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<TITLE>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible [First Samuel, Chapter XXIX].</TITLE>
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"This site is for those friends and family members who may or may not know Our Lord Jesus Christ, and if not, they may come to know Our Lord through His Prophets."> <meta name="author" content="Brian Duncalfe">
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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1>
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<h3><a href="http://www.biblesnet.com" target="_blank">Back to Biblesnet.com Home Page</a>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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[<A HREF="MHC09028.HTM">Previous</A>]
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[<A HREF="MHC09030.HTM">Next</A>]<BR>
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<TD ALIGN="RIGHT" VALIGN="TOP">
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1708)
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</TD></TR></TABLE>
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>F I R S T S A M U E L</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XXIX.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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</CENTER>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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How Saul, who was forsaken of God, when he was in a strait was more and
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more perplexed and embarrassed with his own counsels, we read in the
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foregoing chapter. In this chapter we find how David, who kept close to
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God, when he was in a strait was extricated and brought off by the
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providence of God, without any contrivance of his own. We have him,
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I. Marching with the Philistines,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+29:1,2">ver. 1, 2</A>.
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II. Excepted against by the lords of the Philistines,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+29:3-5">ver. 3-5</A>.
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III. Happily dismissed by Achish from that service which did so ill
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become him, and which yet he knew not how to decline,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+29:6-11">ver. 6-11</A>.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="1Sa29_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa29_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa29_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa29_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa29_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>David with the Philistines.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 1055.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to
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Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which <I>is</I> in
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Jezreel.
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2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and
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by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward
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with Achish.
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3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What <I>do</I> these
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Hebrews <I>here?</I> And Achish said unto the princes of the
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Philistines, <I>Is</I> not this David, the servant of Saul the king of
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Israel, which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I
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have found no fault in him since he fell <I>unto me</I> unto this day?
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4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and
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the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow
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return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast
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appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in
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the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he
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reconcile himself unto his master? <I>should it</I> not <I>be</I> with the
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heads of these men?
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5 <I>Is</I> not this David, of whom they sang one to another in
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dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten
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thousands?
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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Here is,
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I. The great strait that David was in, which we may suppose he himself
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was aware of, though we read not of his asking advice from God, nor of
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any project of his own to get clear of it. The two armies of the
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Philistines and the Israelites were encamped and ready to engage,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+29:1"><I>v.</I> 1</A>.
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Achish, who had been kind to David, had obliged him to come himself and
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bring the forces he had into his service. David came accordingly, and,
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upon a review of the army, was found with Achish, in the post assigned
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him in the rear,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+29:2"><I>v.</I> 2</A>.
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Now,
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1. If, when the armies engaged, he should retire, and quit his post, he
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would fall under the indelible reproach, not only of cowardice and
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treachery, but of base ingratitude to Achish, who had been his
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protector and benefactor and had reposed a confidence in him, and from
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whom he had received a very honourable commission. Such an
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unprincipled thing as this he could by no means persuade himself to do.
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2. If he should, as was expected from him, fight for the Philistines
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against Israel, he would incur the imputation of being an enemy to the
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Israel of God and a traitor to his country, would make his own people
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hate him, and unanimously oppose his coming to the crown, as unworthy
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the name of an Israelite, much more the honour and trust of a king of
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Israel, when he had fought against them under the banner of the
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uncircumcised. If Saul should be killed (as it proved he was) in this
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engagement, the fault would be laid at David's door, as if he had
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killed him. So that on each side there seemed to be both sin and
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scandal. This was the strait he was in; and a great strait it was to a
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good man, greater to see sin before him than to see trouble. Into this
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strait he brought himself by his own unadvisedness, in quitting the
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land of Judah, and going among the uncircumcised. It is strange if
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those that associate themselves with wicked people, and grow intimate
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with them, come off without guilt, or grief, or both. What he himself
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proposed to do does not appear. Perhaps he designed to act only as
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keeper to the king's head, the post assigned him
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+28:2"><I>ch.</I> xxviii. 2</A>)
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and not to do any thing offensively against Israel. But it would have
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been very hard to come so near the brink of sin and not to fall in.
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Therefore, though God might justly have left him in this difficulty, to
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chastise him for his folly, yet, because his heart was upright with
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him, he would <I>not suffer him to be tempted above what he was able,
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but with the temptation made a way for him to escape,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Co+10:13">1 Cor. x. 13</A>.</P>
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<P>
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II. A door opened for his deliverance out of this strait. God inclined
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the hearts of the princes of the Philistines to oppose his being
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employed in the battle, and to insist upon his being dismissed. Thus
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their enmity befriended him, when no friend he had was capable of doing
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him such a kindness.
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1. It was a proper question which they asked, upon the mustering of the
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forces, "<I>What do these Hebrews here?</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+29:3"><I>v.</I> 3</A>.
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What confidence can we put in them, or what service can we expect from
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them?" A <I>Hebrew is out of his place,</I> and, if he has the spirit
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of a <I>Hebrew, is out of his element,</I> when he is in the camp of
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the Philistines, and deserves to be made uneasy there. David used to
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<I>hate the congregation of evil doers,</I> however he came now to be
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among them,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+26:5">Ps. xxvi. 5</A>.
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It was an honourable testimony which Achish, on this occasion, gave to
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David. He looked upon him as a refugee, that fled from a wrongful
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prosecution in his own country, and had put himself under his
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protection, whom therefore he was obliged, in justice, to take care of,
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and thought he might in prudence employ; "for (says he) he has been
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with me <I>these days,</I> or <I>these years,</I>" that is, a
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considerable time, many days at his court and a year or two in his
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country, and he never found any fault in him, nor saw any cause to
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distrust his fidelity, or to think any other than that he had heartily
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come over to him. By this it appears that David had conducted himself
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with a great deal of caution, and had prudently concealed the affection
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he still retained for his own people. We have need to <I>walk in wisdom
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towards those that are without, to keep our mouth when the wicked is
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before us,</I> and to be upon the reserve.
