1 Samuel 22:7

_THEN SAUL SAID UNTO HIS SERVANTS THAT STOOD ABOUT HIM, HEAR NOW, YE BENJAMITES; WILL THE SON OF JESSE GIVE EVERY ONE OF YOU FIELDS AND VINEYARDS, AND MAKE YOU ALL CAPTAINS OF THOUSANDS, AND CAPTAINS OF HUNDREDS;_ Saul said ... Hear now, ye Benjamites ... Saul had recently attacked the Beerothites, the inhabitants of Beeroth, anciently one of the cities of the Gibeonites, but afterward included within the territory of Benjamin, and having, either by the massacre or expulsion of the original occupiers, notwithstanding their solemnly-covenanted incorporation with Israel (Joshua 9:1), seized their possessions, he bestowed them on his family and favourites (cf. 2 Samuel 21:2). The appeal that he now made to the courtiers by whom he was surrounded was to stimulate the patriotism or jealousy of his o

6-19 See the nature of jealous malice and its pitiful arts. Saul looks upon all about him as his enemies, because they do not just say as he says. In Ahimelech's answer to Saul we have the language of conscious innocence. But what wickedness will not the evil spirit hurry men to when he gets the dominion! Saul alleges that which was utterly false and unproved. But the most bloody tyrants have found instruments of their cruelty as barbarous as themselves. Doeg, having murdered the priests, went to the city, Nob, and put all to the sword there. Nothing so vile but those may do it, who have provoked God to give them up to their hearts' lusts. Yet this was the accomplishment of the threatenings against the house of Eli. Though Saul was unrighteous in doing this, yet God was righteous in permitting it. No word of God shall fall to the ground....

YE BENJAMITES - Showing how isolated the tribes still were, and how for the most part Saul was surrounded by his own tribesmen only....

EXPOSITION COMMENCEMENT OF DAVID'S LIFE AS AN OUTLAW. 1 SAMUEL 22:1 THE CAVE ADULLAM. According to Josephus this was situated near a city of the same name ('Ant.,' 1 Samuel 6:12, 1 Samuel 6:3), which formed one of a group of fifteen in the Shephelah (see on 1 Samuel 17:1), and its site has now been recovered by Mr. Conder (see 'Tent Work,' 2:156-160). "The great valley," he says, "of Elah, which forms the highway from Philistia to Hebron, runs down northwards past

THEN SAUL SAID UNTO HIS SERVANTS THAT STOOD ABOUT HIM,.... He took this opportunity of addressing them in the following manner, upon the report of David being at the head of a certain number of men: HEAR NOW, YE BENJAMITES; for Saul being of the tribe of Benjamin, his courtiers and his bodyguards chiefly, if not altogether, consisted of persons of that tribe; and therefore as they were under obligation to him, and ought to abide by him, and adhere closely to him, so it was the more ungrateful in them, as he thought, not to be concerned for his honour and interest: WILL THE SON OF JESSE GIVE EVERYONE OF YOU FIELDS AND VINEYARDS; as Saul had done, or was capable of doing, and would do if they were faithful to him; whereas it was not in the power of David, whom in contempt he calls the son of Jesse, to do it; and even should he ever be king, and in his power to make such donations, it can...

CHAPTER 22 _ 1. In the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1)_ 2. In Moab and Gad's message (1 Samuel 22:3) 3. Saul's discovery of David's visit to Nob (1 Samuel 22:6) 4. The murder of the priests (1 Samuel 22:11) 5. David and Abiathar (1 Samuel 22:20) Next we find him in the cave of Adullam (a witness). Here a strange company gathers around the rejected king. It consisted of 400 men. He became their captain. Some of them were in distress, others in debt, and discontented. Such were attracted to th

1 SAMUEL 22. DAVID AT ADULLAM AND MOAB: MASSACRE AT NOB (J). The series of narratives in ch. 22 may very well come from the same ancient document, and be the continuation of 1 Samuel 21:1. 1 SAMUEL 22:1 F. David takes refuge at Adullam (p. 31), about 12 miles SW. of Bethlehem: he is joined by his clan and by various unsatisfactory characters, to the number of about 400, _i.e._ he becomes a captain of bandits. 1 SAMUEL 22:3. David takes his father and mother for safety to the king of Moab at Mizpeh (not identified). According to Ruth 4:21 f., David's great-grandmother was a Moabitess, Ruth. The prophet Gad ...

Saul's vengeance on the priests of Nob 6. _that David was discovered_ Lit. "was known." Saul found out that some of his courtiers knew of David's hiding-place in the forest of Hareth. _now Saul abode_, &c. Render, NOW SAUL WAS SITTING AT GIBEAH UNDER THE TAMARISK TREE ON THE HEIGHT. We have here a vivid picture of a solemn conclave met to deliberate on affairs of state or to administer justice. The king sits in state under some venerable tamarisk (cp. 1 Samuel 14:2; Judges 4:5); his spear, the emblem of royalty (see on 1 Samuel 18:10), is in his hand; his servants, still chiefly the men of his own tribe (1 Samuel

THEN SAUL SAID UNTO HIS SERVANTS— If this complaint was true, Saul must have been an exceedingly bad master, to be so entirely deserted and unpitied by his own servants, even when he had estates and preferments to give them. But what was the complaint? that _all of them had conspired against him._ How did this appear? why, _because none of them shewed him that his son had made a league with the son of Jesse._ And why should they shew him this, when he himself well knew it already, and needed not to be informed of it by them: for he had told his son before, that _he had chosen the son of Jesse, to the confusion of his mother's nakedness?_ He adds, as a farther matter of complaint, _none of you is sorry for me;_ and, if they thought that Jonathan's league with David was a thing right in itself, and a very happy circumstance for the kingdom in general, there was no cause why they should for...

_Saul's Increasing Jealousy. 1 Samuel 22:6-16_ 6 When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that _were_ with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants _were_ standing about him;) 7 Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, _and_ make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; 8 That all of you have conspired against me, and _there is_ none that showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and _there is_ none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? 9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw t