1 Samuel 11:3 Kommentar

In this chapter we have the first-fruits of Saul's government, in the glorious rescue of Jabesh-Gilead out of the hands of the Ammonites. Let not Israel thence infer that therefore they did well to ask a king (God could and would have saved them without one); but let them admire God's goodness, that he did not reject them when they rejected him, and acknowledge his wisdom in the choice of the person whom, if he did not find fit, yet he made fit, for the great trust he called him to, and enabled, in some measure, to merit the crown by his public services, before it was fixed on his head by the public approbation. Here is, I. The great extremity to which the city of Jabesh-Gilead, on the other side of Jordan, was reduced by the Ammonites (Sa1 11:1-3). II. Saul's great readiness to come to their relief, whereby he signalized himself (Sa1 11:4-10). III. The good success of his attempt, by which God signalized him (Sa1 11:11). IV. Saul's tenderness, notwithstanding this, towards those that had opposed him (Sa1 11:12, Sa1 11:13). V. The public confirmation and recognition of his election to the government (Sa1 11:14, Sa1 11:15).

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 11 This chapter relates the distress the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead were in on account of the Ammonites, Sa1 11:1 upon which they sent messengers to Saul, whose spirit was immediately stirred up to help them, Sa1 11:4, and prepared for it, and came up soon enough for their relief, and slew their enemies, Sa1 11:7, which gained him much honour and reputation among the people, and occasioned the renewal of the kingdom to him, Sa1 11:12.

And the elders of Jabesh said,.... The magistrates and principal men of the city: give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers to all the coasts of Israel; that is, cease from besieging them, from throwing in darts into the city, or any other missive weapons, and from attempting to break open the gates, or break down the walls of it, and storm it; such a space of time they desire, which was as little as could be granted, to go and return in, and without this it would not be a reproach to all Israel, if they were ill used by them, since they had no knowledge of their case, nor time to come up for their assistance: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee; and submit to be used at thy pleasure. And it seems that this was granted by Nahash out of a bravado, and to reproach and insult all Israel, and bid them defiance; with whom he sought to quarrel, having a design upon their land, and knowing very well their condition, being awed by the Philistines; and having just chosen a king, and he an inexperienced man in the affairs of war, and had no army; nor was it likely that one could be assembled in so short a time, and come to the relief of this people, and therefore he thought himself safe enough in granting their request.

4. Who are the inhabitants of Jabesh, that is, of "the dried," except those who maintain the discipline of an emaciated flesh through long practice of virtue? For many begin to resist gluttony, but when they start to grow weary from the labor of abstinence, they incline themselves back to the habit of their accustomed greediness. They desire, as it were, to enter the city of Jabesh and become its citizens, but since they cannot endure the torment of dried and hungering flesh, they can by no means become its inhabitants. Therefore those inhabit Jabesh who hold the attenuation of the body through strength of mind as a right of possession, and are surrounded, as it were, by the walls of dryness, since through the very fact that they emaciate the body they are protected from the fiery darts of lust. When they are wearied by the most powerful rising stings of gluttony, they seek a truce of seven days, during which, if help does not come, they will go out to Nahash. But we explain this war of the Ammonites better if we observe in it the weakness of the flesh caught out and the sagacity of the trained mind. We see this more clearly too if we attend more closely to the opposite case in the foolish and weak. For certain people within holy Church are devout in desire, but slack through their habitual weakness of vices. They can indeed propose good things, but because they are unable to carry out what they propose, they are both overcome by present concupiscence and trust that they can recover in the near future the good which they abandon in the present. Often indeed they resolve to fast, but when they are conquered by habitual gluttony, they judge that they must eat on that day and fast on days to come. And since the ferocity of gluttony is always present to them, and present too is the desire for future goodness, it is brought about by the serpent's deceit that the good which is proposed is never found. For "tomorrow," which is always promised, is never reached. But since this is done by those whose mind is weak and flesh strong, let us see how those whose mind is strong but flesh weak make a mockery of the serpent. For concerning this same serpent the Psalmist says to the Lord: "This dragon, which you formed, to make sport of him" (Ps. 103:27). For he is never more fittingly conquered than when his cunning is overcome by a holy deception. Hence also the Redeemer, reproaching blessed Job with the cleverness of His own wisdom, says: "In his eyes, as with a hook, you shall catch him" (Job 40:10). For He caught the serpent, as it were with a hook before his eyes, who displayed to him flesh but concealed divinity; and while the serpent seized what he desired, he was caught and destroyed by what he did not see. 5. Holy men, therefore, in order to mock the enemy, maintain the rigor of their way of life in present virtue; as a deception of weakness, they promise the flesh a certain comfort in the future. For the things they do are often enormous, but on account of the weakness of the flesh, they do not presume to always do hard things and to promise austere things. Indeed they endure these same hardships all the more easily, inasmuch as they do not see the burdens of them as binding upon themselves in a perpetual commitment. But while they live most excellently, and strive daily to advance and not to fall back, that permitted indulgence of the flesh, which they cannot despair of, they always promise to the flesh in a future reckoning; yet they by no means cease to inflict upon it the pain of the affliction already begun. Therefore, through the fact that hope is left to the flesh in its desire, the spirit, as it were, promises the presence of its coming for the future good of that same flesh. But because it does not abandon by failing the accustomed rigor of self-restraint, the flesh has the promise of pleasure in the future, and the chosen mind has the strength of virtue in the present. Here it should be noted that they promise to go out to Nahash under a condition, but they are fortified by the walls of the city without condition: because those who practice abstinence, even in that in which they are weak according to the flesh, trust to be strengthened through divine mercy. And because they are eager to overthrow the vice of gluttony by deceiving it, they say: "Grant us seven days." For it is as if time is granted by gluttony, when it is restrained with the expectation that its desires will at some point be served. During which space of days, Nahash indeed awaits the coming out to him of the besieged citizens, but the citizens of Jabesh await reinforcements: because indeed the appetite of gluttony desires to be refreshed from the weak flesh, but the chosen mind desires to be strengthened in the virtue of abstinence. In seven days reinforcements are sought, when against the darkness of temptations we are raised up by every light of the heart, when against wicked counsels we find whatever we can by our own reason, and we are fortified by the rays of light which we do not perceive in ourselves from the instruction of others. For while we look to the ways of life of the perfect for the strengthening of our virtue, we find, as it were, through seven days the aids of defense. We indeed seek a truce, because we fight with Nahash, that is, the serpent, whose poisons are so hidden that we must seek all the more subtle counsels. Hence they also promise that they will send messengers into all the borders of Israel: because chosen men, for the benefit of their own edification, are aided by the examples of all who see God. But in what is said, "If there is no one who defends, we will come out to you," in the voice of the elect, not doubt of reinforcements but certainty is shown. As if mocking the adversary who persuades with cunning words, they bring forth words by which they grant him hope and by no means take away their own confidence. For those who say, "If there is no one who defends, we will come out to you," grant a certain hope of their coming out. But because those who say this are certain of help, they deceive their enemies by promising. But where these same reinforcements are now to be found, he explains saying: (Verses 4 and 5.) Therefore the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and they spoke these words in the hearing of the people, and all the people lifted up their voice and wept. And behold, Saul was coming in the morning, following the oxen from the field, and he saw the people weeping, and said: "What is the matter with the people, that they weep?"

