Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. XXXI.

Vers. 2. ANd the Philistines slew Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Sauls sonnes.] And thus the Lord did provide, to clear the way the bet∣ter for Davids advancement to the kingdome, that he might have the lesse trouble by the surviving posterity of Saul: even Jonathan for this cause did fall amongst the rest; for if Ishbosheth, a base and worthlesse man, found so many of the people so ready to side with him against David; what would they have done for Jonathan, so brave and hopefull a Prince, had he out-lived his father? As for Abinadab here na∣med, he is also called Ishui, chap. 14.4. and Ishbosheth Sauls fourth sonne, it seems was left at home, perhaps to take care of the government of the kingdome in Sauls absence: for God intended by him further to try the faith and patience of David.

Vers. 3. And the battel went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, &c.] Saul therefore fell not at the first onset, but for his greater terrour, and sorer punishment, first he saw the army routed, and his sons together with many of the people slain, & then at last he was wounded and pursued so closely, that there was no hope of escape.

Vers. 4. Draw out thy sword & thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircum∣cised come and thrust me through.] Thus at the very houre of his death, yea when he was ready to lay violent hands upon himself, Saul could despise the Philistines, and speak reprochfully of them, and that because they were uncircumcised, and con∣sequently none of Gods peculiar people, as he was; whereas being such a wicked wretch, his condition was the worse, because he was circumcised, and one of Gods peculiar people. No Philistine could be so bad as he in this regard.

Vers. 4. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.] And thus with the sword he had drawn against David, he slew himself, the Lord in his just judgement giving

him over to this desperate impatience, whereupon it is said that the Lord slew him; 1. Chron. 10.14. and enquired not of the Lord, therefore he slew him, &c.

Vers. 6. So Saul died, and his three sonnes, and his armour-bearer, and all his men, &c.] That is, not all his souldiers (for many of them fled and escaped) but all his houshold servants, and those perhaps too that were the guard of his body.

Vers. 7. They forsook the cities and fled, and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.] That is, some of the men of Israel the inhabitants of some cities on the other side of the valley, to wit, the valley where this battel was fought; and on the other side of Jordan, fled out of their cities upon this defeat, and so the Philistines came and dwelt in their room: Whereby I conceive is meant, that at the present they did pursue their victory for a time, and pursuing it took those weaker towns out of which the inhabitants were fled for fear, and then left garrisons in them: for it is not likely that presently they removed colonies of the Philistines to dwell there.

Vers. 9. And they cut off his head, and stript off his armour.] As David had done to Goliath, chap. 17.54. and 21.9.

Vers. 10. And they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.] His head they put in the temple of Dagon, 1. Chron. 10.10. but his body and the bodies of his sonnes also, vers. 12. they fastened to the wall of Bethshan, that is, to a wall in the street of Bethshan, 2. Sam. 21.12. a town that belonged to the lot of Manasseh, though not yet recovered from the Philistines, called also Bethshean, Judg. 1.27.

Vers. 11. And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul, &c.] As being thankfully mindfull of that which Saul had done for them, 1. Sam. 11. when he came and helped them against the king of the Ammonites that had besieged their citie: and besides no doubt the Lord intend∣ed a little hereby to revive the dead hearts of the poore distressed Israelites.

Vers. 12. And took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sonnes from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.] This was not the or∣dinary use of the Israelites; and therefore two reasons are given for this by Exposi∣tours: 1. That it was because the flesh was now corrupt and putrified. 2. Lest the Philistines should again get their bodies into their power.

Vers. 13. And they took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven dayes.] The flesh being burnt from off their bones, they gathered up their bones, which would not be so soon burnt as the flesh was, and buried them so∣lemnly in Jabesh; and there they continued till toward the end of Davids reigne, when he took up their bones, and buried them in the sepulchre of Kish the father of Saul, 2. Sam. 21.12. &c. As for their fasting seven dayes, to wit, till the evening of each day, when they had thus buried the bones of Saul and his sonnes, that was done doubtlesse, not onely by way of bewayling the death of Saul and his sonnes▪ but also especially that they might seek unto God in the behalf of the whole land and people of God, who were now in a sad condition, by reason of this great defeat which the Philistines had given them. Nor is it necessary that we should think that they did neither eat nor drink all these seven dayes (some masters of Physick have concluded, that it must needs be mortall to be without all nourishment for seven daies together) rather we may think that they afflicted themselves with fasting for seven dayes together, onely taking still at night some small refreshing: and yet indeed in those east countreys, they will far longer endure fasting, then we can do in the•• pa••.