Bible Commentaries

men. Septuagint reads this word in text.

mount = hill country.

every man. Hebrew. "ish. App-14.

Jonathan. See note on 1 Samuel 18:1.

Gilgal. In the plain of Jordan, east of Jericho, good for water, remote from Philistines, and connected with sacred memories.

thirty thousand . . . six, &c. Multiples of six. See App-10.

as the sand, &c. Figure of speech Parcemia. App-6.

men. Hebrew. "ish. . App-14.

distressed = pressed: i.e. into Saul's service. and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton. App-6.

the Hebrews went over. Figure of speech Paronomasia (Ap 6), `ibrim `abru.

had appointed. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Aramaean, and Septuagint, read "said". Some codices read "appointed".

offered = offered up. See App-43.

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.

salute = bless.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

a = the.

thou hast not. Some codices, with three early printed editions, and Vulgate, read "and hast". Some codices, with Septuagint and Syriac, read "because thou

hast". God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

thy kingdom. This possible only with God a sovereign.

man, &c. Hebrew. "ish. App-14. Quoted in Acts 13:22.

own heart = his own pleasure. Compare Psalms 89:20, Psalms 89:21.

captain = leader, or representative.

Gilgal. The Septuagint preserves a Homceoteleuton here, adding after "Gilgal [and the rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army when they arrived from] Gilgal "; the eye of the scribe going back to this last "Gilgal" instead of to the one in 1 Samuel 13:15.

present = found.

men. Hebrew. "ish. App-14.

Gibeah. Probably the Geba of 1 Samuel 13:3.

no smith. This explains why Ehud had to make his own dagger (Judges 3:16); why Shamgar had only an ox-goad (Judges 3:31); why Samson "had nothingin his hand" (Judges 14:5-6); and why "not a shield or spear among 40,000 in Israel" (Judges 5:9). In other days we read of how many "drew sword".

land. Some codices read "bounds".

coulter. Anglo-Saxon = a cutter; hence, a plough-share.

mattock = a kind of pickaxe, with broad instead of pointed ends.

with Saul = with those who were with Saul and Jonathan: a picked force.

garrison = post, or permanent camp.

passage = pass.