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3. Yet the princes are peremptory in it, that he must be sent home;
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and they give good reasons for their insisting on it.
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(1.) Because he had been an old enemy to the Philistines; witness what
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was sung in honour of his triumphs over them: <I>Saul slew his
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thousands, and David his ten thousands,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+29:5"><I>v.</I> 5</A>.
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"It will be a reproach to us to harbour and trust so noted a destroyer
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of our people; nor can it be thought that he will now act heartily
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against Saul who then acted so vigorously with him and for him." Who
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would be fond of popular praise or applause when, even that may,
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another time, be turned against a man to his reproach?
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(2.) Because he might be a most dangerous enemy to them, and do them
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more mischief then all Saul's army could
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+29:4"><I>v.</I> 4</A>):
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"He may <I>in the battle be an adversary to us,</I> and surprise us
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with an attack in the rear, while their army charges us in the front;
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and we have reason to think he will do so, that, by betraying us, he
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may reconcile himself to his master. Who can trust a man who, besides
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his affection to his country, will think it his interest to be false to
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us?" It is dangerous to put confidence in a reconciled enemy.</P>
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<A NAME="1Sa29_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa29_7"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa29_8"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa29_9"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa29_10"> </A>
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<A NAME="1Sa29_11"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>David Leaves the Philistines.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 1055.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>6 Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, <I>as</I> the
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L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy
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coming in with me in the host <I>is</I> good in my sight: for I have
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not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto
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this day: nevertheless the lords favour thee not.
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7 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease
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not the lords of the Philistines.
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8 And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what
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hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee
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unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my
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lord the king?
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9 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou <I>art</I>
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good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes
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of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the
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battle.
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10 Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master's
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servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early
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in the morning, and have light, depart.
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11 So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning,
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to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines
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went up to Jezreel.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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If the reasons Achish had to trust David were stronger than the reasons
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which the princes offered why they should distrust him (as I do not see
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that, in policy, they were, for the princes were certainly in the
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right), yet Achish was but one of five, though the chief, and the only
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one that had the title of king; accordingly, in a council of war held
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on this occasion, he was over-voted, and obliged to dismiss David,
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though he was extremely fond of him. Kings cannot always do as they
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would, nor have such as they would about them.</P>
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<P>
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I. The discharge Achish gives him is very honourable, and not a final
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discharge, but only from the present service.
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1. He signifies the great pleasure and satisfaction he had taken in him
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and in his conversation: <I>Thou art good in my sight as an angel of
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God,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+29:9"><I>v.</I> 9</A>.
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Wise and good men will gain respect, wherever they go, from all that
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know how to make a right estimate of persons and things, though of
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different professions in religion. What Achish says of David, God, by
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the prophet, says <I>of the house of David</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Zec+12:8">Zech. xii. 8</A>),
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that it shall be <I>as the angel of the Lord.</I> But the former is a
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court-compliment; the latter is a divine promise.
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2. He gives him a testimonial of his good behaviour,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+29:6"><I>v.</I> 6</A>.
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It is very full and in obliging terms: "<I>Thou hast been upright,</I>
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and thy whole conduct has been <I>good in my sight,</I> and <I>I have
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not found evil in thee.</I>" Saul would not have given him such a
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testimonial, though he had done far more service to him than Achish.
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God's people should behave themselves always so inoffensively as if
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possible to get the good word of all they have dealings with; and it is
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a debt we owe to those who have acquitted themselves well to give them
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the praise of it.
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3. He lays all the blame of his dismission upon the princes, who would
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by no means suffer him to continue in the camp. "The king loves thee
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entirely, and would venture his life in thy hand; <I>but the lords
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favour thee not,</I> and we must not disoblige them, nor can we oppose
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them; therefore <I>return and go in peace.</I>" He had better part with
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his favourite than occasion a disgust among his generals and a mutiny
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in his army. Achish intimates a reason why they were uneasy. It was not
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so much for David's own sake as for the sake of his soldiers that
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attended him, whom he calls <I>his master's servants</I> (namely,
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Saul's),
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+29:10"><I>v.</I> 10</A>.
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They could trust him, but not them.
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(4.) He orders him to be gone early, as soon as it was light
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+29:10"><I>v.</I> 10</A>),
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to prevent their further resentments, and the jealousies they would
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have been apt to conceive if he had lingered.</P>
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<P>
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II. His reception of this discourse is very complimental; but, I fear,
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not without some degree of dissimulation. "What?" says David, "must I
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leave <I>my lord the king,</I> whom I am bound by office to protect,
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just now when he is going to expose himself in the field? Why may not I
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go and <I>fight against the enemies of my lord the king?</I>"
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+29:8"><I>v.</I> 8</A>.
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He seemed anxious to serve him when he was at this juncture really
|
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anxious to leave him, but he was not willing that Achish should know
|
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that he was. No one knows how strong the temptation is to compliment
|
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and dissemble which those are in that attend great men, and how hard it
|
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is to avoid it.</P>
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<P>
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III. God's providence ordered it wisely and graciously for him. For,
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||
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besides that the snare was broken and he was delivered out of the
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||
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dilemma to which he was first reduced, it proved a happy hastening of
|
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|
him to the relief of his own city, which sorely wanted him, though he
|
||
|
|
did not know it. Thus the disgrace which the lords of the Philistines
|
||
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put upon him prove, in more ways than one, an advantage to him. <I>The
|
||
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steps of a good man ore ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his
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way.</I> What he does with us we know not now, but we shall know
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hereafter, and shall see it was all for good.</P>
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