1 Samuele 13:17 Commento

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 spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies,.... Saul not daring to come out to fight them, and there being none throughout the land to oppose them, they sent out three companies of soldiers to ravage and spoil the country; of so little use and service was a king to Israel, they were so extremely desirous of; and this was suffered, to convince them of their vain confidence in him, and that their trust ought to be in the Lord their God; never was their country more exposed to rapine and violence than now: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah; a city in the land of Benjamin, of which see Jos 18:23 and lay southwest from Michmash, where the army of the Philistines were: unto the land of Shual: which the Targum paraphrases,"the land of the south;''it seems to have had its name from the multitude of foxes in it, Shual signifying a fox.

28. What does it mean that the Philistines form three companies, except that evil spirits strive to introduce wicked things into our heart, tongue, and deed? For since every sin is committed by thinking, or speaking, or doing, the three companies of the Philistines signify this: that evil spirits are eager to drive souls to sin through negligence of the heart, unbridledness of the mouth, and boldness of perverse deed. Hence the first company is said to advance against the way of Ephraim, because they begin by assaulting innocence from the heart. For the way of Ephraim, that is, of the fruitful heart, is good thought. Against the way of Ephraim, therefore, the first company of the Philistines advances, because the hidden adversaries, if they do not first remove the practice of good thought from the mind, cannot succeed in uprooting the fruits of its virtues. They come therefore against the way of Ephraim when they lay ambush against good thought, by which way it is said to lead to the land of Saul. For what else is the mind of the chosen disciple but the very fruitful land of the teacher? Hence the Lord also, explaining the parable of the seeds in the Gospel, says: "That which fell on good ground, these are they who receive the word in a good and excellent heart, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15). It is said therefore of the first company of the Philistines, "They advanced against the way of Ephraim," so that while we grasp the spiritual sense of the text, we may block the entrance of evil spirits to our thoughts. But while we fortify the heart, we are compelled equally to restrain the tongue from superfluous speech. Hence the second company is said to enter by the way of Beth-horon; for Beth-horon is interpreted as "house of wrath." The house of wrath is the mind that serves the use of a quarrelsome tongue. This house that wise man certainly suggests, who says: "Anger rests in the bosom of a fool" (Ecclesiastes 7:9). Through this indeed enemies enter the heart of the fool, because evil spirits, while they loose the tongue to unbridled words, kindle wrath and strike at the mutual charity of the faithful. He therefore who has learned to guard against harmful thoughts, if he does not know how to keep watch over his mouth, has overcome the assault of one company but has not escaped that of another. The third company turned itself toward the way of the border. What is the end of thought and word, except the completion of good work? For we think and speak good things for this reason, that we may bring them to the completion of good work. But when the ancient enemy cannot prevail in harming through words and thoughts, he stretches his snares toward the end, and seeks to nullify or hinder the good work of the faithful. What is the way of the border, except the pursuit of good work? Because therefore evil spirits strive with many ambushes so that the pursuit of good work may be abandoned, the third company is said to turn toward the way of the border. In this border the end of our life can also be understood. The company turns toward the way of the border because the enemy strives to interrupt good work, lest it be carried through to the end of life. Hence the Psalmist also, expressing in himself the weeping of those who have fallen, says: "They have spread cords as a snare for my feet; beside the way they have set stumbling blocks for me" (Psalm 139:6). A stumbling block is indeed placed beside the way, so that the good works of the elect may be abandoned before the completion of this life. 29. But what does he mean when he says: "In the land of Sheba, overlooking the valley of Zeboim toward the desert"? These names of places are set down to designate the position of the boundary he had mentioned. Now Sheba in our language means "captive," and Zeboim means "gazelles." But what is this captive, if not human nature, which was placed in paradise and is now bound to this world to endure the hardships of this mortality? And what is the land of this captive, if not the pilgrimage of temporal life? Rightly, therefore, when the wedge is said to turn, the land of the captive is mentioned: because malign spirits can wage war against us in this land of our pilgrimage, but in that other life of ours they cannot. But although the present manner of life of the elect is placed in this exile of captivity, if it perfectly keeps the path of the boundary, after the straits of this boundary it arrives at the height of immortality. Hence the boundaries of this land are said to overlook the valley of Zeboim, that is, of the gazelles. For the valley of the gazelles is the precious death of the saints: because from where they are laid low by dying, from there they are raised up to eternal joys. Who does not know that gazelles are swift animals and make great leaps? Rightly, therefore, do gazelles designate the dignity of holy souls, which in death abandon their bodies but, as if making great leaps, ascend through immense merits to the kingdoms above. Let him say, therefore, that the boundary of the land of the captive overlooks the valley of Zeboim: because even though the human condition is condemned, it is nevertheless so exalted in the Son of God that when it is led to the boundary of temporal life, it is given over in death so that it may be raised to the height of eternal life. Let him say, therefore: "The third wedge turned itself toward the path of the boundary in the land of the captive, which overlooks the valley of the gazelles"—so that he may assert that malign spirits strive to pervert these final goods of the elect, so that they may not ascend to the joys above. This valley is also said to be situated opposite the desert. What is understood by the name of desert in this place, if not hell? For it is rightly understood as a desert where none of the elect is found. It is also called a desert because no consolations from hardships are felt there. Therefore the valley of the gazelles is said to be situated opposite the desert: because the death of the saints is entirely different from the deserts of hell, and has nothing fitting or worthy of the punishments of hell. There follows: (Verses 20, 21.) Furthermore, no blacksmith was found in all the land of Israel. For the Philistines had taken precaution lest the Hebrews should make a sword or a lance. Therefore all Israel went down to the Philistines, so that each one might sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe.

And three companies went out to pillage from the camps of the Philistines, etc. And everyone who legitimately fights in her camps feels that the Church is daily tested by these three companies. For three companies go out to pillage from the camps of the Philistines when impure spirits attempt to assault the guard of our inner man, either his rational part, or his irascible part, or his concupiscible part, trying to strip them of the riches of virtues, whether individually in each of them or all in one. To these parts, indeed, also correspond the names of those places and the said companies that went out. The way of Ephrath, which means the growing one, against which the first company marched, is the concupiscible part of the soul; rightly named thus, because it never ceases seeking increase; indeed, of good things, if it is ruled by Israel, that is, by the soul that longs for uprightness and the vision of God; but of evil things, if setting itself against the laws, it is ravaged by the wickedness of vices and unclean spirits. And it is fitting that when speaking of the first company, he said, “It marched against the way of Ephrath,” he added, "to the land of Saul"; for the first and indeed greatest aim of the wicked spirits is to turn the leaders themselves of the holy struggle away from the undertakings of virtues by the concupiscence either of the soul or of the flesh; so that from the deprivation of the leaders of justice, the wicked contagion may more freely spread among the unsuspecting people. The road to Bethoron, which means the house of wrath, to which the second company was heading, indicates even by its name the passion of the mind it signifies. This house was well governed by the Israelite owner when that exceedingly meek man, who was more meek than all the men who dwelt on the land, left Pharaoh, being greatly angered, to liberate the people of God. The Philistine, however, was plundered, when Cain, who was of the evil one, greatly angered by the righteousness of his good brother, was provoked to such an extent that by his wrath he broke the first laws of brotherhood through murder. The valley of Seboim, which means of the roes or the deer, to which the third company turned, figuratively announces the rational insight of the mind. For these animals are said to excel in keen sight; hence they are also called Dorcades by the Greeks from keen seeing; and it is not for nothing that they are so often mentioned in the Song of Songs under the praise of Christ and the Church. And rightly, not a mountain but the valley of the roes is mentioned, rightly placed against the desert; because we always need the help of humility, especially when discerning good and evil, lest our judgment goes astray, and the humbler one is, the more they understand what of the world is less to be loved and sought. Therefore, the road to the boundary of the impending valley of the Dorcades holds the way of the growing one, and also the way of the house of wrath, possessed by Israel in peace, when the people of God or any faithful person, with humble intent, recognizes what should be followed and what should be scorned, and endeavors to grow in the things that they usefully recognize should be followed until the perfect day; strives to be healthily angry and not to sin for anything that attempts to hinder either their spiritual insight or their progress and course; so that anyone who foolishly chooses evil for good by erroneous reasoning, and harmfully desires to pursue these harmfully chosen things, and thinks it necessary to be angry for everything that resists such concupiscence, all the paths and bounds of this person's mind are devastated by the bitterness of the invisible enemy.

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.

The spoilers came out - The Philistines, finding that the Israelites durst not hazard a battle, divided their army into three bands, and sent them in three different directions to pillage and destroy the country. Jonathan profited by this circumstance, and attacked the remains of the army at Michmash, as we shall see in the succeeding chapter, 1 Samuel 14 (note).

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 spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies--ravaging through the three valleys which radiate from the uplands of Michmash to Ophrah on the north, through the pass of Beth-horon on the west, and down the ravines of Zeboim ("the hyÃ&brvbrnas"), towards the Ghor or Jordan valley on the east.