And the elders of Jabesh said to him, etc. The more prudent and cautious ones in faith said to the heretics, in whom they recognized the voice of the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, just as Christ spoke differently in Paul and his followers: Do not force us to believe your new doctrine until, in seeking the light of the Holy Spirit, who was given to the sevenfold Church, we have thoroughly examined the writings of the Fathers; and if in them there is no one who defends our faith, we will come out to you, and, abandoning the Catholic unity which is within, we will instead join you, who have long since gone out from it and now attack it from outside, and we will listen as it is also read against us in it. They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us (1 John 2). These things they spoke not with any intention of assenting to the heretics, but being most certain of the paternal faith, they intended to conquer them by the just reasoning of their argument. This is similar to what the Psalmist says: If I have returned evil to those who rewarded me, I will fall empty by my enemies (Psalm 7). And what the Apostle says: For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our faith is in vain, our preaching is also in vain. And we are found to be false witnesses of God, because we have testified against God that He raised up Christ; whom He did not raise if the dead do not rise (1 Corinthians 15). These things were said not so that either the resurrection of Christ is denied, or the prophet is taught to return evil to those who rewarded him; but that by means of those things which could not be proven false, also those things about which there was doubt might be established as true.

Nahash, king of the Ammonites, besieges Jabesh-gilead; and proposes to its inhabitants the most degrading conditions of peace, Sa1 11:1, Sa1 11:2. They apply to their brethren for help, Sa1 11:3, Sa1 11:4. Saul hears of their distress; takes a yoke of oxen, hews them in pieces, and sends them throughout the coasts of Israel, with the threat that all who did not come to his standard should have his cattle served in like manner; in consequence of which he is soon at the head of an army of three hundred and thirty thousand men, Sa1 11:5-8. He sends to Jabesh-gilead, and promises help, Sa1 11:9, Sa1 11:10. Saul attacks the Ammonites next morning, and gives them a total overthrow, Sa1 11:11. The people are greatly encouraged, and propose to put to death those who are opposed to Saul's government: but this he prevents, Sa1 11:12, Sa1 11:13. Samuel leads the people to Gilgal: they offer sacrifices, and renew the kingdom to Saul, Sa1 11:14, Sa1 11:15.

Give us seven days respite - Such promises are frequently made by besieged places: "We will surrender if not relieved in so many days;" and such conditions are generally received by the besiegers.

NAHASH OFFERS THEM OF JABESH-GILEAD A REPROACHFUL CONDITION. (Sa1 11:1-4) Then Nahash the Ammonite came up--Nahash ("serpent"); (see Jdg 8:3). The Ammonites had long claimed the right of original possession in Gilead. Though repressed by Jephthah (Jdg 11:33), they now, after ninety years, renew their pretensions; and it was the report of their threatened invasion that hastened the appointment of a king (Sa1 12:12). Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee--They saw no prospect of aid from the western Israelites, who were not only remote, but scarcely able to repel the incursions of the Philistines from themselves.

send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel--a curious proof of the general dissatisfaction that prevailed as to the appointment of Saul. Those Gileadites deemed him capable neither of advising nor succoring them; and even in his own town the appeal was made to the people--not to the prince.