The Expositor's Bible: The First Book of SamuelBlaikie, William Garden
Religion
The Expositor's Bible: The First Book of Samuel
Blaikie, William Garden
Bible. Samuel, 1st -- Commentaries
No wonder that Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did
eat no meat the second day of the month. One wonders how the feast went
on thereafter, but one does not envy the guests. Did Saul drown his
stormy feelings in copious draughts of wine, and turn the holy festival
into a bacchanalian rout, amid whose boisterous mirth and tempestuous
exhilaration the reproaches of conscience would be stifled for the
hour?
The third day has come, on which, by preconcerted agreement, Jonathan
was to reveal to David his father's state of mind. David is in the
agreed-on hiding-place; and Jonathan, sallying forth with his servant,
shoots his arrows to the place which was to indicate the existence of
danger. Then, the lad having gone back to the city, and no one being on
the spot to observe them or interrupt them, the two friends come
together and have an affecting meeting. When Jonathan parted from David
three days before, he had not been without hopes of bringing to him a
favourable report of his father. David expected nothing of the kind; but
even David must have been shocked and horrified to find things so bad as
they were now reported. In an act of unfeigned reverence for the king's
son, David bowed himself three times to the ground. In token of much
love they kissed one another; while under the dark cloud of adversity
that had risen on them both, and that now compelled them to separate,
hardly ever again (as it turned out) to see one another in the flesh,
"they wept one with another until David exceeded."
"They wept as only strong men weep,
When weep they must, or die."
One consolation alone remained, and it was Jonathan that was able to
apply it. "Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have
sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me
and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever." Yes, even in that
darkest hour, Jonathan could say to David, "Go _in peace_." What peace?
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee,
because he trusteth in Thee." "The angel of the Lord encampeth about
them that fear Him, and delivereth them." "Many are the afflictions of
the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out of them all."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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