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1. About this time it was that David heard how the Philistines
had made an inroad into the country of Keilah, and robbed it; so
he offered himself to fight against them, if God, when he should
be consulted by the prophet, would grant him the victory. And
when the prophet said that God gave a signal of victory, he made
a sudden onset upon the Philistines with his companions, and he
shed a great deal of their blood, and carried off their prey, and
staid with the inhabitants of Keilah till they had securely
gathered in their corn and their fruits. However, it was told
Saul the king that David was with the men of Keilah; for what had
been done and the great success that had attended him, were not
confined among the people where the things were done, but the
fame of it went all abroad, and came to the hearing of others,
and both the fact as it stood, and the author of the fact, were
carried to the king's ears. Then was Saul glad when he heard
David was in Keilah; and he said, "God hath now put him into my
hands, since he hath obliged him to come into a city that hath
walls, and gates, and bars." So he commanded all the people
suddenly, and when they had besieged and taken it to kill David.
But when David perceived this, and learned of God that if he
staid there the men of Keilah would deliver him up to Saul, he
took his four hundred men and retired into a desert that was over
against a city called Engedi. So that when the king heard he was
fled away from the men of Keilah, he left off his expedition
against him.
2. Then David removed thence, and came to a certain place called
the New Place, belonging to Ziph; where Jonathan, the son of
Saul, came to him, and saluted him, and exhorted him to be of
good courage, and to hope well as to his condition hereafter, and
not to despond at his present circumstances, for that he should
be king, and have all the forces of the Hebrews under him: he
told him that such happiness uses to come with great labor and
pains: they also took oaths, that they would, all their lives
long, continue in good-will and fidelity one to another; and he
called God to witness, as to what execrations he had made upon
himself if he should transgress his covenant, and should change
to a contrary behavior. So Jonathan left him there, having
rendered his cares and fears somewhat lighter, and returned home.
Now the men of Ziph, to gratify Saul, informed him that David
abode with them, and [assured him] that if he would come to them,
they would deliver him up, for that if the king would seize on
the Straits of Ziph, David would not escape to any other people.
So the king commended them, and confessed that he had reason to
thank them, because they had given him information of his enemy;
and he promised them, that it should not be long ere he would
requite their kindness. He also sent men to seek for David, and
to search the wilderness wherein he was; and he promised that he
himself would follow them. Accordingly they went before the king,
to hunt for and to catch David, and used endeavors, not only to
show their good-will to Saul, by informing him where his enemy
was, but to evidence the same more plainly by delivering him up
into his power. But these men failed of those their unjust and
wicked desires, who, while they underwent no hazard by not
discovering such an ambition of revealing this to Saul, yet did
they falsely accuse and promise to deliver up a man beloved of
God, and one that was unjustly sought after to be put to death,
and one that might otherwise have lain concealed, and this out of
flattery, and expectation of gain from the king; for when David
was apprized of the malignant intentions of the men of Ziph, and
the approach of Saul, he left the Straits of that country, and
fled to the great rock that was in the wilderness of Maon.
3. Hereupon Saul made haste to pursue him thither; for, as he was
marching, he learned that David was gone away from the Straits of
Ziph, and Saul removed to the other side of the rock. But the
report that the Philistines had again made an incursion into the
country of the Hebrews, called Saul another way from the pursuit
of David, when he was ready to be caught; for he returned back
again to oppose those Philistines, who were naturally their
enemies, as judging it more necessary to avenge himself of them,
than to take a great deal of pains to catch an enemy of his own,
and to overlook the ravage that was made in the land.
4. And by this means David unexpectedly escaped out of the danger
he was in, and came to the Straits of Engedi; and when Saul had
driven the Philistines out of the land, there came some
messengers, who told him that David abode within the bounds of
Engedi: so he took three thousand chosen men that were armed, and
made haste to him; and when he was not far from those places, he
saw a deep and hollow cave by the way-side; it was open to a
great length and breadth, and there it was that David with his
four hundred men were concealed. When therefore he had occasion
to ease nature, he entered into it by himself alone; and being
seen by one of David's companions, and he that saw him saying to
him, that he had now, by God's providence, an opportunity of
avenging himself of his adversary; and advising him to cut off
his head, and so deliver himself out of that tedious, wandering
condition, and the distress he was in; he rose up, and only cut
off the skirt of that garment which Saul had on: but he soon
repented of what he had done; and said it was not right to kill
him that was his master, and one whom God had thought worthy of
the kingdom; "for that although he were wickedly disposed towards
us, yet does it not behoove me to be so disposed towards him."
