1 Samuele 13:18 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 another company turned the way to Bethhoron,.... Of which name there were two cities, the upper and nether, and both in the tribe of Ephraim, of which see Jos 16:3 this lay northwest from the camp of the Philistines at Michmash; eight miles from it, according to Bunting (d): and another company turned to the way of the border, that looketh towards the valley of Zeboim, toward the wilderness; some take this to be the Zeboim which was destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah; and the wilderness, the wilderness of Jordan; but as that, so the valley in which it stood, was turned into a bituminous lake; this seems to be a city in the land of Benjamin, Neh 11:34 near to which was a valley, and this towards the wilderness of Jericho, and so lay eastward; the Targum calls it the valley of vipers, perhaps from its being infested with many; and so David de Pomis (e) says it is the name of a place where plenty of serpents were found, and which he says were called so because of the variety of colours in them; with which agrees Kimchi's note on the place; they seem to mean serpents spotted (f), as if they were painted and dyed of various colours, as the Hebrew word which is thus paraphrased signifies: according to Bunting (g), it was eight miles from Michmash. (d) Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 133. (e) Tzemach David, fol. 13. 2. & 153. 1. (f) , Homer. Iliad. 12. ver. 208. "notis maculosus grandibus", Virgil. Georgic. l. 3. v. 427. (g) Ut supra. (Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 133.)

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.

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.

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.