1 Samuel 13:5 Kommentar

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.

And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel,.... To prevent their further encroachments on them, and designs against them; for they perceived they intended to cast off their yoke, and free themselves entirely from them: thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen; it may seem incredible that so small a people as the Philistines were, who only were possessed of five cities, or lordships, with the villages belonging to them, except what they had taken from Israel; and even if assisted by the Tyrians, the author of Sirach in the Apocrypha says:"And he destroyed the rulers of the Tyrians, and all the princes of the Philistines.'' (Sirach 46:18)though he seems to have respect not to this time, but when Samuel discomfited them, Sa1 7:10. I say it may seem incredible that they should bring such a number of chariots into the field; wherefore this must either be understood of 30,000 men that fought in chariots, as Lyra interprets it, and in which sense it is plain and certain the word chariots is sometimes used, as in Sa2 10:18, or else of some sort of carriages, not chariots of war, at least not all of them; but what were brought to carry the baggage of their infantry, which was very large, and to carry away the goods and substance of the Israelites; some have thought that there is a mistake of the copier, who instead of "three", read "thirty": so Capellus; and the rather because in the Arabic and Syriac versions it is only "three thousand"; but even this is too great a number, understood of chariots of war; for never any people in the world was known to have so many chariots of war; Pharaoh in his large host had but six hundred, Exo 14:7 Jabin king of Canaan had indeed nine hundred, Jdg 4:3 and David took from the king of Zobah one thousand chariots; but whether they were all chariots of war is not certain, Sa2 8:4. Solomon indeed had one thousand and four hundred chariots, but they do not appear to be chariots of war, but some for use, and some for state and grandeur. Wherefore, if a mistake in the copy is admitted of, and this can be confirmed by some MSS, yet we must recur to one or other of the above senses; some of them must be understood of other sort of carriages, or of men that fought in these chariots; and allowing ten men to a chariot, which seems to be the usual number by comparing Sa2 10:18 with Ch1 19:18 then 3000 men would fill three hundred chariots, which are as many as it can well be thought the Philistines had Zerah the Ethiopian, who brought into the field an army of million men, had no more than three hundred chariots, Ch2 14:9, and no more had Antiochus Eupator in his army,"And with him Lysias his protector, and ruler of his affairs, having either of them a Grecian power of footmen, an hundred and ten thousand, and horsemen five thousand and three hundred, and elephants two and twenty, and three hundred chariots armed with hooks.'' (2 Maccabees 13:2)Darius in his vast army had but two hundred (a), and in the very large one which Mithridates brought against the Romans there was but one hundred; and now 3000 men in three hundred chariots were but a proportion to 6000 horsemen, which in those times and countries was a large cavalry: and the people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude; the infantry was so large as not to be numbered; however, the phrase denotes a great multitude of them; Josephus says (b) there were 300,000 footmen: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven; where Saul, before he went to Gilgal, had his quarters, Sa1 13:2. Bethaven was a place near Bethel, on the east of it, Jos 7:2 though Bethel itself was afterwards so called when Jeroboam had set up the worship of the calves there, Hos 4:15 it signifying the house of vanity or iniquity. (a) Curtius, l. 4. c. 9. (b) Antiqu, l. 6. c. 6. sect. 1.

7. Above, King Saul is described as having chosen three thousand men for himself. If, therefore, we wish to compare the forces of each army, against each one of Saul's men, ten chariots and two horsemen of the Philistines are assigned. For ten times three thousand is thirty thousand. In the number six as well, three is doubled. By this battle, indeed, both the multitude and the ferocity of hidden enemies is signified. They come against us in chariots and on horses, because they strive to present now evil thoughts to the hearts of the elect, now harmful enticements of visible things to their bodily senses. For horses are swift in running and strong in assault. To these, indeed, evil thoughts are fittingly compared, which come swiftly to the heart and pierce it forcefully. Horsemen come against us in battle when malign spirits both quickly arouse evil thoughts in us and powerfully assail us through them. But two horsemen come against each one of the faithful, because if we gather up the hidden ambushes of reprobate spirits into a general consideration, their special aim is this: namely, to strike at our principal virtue and to utterly extinguish the love of God and of neighbor. One horse is seen to rage when, by a reprobate thought, the malign spirit suggests to us that our neighbor should be held in hatred. But the horse that appears alone is not alone, because no one who hates his brother loves God (1 John 4:20). Likewise, since divine charity agrees with no principal vice in the mind, whenever a spiritual vice is suggested to us by the fraud of demons, we must beware the excessive speed and violent ferocity of raging horsemen. In comparison with a horseman, the blow of an archer or foot soldier is altogether feeble. But the charge of a horseman is violent with the strength of the horse, because indeed the power of the malign spirit is nothing in the contest of the elect if he is not permitted to sit upon an evil thought. Because, therefore, our enemies are exceedingly strong in battle when they are permitted to mount upon interior thoughts, a throng of horsemen is counted in the Philistine army. Ten chariots, moreover, are assigned against each elect one in battle. For we have five bodily senses through which we receive the experience of pleasure. But malign spirits, when they eagerly seek to deceive the mind through the enticements of the flesh, display to the bodily senses the appearances of things that the flesh craves, and through the appearances of those same things suggest that the mind should desire what is presented. For the adversary, as it were, raises his chariot upon its wheels when on one side he offers the enticements of things and on the other holds back the thoughts; he extends the former, he sends in the latter, and as if rolling forward he lifts himself high to assault the soul, when the malign spirit raises himself against the elect both through the enticements of things and through the craft of suggestions. There are ten chariots, therefore, because against each of our bodily senses they have the appearances of visible enticements, and against just as many senses of the soul they have the deceptive arts of persuasion. 8. But what does it mean that the remaining common crowd is said to be as numerous as the sand on the seashore, except that under the leadership of evil spirits, an innumerable throng of vices rages against us? For like a subject crowd, it follows the chariots and horsemen, when the snares of demons assail the mind by striking first: so that it may be devastated by the vices that follow, as if by the multitude of an irrational mob. And rightly in the spiritual battle of the saints, first the chariots and horsemen are described, then the multitude of the common crowd: because indeed there is no multitude, no strength of vices, if the throng of evil spirits does not precede them by arousing and sending them forth. By these words it is also suggested how cautious and circumspect the life of the saints must always be. For if the remaining crowd is compared to the abundant sand of the sea, the multitude of darts is innumerable and nearly unavoidable. For although all vices are known to the experienced faithful, yet by how many impulses they strike the heart, in what ways, or for what reasons they always come to the heart, they cannot fully know. Indeed they powerfully cast off the open darkness of temptations; but often in lighter matters they do not escape the fog of ignorance, like the fine grains of sand. They always display the strength of good works, but those who overcome great armies of horsemen with great virtue do not entirely restrain their tongue from all superfluous speech. With continual practice they direct their body in the service of almighty God; but their mind, which outwardly orders the members perfectly, sometimes by no means avoids superfluous thoughts. For what else do they then experience but the troublesome multitude of the common crowd — they who have laid low the chariots and horsemen with great virtue? 9. But the excellent doctor says: 'For those who love God, all things work together for good' (Rom. 8:28). God indeed permits His elect to be assailed by great temptations, so that they may be crowned most magnificently in the heavenly kingdom; but He permits great battles, which they may win, and stirs up light ones, in which they may fall—so that the victory of the strong may be great, and the fall harmless; so that those who fall may easily raise themselves up, and the great battles in which they stood as victors may not puff them up. For if we conquer chariots and horsemen, we ought not to be puffed up by the victory, because innumerable are the sins we commit by thinking, speaking, living, tasting, hearing, and doing. For even he could not avoid the weapons of this innumerable crowd, who said: 'In many things we all offend' (James 3:2). Hence likewise the beloved of Jesus speaks, saying: 'If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us' (1 John 1:8). Who then would dare to be puffed up as a victor, if such great men reveal that they cannot altogether escape the weapons of sins? But since these things are described in spiritual warfare, we ought not now to consider what we suffer, but how we may weaken the assault of our enemies. The multitude of the Philistines is compared to the sand, which is most abundant on the seashore, because all the power and number of vices is increased by the disturbances of the world. For the sea signifies this present age, because while it is driven by the great variety of things and times, it is disturbed as if by raging winds. But on the shore, when the driven water of the sea is poured back, innumerable tiny grains of sand are gathered together. What then is the seashore, if not the heart of each person who is negligent in spiritual life? For through the order of religious life, he is seen