from Sa1 19:13. In the words "Why should I kill thee?" Michael intimates that she did not mean to let David escape, but was obliged to yield to his threat that he would kill her if she continued to refuse. This prevarication she seems to have considered perfectly justifiable.