But when Saul had left the cave, David came near and cried out
aloud, and desired Saul to hear him; whereupon the king turned
his face back, and David, according to custom, fell down on his
face before the king, and bowed to him; and said, "O king, thou
oughtest not to hearken to wicked men, nor to such as forge
calumnies, nor to gratify them so far as to believe what they
say, nor to entertain suspicions of such as are your best
friends, but to judge of the dispositions of all men by their
actions; for calumny deludes men, but men's own actions are a
clear demonstration of their kindness. Words indeed, in their own
nature, may be either true or false, but men's actions expose
their intentions nakedly to our view. By these, therefore it will
be well for thee to believe me, as to my regard to thee and to
thy house, and not to believe those that frame such accusations
against me as never came into my mind, nor are possible to be
executed, and do this further by pursuing after my life, and have
no concern either day or night, but how to compass my life and to
murder me, which thing I think thou dost unjustly prosecute; for
how comes it about, that thou hast embraced this false opinion
about me, as if I had a desire to kill thee? Or how canst thou
escape the crime of impiety towards God, when thou wishest thou
couldst kill, and deemest thine adversary, a man who had it in
his power this day to avenge himself, and to punish thee, but
would not do it? nor make use of such an opportunity, which, if
it had fallen out to thee against me, thou hadst not let it slip,
for when I cut off the skirt of thy garment, I could have done
the same to thy head." So he showed him the piece of his garment,
and thereby made him agree to what he said to be true; and added,
"I, for certain, have abstained from taking a just revenge upon
thee, yet art thou not ashamed to prosecute me with unjust
hatred. May God do justice, and determine about each of our
dispositions." - But Saul was amazed at the strange delivery he
had received; and being greatly affected with the moderation and
the disposition of the young man, he groaned; and when David had
done the same, the king answered that he had the justest occasion
to groan, "for thou hast been the author of good to me, as I have
been the author of calamity to thee; and thou hast demonstrated
this day, that thou possessest the righteousness of the ancients,
who determined that men ought to save their enemies, though they
caught them in a desert place. I am now persuaded that God
reserves the kingdom for thee, and that thou wilt obtain the
dominion over all the Hebrews. Give me then assurances upon oath,
That thou wilt not root out my family, nor, out of remembrance of
what evil I have done thee, destroy my posterity, but save and
preserve my house." So David sware as he desired, and sent back
Saul to his own kingdom; but he, and those that were with him,
went up the Straits of Mastheroth.
5. About this time Samuel the prophet died. He was a man whom the
Hebrews honored in an extraordinary degree: for that lamentation
which the people made for him, and this during a long time,
manifested his virtue, and the affection which the people bore
for him; as also did the solemnity and concern that appeared
about his funeral, and about the complete observation of all his
funeral rites. They buried him in his own city of Ramah; and wept
for him a very great number of days, not looking on it as a
sorrow for the death of another man, but as that in which they
were every one themselves concerned. He was a righteous man, and
gentle in his nature; and on that account he was very dear to
God. Now he governed and presided over the people alone, after
the death of Eli the high priest, twelve years, and eighteen
years together with Saul the king. And thus we have finished the
history of Samuel.
6. There was a man that was a Ziphite, of the city of Maon, who
was rich, and had a vast number of cattle; for he fed a flock of
three thousand sheep, and another flock of a thousand goats. Now
David had charged his associates to keep these flocks without
hurt and without damage, and to do them no mischief, neither out
of covetousness, nor because they were in want, nor because they
were in the wilderness, and so could not easily be discovered,
but to esteem freedom from injustice above all other motives, and
to look upon the touching of what belonged to another man as a
horrible crime, and contrary to the will of God. These were the
instructions he gave, thinking that the favors he granted this
man were granted to a good man, and one that deserved to have
such care taken of his affairs. This man was Nabal, for that was
his name, - a harsh man, and of a very wicked life, being like a
cynic in the course of his behavior, but still had obtained for
his wife a woman of a good character, wise and handsome. To this
Nabal, therefore, David sent ten men of his attendants at the
time when he sheared his sheep, and by them saluted him; and also
wished he might do what he now did for many years to come, but
desired him to make him a present of what he was able to give
him, since he had, to be sure, learned from his shepherds that we
had done them no injury, but had been their guardians a long time
together, while we continued in the wilderness; and he assured
him he should never repent of giving any thing to David. When the
messengers had carried this message to Nabal, he accosted them
after an inhuman and rough manner; for he asked them who David
was? and when he heard that he was the son of Jesse, he said,
"Now is the time that fugitives grow insolent, and make a figure,
and leave their masters." When they told David this, he was
wroth, and commanded four hundred armed men to follow him, and
left two hundred to take care of the stuff, (for he had already
six hundred, ) and went against Nabal: he also swore that he
would that night utterly destroy the whole house and possessions
of Nabal; for that he was grieved, not only that he had proved
ungrateful to them, without making any return for the humanity
they had shown him, but that he had also reproached them, and
used ill language to them, when he had received no cause of
disgust from them.