to stand as if on solid ground; but while he does not restrain worldly thoughts, he receives, as it were, the breaking waves of the sea upon himself, and heaps of sand; and from the very place where he does not fear to draw near to the sea, he can be driven by waves and buried in sand—because if he were to restrain worldly thoughts by the contemplation of spiritual things, he would not feel the vices of mind and body which worldly preoccupation brings in like sand and waves. Why then is the multitude of enemies said to be like sand, except because evil spirits attack the chosen athletes of Christ with the same vices by which they overcome the negligent? They come with a crowd of worldly clamor against those who have learned with their whole mind to despise the world in its pleasures. They fashion the pomp of visible things; by feigning attraction, they renew the love of the world already held in contempt, so that they may drag hearts burning with heavenly love toward harmful pleasures. But holy men, because they consider that this innumerable crowd of wicked thoughts comes forth from the deep of the world, by fleeing the world with their whole mind, avoid becoming the shores of the sea, and no longer fear so great a multitude of enemies—because while they keep themselves in inward contemplation, the crowd of vices cannot gain access to them. There follows: (Verse 5.) 'And going up, they encamped at Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.' 10. For malign spirits to ascend is to strive for lofty things through heavenly desire in order to deceive the hearts of the saints. And it is well said: "They encamped at Magmas," because they dwell in those hearts which, elevated in the lofty love of heavenly things, do not see them. For Magmas is interpreted as "humility." But to be humbled in sacred speech is often taken as a failing of virtue. Whence also in this same history of the Kings, Tamar, daughter of King David, whom her brother Amnon is recorded to have violated, is said to have been humbled. She was indeed humbled by being corrupted, because she had stood sublime as a virgin, and when she lost the lofty summit of virginal honor, she came as it were from a high place to a flat and lowly place (2 Kings 13). Concerning the future abasement of the proud it is also said: "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled" (Luke 14:11), because at the examination of the heavenly Judge, those fall who vainly glory in the eminence of this world. Rightly therefore are the Philistines said to pitch camp at Magmas, because through wicked counsels demons dwell in those who do not care to hold the lofty summits of virtue. For while they seek earthly things, they inhabit, as it were, flat and lowly places, where invisible enemies can easily pitch their camps. Of these enemies, indeed, it is said through the prophet: "They say to your soul: Bow down, that we may pass over" (Isaiah 51:23). For the soul standing upright is sublime, bowed down it is lowly, because through the height of virtues and through heavenly desire it is raised to lofty things; but when it falls away to vices or to love of the world, it falls to that place where the enemy, rushing in, easily tramples it. They say therefore to your soul, "Bow down, that we may pass over," because if they do not humble it to doing or thinking earthly things, they neither penetrate it with malign persuasions nor disturb it with the warfare of vices. 11. From this, therefore, we can gather how far we ought to distance ourselves from the world in deed, word, and thought. For our words, thoughts, and works are level and lowly when they are worldly. Through these indeed we are where the camps of hidden enemies are freely pitched, where we can be captured all the more easily as we are raised up by no citadel of fortification. For what faithful person is now unaware that they collect the faults of our words, thoughts, and works, and preserve them for our accusation at the coming of the future Judge? Whence also the Lord, suggesting that this lowly and despised place of Machmas must be fled by us, says: "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment" (Matt. 12:36). The place of the enemies is therefore called lowly, so that it may indeed suggest to us that we ought always to be exalted in word, thought, and deed. And because while the reprobate are captured in the lowly place of their more lax life, they display examples of depravity that are set forth for others to imitate, Machmas is said to be east of Beth-aven. From the east indeed we see the light of the sun rise. But the life of the reprobate, although it possesses the reality of darkness—those who nevertheless always pursue it for the vain delight of the world are indeed deceived as if by the splendor of a false light. Whence also it is said through blessed Job: "Their light shall be taken from the wicked" (Job 38:15). For now indeed the flattery of the world pleases them as something bright; but when they depart from the world, they will enter into perpetual darkness, which they believed to be light. Then they will see that it was not light, when prosperity is changed into adversity, light into darkness, laughter into grief, sweetness into the worm, beauty into deformity, honor into disgrace, flatteries into punishments and eternal torments. Because the hearts of the wicked do not now feel these things, they refuse to imitate the ways of the good; and by the example of the lost, they in no way fear to take up whatever pleases them from the world, because they imitate those who through a reprobate life have become dwelling-places of demons. Whence also they are rightly called a useless house, because they often receive the preaching of the saints, but they in no way allow the word which they hear from their mouth to dwell in them through love. They are therefore a useless house, because they do not make in themselves a fitting dwelling for God. Truth itself designates this useless house in the Gospel, saying: "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head" (Matt. 8:20). Hence again it is written: "The Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from the deceitful, and will not dwell in a body subject to sins" (Wis. 1:5). Well therefore is the useless house said to have Machmas on its eastern side, because those who spurn the preaching of the saints rejoice in the example of the reprobate who seek the lowest and earthly things, as if in the rising of a great light. But while the conduct of the wicked is demonstrated through the mysteries of sacred history speaking, how cautious the life of the saints is, is subsequently shown. For there follows: (Verse 6) "When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, the people were afflicted, and they hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, in rocks also, and in dens, and in cisterns."

And the remaining crowd, like the sand which is on the shore of the sea, is numerous. For this sand is exposed to the frequent waves of neighbors' vices, and also always unstable and fleeting due to the wind of pride, above which the house constructed without the foundation of the rock of faith collapses when the moment of temptations arrives, and its ruin is great. Not without a specific mystery, the army contrary to virtue is encompassed by the number thirty and a hundred, or even a thousand, which are accustomed to signify the perfection of faith and work. For even Satan transforms himself into an angel of light (II Cor. 11). What wonder, then, if his ministers are transformed as ministers of righteousness? Among such often-transformed deceptions, they also show themselves to be perfect in faith or work. Otherwise, they are included in the number six and do not know how to ascend to the number seven, who, loving only this life which was created in six days, neglect to strive for the future rest. Thirty also, because they figuratively express the wicked, is understood, because the Lord Savior was not only once sold by Judas for thirty pieces of silver, but also is daily sold by many false brethren; for whoever, neglecting the truth of the faith with which they were imbued, subject all their senses of the body to the allurements of this world, as if betraying the Lord for thirty pieces of silver multiplied by five.

And going up, they camped in Magmas, etc. Magmas, as we have said, signifies humility; Bethaven sounds like the house of an idol, or a useless house. But ascending from their hidden machinations, unclean spirits, either by secretly persuading like a common pedestrian crowd, or like horse riders and charioteers seducing through deceived men, first attempt to take away all the defenses of humility from their conquerors so that, by which they themselves fell from heaven, they insert the plague of pride into human hearts; striving together that whatever useless house of the mind dedicated to themselves they find, camping as if to the east of Bethaven, they block all the rising of true light with their intermediary darkness.

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.

Thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen - There is no proportion here between the chariots and the cavalry. The largest armies ever brought into the field, even by mighty emperors, never were furnished with thirty thousand chariots. I think שלשים sheloshim, Thirty, is a false reading for שלש shalosh, Three. The Syriac has telotho alpin, and the Arabic thalathato alf, both signifying Three thousand; and this was a fair proportion to the horsemen. This is most likely to be the true reading.

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.

THE PHILISTINES' GREAT HOST. (Sa1 13:5) The Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen--Either this number must include chariots of every kind--or the word "chariots" must mean the men fighting in them (Sa2 10:18; Kg1 20:21; Ch1 19:18); or, as some eminent critics maintain, Sheloshim ("thirty"), has crept into the text, instead of Shelosh ("three"). The gathering of the chariots and horsemen must be understood to be on the Philistine plain, before they ascended the western passes and pitched in the heart of the Benjamite hills, in "Michmash," (now Mukmas), a "steep precipitous valley" [ROBINSON], eastward from Beth-aven (Beth-el).