even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it ;

And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.

66

COMMENT.-All that the unhappy Saul had gained by his night journey to Endor was the warning to despair and die." He had hardened his soul till his time for repentance was over, and all that was left for him was to fight his last battle. And now he was joined by Jonathan, whom we have not heard of since his last farewell to David in the wood of Ziph. He had held aloof from all his father's crimes, but he came forth in his faithful valour to fight his last battle by his side, true to the last, the perfect pattern of son and friend. The terrible battle was fought on the broad plain of Jezreel, but Israel gave back and back, and the King and his sons, Benjamite mountaineers, retreated on the bare, bleak, rugged ridge of Gilboa which rose behind them, on the way to their own hills. But the Philistines pressed sore upon them. Jonathan was not to be the second unto David in his kingdom, but was instead to leave him "the pure, calm picture of a blameless friend." There in the mountains, he and his brothers died the death of brave men, giving their lives for their country.

Saul was not so happy. Wounded by Philistine arrows, unable to fly any further, and with his sons lying dead around him, he knew he must soon be overtaken by the Philistines, and his proud stubborn heart revolted at the thought of the scorn and abuse they would heap upon him as upon Samson before. Had there been place for penitence left in his heart, he would have accepted these insults as his punishment, and risen to new life out of them, like Samson and like Manasseh long after. But in the cowardice of pride, he sought to escape by bidding his armour-bearer slay him, and when the man had not nerve to do so, he planted his sword in the earth and threw himself on the point; and his miserable example was followed by his attendant. It seems, however, that he did not die at once, and suffered still further indignity and misery. At any rate, the Philistines found him dead when they came the next day to strip the slain. They carried his corpse and those of his sons to Beth-shan, a Canaanite fortress on the slope of Gilboa, never yet taken by Israel, and fastened them in triumph on the wall; they sent his

head to the temple where Dagon had once fallen before the Ark, and dedicated his armour to the Moon-goddess; and the tidings were proclaimed in all their cities, while the Israelites rushed in terror to the other side of the Jordan. Even Gibeah was not safe, and, in escaping, Jonathan's only child fell from his nurse's arms and was lamed for life. But there was noble gratitude left in Israel. Saul's first exploit, forty years before, had been the rescue of Jabeshgilead, far beyond Jordan, and when the tidings reached that place, the inhabitants could not brook that the remains of their benefactor should thus remain exposed as those of one accursed; but all the valiant men—and most valiant they must have been-forded the Jordan, made their way through the land, overrun as it was with foes, came by night to Beth-shan, and took down the four corpses,—the headless, mutilated body of Saul, and the other three. In the state to which they must have come they could not well be carried far, so as soon as it could safely be done, the Gileadites halted, burnt the flesh from the bones, carried these home, and laid them in a grave beneath the great terebinth-tree before their own city. So sadly closed Saul's reign of self-will. The King "like the nations" ended like a heathen king of the nations, and as God said to Israel by the mouth of Hosea (xiii. 10, 11):—

Thou saidst, "Give me a king and princes."

I gave thee a king in mine anger,
And took him away in my wrath.

Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;

It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.

And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.

And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.

And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?

And the young man that told him said, As I happened* by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.

And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.

And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.

So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.

Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him :

And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.

And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.

And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?

And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.

And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.

COMMENT.-With the battle of Mount Gilboa ends the First Book of Samuel. It was probably set in hand by the great prophet himself, and continued by the prophets in his college at Ramah, by whom we may suppose the second book that bears his name was likewise written. They are also, and more correctly, called the First and Second Books of Kings, and those that follow them the Third and Fourth. At this date, too-1055 before our Lord-nearly the first about which there is no manner of doubt-begins the history in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. Chronicles properly mean a time-book, and there seem to have been such chronicles kept from the beginning of the kingdom; but the books

* Came.

that bear the name were compiled from these by Ezra, leaving out all that was not to the purpose. The earlier chapters are occupied with the genealogies of the chief divisions of the tribes, also of the priests, and of the kings; and the history opens with the 10th chapter, when David was finally delivered from Saul.

David learnt the lamentable story of Mount Gilboa two days after his victorious return to Ziklag. Then an Amalekite-a wild robber of the desert-made his appearance, clad as if to announce a misfortune, but really expecting reward. The man showed himself a liar; for first he professed to be a fugitive from the camp of Israel; then, when that would not serve, he accounted for his knowledge with-" As I happened by chance on Mount Gilboa." The chance was evidently the thirst for plunder. He had come to strip the slain, and had been beforehand with the Philistines; for he brought the circlet from Saul's helmet, and the bracelet from his arm. He told likewise a story of his having found Saul still alive, and having at his entreaty killed him outright. If it were true, it brought round the just vengeance of God, that he who had disobeyed in the matter of the Amalekites should die by the hand of one of that savage horde. Whether true or false, this story brought the plunderer a very different reward from what he expected. David caused him to be put to death for having violated the "sanctity that doth hedge a king ;" and then the generous-hearted David became the leader in a general lamentation, not only for Jonathan, his much-loved and faithful friend, but for Saul, his foe and persecutor. All his enmity was forgotten-only his brave deeds and high spirit remembered. David composed a most beautiful song of lamentation for the father and son, which was preserved in Jasher, "the book of heroes," together with Joshua's miracle at Aijalon. He also bade Israel learn the use of the bow. It is not clear whether this means that the tune of the dirge was called the Bow, in honour of Jonathan's skill in archery, or whether David bade the art of archery to be practised, that the Philistine archers might be met on equal terms.

The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places :

How are the mighty fallen!

Tell it not in Gath,

Publish it not in the streets of Askelon;

Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,

Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

Ye mountains of Gilboa,

Let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you,

Nor fields of offerings:

For there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away,

The shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.
From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty,

The bow of Jonathan turned not back,

And the sword of Saul returned not empty.

Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives,
And in their death they were not divided:

They were swifter than eagles :

They were stronger than lions.

Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,

Who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights,

Who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!
O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.
I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan :
Very pleasant hast thou been unto me:

Thy love to me was wonderful,

Passing the love of women.

How are the mighty falien, and the weapons of war perished! Scarcely a word need be said to point out the beauty of this dirge, grieving first for the defeat of Israel and the triumph of her enemies. Then comes the lament for the King and Prince, with all honour done to their great exploits of old, and to that wonderful beauty of union which Jonathan's dutifulness and forbearance had always preserved, and which made them die together. And lastly comes David's deep and most pathetic personal bewailing of his own most noble-hearted friend

I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan :

Very pleasant hast thou been unto me:

Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

Yes, for Jonathan's love had endured where his sister Michal's had failed. It was the purest, most free from jealousy or rivalship, of which we have any record; and, truly, Jonathan is one of the most perfect characters that Scripture has shown us. Yet he died for his father's sin an untimely death in a lost battle, to show that even in that old Israelite dispensation the rest for the people of God lay beyond this life.