7. Hereupon one of those that kept the flocks of Nabal, said to
his mistress, Nabal's wife, that when David sent to her husband
he had received no civil answer at all from him; but that her
husband had moreover added very reproachful language, while yet
David had taken extraordinary care to keep his flocks from harm,
and that what had passed would prove very pernicious to his
master. When the servant had said this, Abigail, for that was his
wife's name, saddled her asses, and loaded them with all sorts of
presents; and, without telling her husband any thing of what she
was about, (for he was not sensible on account of his
drunkenness,) she went to David. She was then met by David as she
was descending a hill, who was coming against Nabal with four
hundred men. When the woman saw David, she leaped down from her
ass, and fell on her face, and bowed down to the ground; and
entreated him not to bear in mind the words of Nabal, since he
knew that he resembled his name. Now Nabal, in the Hebrew tongue,
signifies folly. So she made her apology, that she did not see
the messengers whom he sent. "Forgive me, therefore," said she,
"and thank God, who hath hindered thee from shedding human blood;
for so long as thou keepest thyself innocent, he will avenge thee
of wicked men, for what miseries await Nabal, they will fall
upon the heads of thine enemies. Be thou gracious to me, and
think me so far worthy as to accept of these presents from me;
and, out of regard to me, remit that wrath and that anger which
thou hast against my husband and his house, for mildness and
humanity become thee, especially as thou art to be our king."
Accordingly, David accepted her presents, and said, "Nay, but, O
woman, it was no other than God's mercy which brought thee to us
today, for, otherwise, thou hadst never seen another day, I
having sworn to destroy Nabal's house this very night, and to
leave alive not one of you who belonged to a man that was wicked
and ungrateful to me and my companions; but now hast thou
prevented me, and seasonably mollified my anger, as being thyself
under the care of God's providence: but as for Nabal, although
for thy sake he now escape punishment, he will not always avoid
justice; for his evil conduct, on some other occasion, will be
his ruin."
8. When David had said this, he dismissed the woman. But when she
came home and found her husband feasting with a great company,
and oppressed with wine, she said nothing to him then about what
had happened; but on the next day, when he was sober, she told
him all the particulars, and made his whole body to appear like
that of a dead man by her words, and by that grief which arose
from them; so Nabal survived ten days, and no more, and then
died. And when David heard of his death, he said that God had
justly avenged him of this man, for that Nabal had died by his
own wickedness, and had suffered punishment on his account, while
he had kept his own hands clean. At which time he understood that
the wicked are prosecuted by God; that he does not overlook any
man, but bestows on the good what is suitable to them, and
inflicts a deserved punishment on the wicked. So he sent to
Nabal's wife, and invited her to come to him, to live with him,
and to be his wife. Whereupon she replied to those that came,
that she was not worthy to touch his feet; however, she came,
with all her servants, and became his wife, having received that
honor on account of her wise and righteous course of life. She
also obtained the same honor partly on account of her beauty. Now
David had a wife before, whom he married from the city Abesar;
for as to Michal, the daughter of king Saul, who had been David's
wife, her father had given her in marriage to Phalti, the son of
Laish, who was of the city of Gallim.
9. After this came certain of the Ziphites, and told Saul that
David was come again into their country, and if he would afford
them his assistance, they could catch him. So he came to them
with three thousand armed men; and upon the approach of night, he
pitched his camp at a certain place called Hachilah. But when
David heard that Saul was coming against him, he sent spies, and
bid them let him know to what place of the country Saul was
already come; and when they told him that he was at Hachilah, he
concealed his going away from his companions, and came to Saul's
camp, having taken with him Abishai, his sister Zeruiah's son,
and Ahimelech the Hittite. Now Saul was asleep, and the armed
men, with Abner their commander, lay round about him in a circle.
Hereupon David entered into the king's tent; but he did neither
kill Saul, though he knew where he lay, by the spear that was
stuck down by him, nor did he give leave to Abishai, who would
have killed him, and was earnestly bent upon it so to do; for he
said it was a horrid crime to kill one that was ordained king by
God, although he was a wicked man; for that he who gave him the
dominion would in time inflict punishment upon him. So he
restrained his eagerness; but that it might appear to have been
in his power to have killed him when he refrained from it, he
took his spear, and the cruse of water which stood by Saul as he
lay asleep, without being perceived by any in the camp, who were
all asleep, and went securely away, having performed every thing
among the king's attendants that the opportunity afforded, and
his boldness encouraged him to do. So when he had passed over a
brook, and was gotten up to the top of a hill, whence he might be
sufficiently heard, he cried aloud to Saul's soldiers, and to
Abner their commander, and awaked them out of their sleep, and
called both to him and to the people. Hereupon the commander
heard him, and asked who it was that called him. To whom David
replied, "It is I, the son of Jesse, whom you make a vagabond.
But what is the matter? Dost thou, that art a man of so great
dignity, and of the first rank in the king's court, take so
little care of thy master's body? and is sleep of more
consequence to thee than his preservation, and thy care of him?
This negligence of yours deserves death, and punishment to be
inflicted on you, who never perceived when, a little while ago,
some of us entered into your camp, nay, as far as to the king
himself, and to all the rest of you. If thou look for the king's
spear and his cruse of water, thou wilt learn what a mighty
misfortune was ready to overtake you in your very camp without
your knowing it." Now when Saul knew David's voice, and
understood that when he had him in his power while he was asleep,
and his guards took no care of him, yet did not he kill him, but
spared him, when he might justly have cut him off, he said that
he owed him thanks for his preservation; and exhorted him to be
of good courage, and not be afraid of suffering any mischief from
him any more, and to return to his own home, for he was now
persuaded that he did not love himself so well as he was loved by
him: that he had driven away him that could guard him, and had
given many demonstrations of his good-will to him: that he had
forced him to live so long in a state of banishment, and in great
fears of his life, destitute of his friends and his kindred,
while still he was often saved by him, and frequently received
his life again when it was evidently in danger of perishing. So
David bade them send for the spear and the cruse of water, and
take them back; adding this withal, That God would be the judge
of both their dispositions, and of the actions that flowed from
the same, "who knows that then it was this day in my power to
have killed thee I abstained from it."
10. Thus Saul having escaped the hands of David twice, he went
his way to his royal palace, and his own city: but David was
afraid, that if he staid there he should be caught by Saul; so he
thought it better to go up into the land of the Philistines, and
abide there. Accordingly, he came with the six hundred men that
were with him to Achish, the king of Gath, which was one of their
five cities. Now the king received both him and his men, and gave
them a place to inhabit in. He had with him also his two wives,
Ahinoam and Abigail, and he dwelt in Gath. But when Saul heard
this, he took no further care about sending to him, or going
after him, because he had been twice, in a manner, caught by him,
while he was himself endeavoring to catch him. However, David had
no mind to continue in the city of Gath, but desired the king,
that since he had received him with such humanity, that he would
grant him another favor, and bestow upon him some place of that
country for his habitation, for he was ashamed, by living in the
city, to be grievous and burdensome to him. So Achish gave him a
certain village called Ziklag; which place David and his sons
were fond of when he was king, and reckoned it to be their
peculiar inheritance. But about those matters we shall give the
reader further information elsewhere. Now the time that David
dwelt in Ziklag, in the land of the Philistines, was four months
and twenty days. And now he privately attacked those Geshurites
and Amalekites that were neighbors to the Philistines, and laid
waste their country, and took much prey of their beasts and
camels, and then returned home; but David abstained from the men,
as fearing they should discover him to king Achish; yet did he
send part of the prey to him as a free gift. And when the king
inquired whom they had attacked when they brought away the prey,
he said, those that lay to the south of the Jews, and inhabited
in the plain; whereby he persuaded Achish to approve of what he
had done, for he hoped that David had fought against his own
nation, and that now he should have him for his servant all his
life long, and that he would stay in his country.
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