"he was awkward in going," or, " he moved

EV

awkwardly.”. ÈXOTICσer TegiTaTndai, LXX.

περιπατησαι,

και έσκαζεν άπειρος ὠν, Symmachus. και ἐχωλαινεν Δαβιδ v T Badilen, Hexaplar versions. I refer the verb to the root N. See that root in Parkhurst's Lexicon.

"because he was not accustomed." "S 1ος 1995. ὅτι οὐ πεπειραμαι, LXX. άπειρος ὤν, Sym. machus. or άagos nv, Hexapl. -non enim habebat consuetudinem, quia non usum habeo. Vulg.

CHAP. Xviii, 9. —"eyed." Read, with Masora and

.עוין,.MS

Between this and the next verse, the ten last verses of chapter xvi. should be inserted.

Verse 10. -" on the morrow." On the morrow of what day? The difficulty of answering this question would not be increased by the proposed insertion of the ten last verses of chap. xvi.

ויתנבא

"and he prophesied in the midst of the house." per ædes baccharetur," Castalio; literally, he played the prophet;" i. e. he was frantic. *, in Kal, "to prophesy." In Hithpael," to imitate the prophetic ecstasy;" which imitation may be either voluntary, as in the case of imposture, or involuntary, as in the case of possession. The latter

is the case here; and the verb is well rendered by Castalio by the Latin "bacchari." Sometimes the verb in Hithpael may signify no more than to join in the worship of the prophets. See chap. x, 10, 11, and xix, 20, 21.

Verse 18. " and what is my life [or] my father's family in Israel ;" rather, "and what is the condition of my father's family in Israel." See Houbigant.

Verse 19." But the fact was that at the time when Merab the daughter of Saul was given [i. e. was offered] to David, she had been already given to Adriel the Meholathite to wife." The king's proposal to David was wholly fraudulent. Had David escaped the dangers of the war, and performed the condition, still he could not have had this daughter of Saul.

Verse 21.

in the one of the twain ;" rather,

"in one way or another."

Verses 26, 27.

"law: and the days were not expired. 27. Wherefore David arose," &c.; rather, 26." law. 27. And before the time was expired, David arose." So the LXX, Vulgate, Castalio. A time it seems was set, within which David was to perform the condition.

CHAP. XIX, 13, 16. " an image," rather, "the teraphim."

13. —“ and put a pillow of goats-hair for his bolster." ";" and the network of goatshair; ", they placed about its pillows." -" the network of goats-hair," i. e. the mosquito curtains. See Parkhurst, , iv, and N, XII. “with a cloth ;" rather, "with a coverlid." 16. "an image," &c.; rather, "the teraphim in the bed, with network of goats-hair about its pillows."

CHAP. XX, 1. "And David fled from Naioth in Ramah."

The death of Samuel might be the occasion of David's removal from Naioth. That Samuel was dead, at the time of David's final flight from Saul's court, which is recorded in this chapter, seems probable from this circumstance; that from this time forward it appears not that David, upon any occasion, either sought or received advice from Samuel. When he flees from Saul's court, he repairs to Nob; where he is entertained, not by Samuel, but by Abimelech the priest: (chap. xxi.) Afterwards, when he is advised to remain within the territory of Judah, the advice is delivered, not by Samuel, but by Gad :

(xxii, 5.) He consults Abiathar, not Samuel, about the defence of Keilah: (xxiii, 9-12.) In short, Samuel appears no more in the whole story, till we read of his death, chap. xxv. For what reason the mention of his death is reserved for that place appears not.

Verse 6. "a yearly sacrifice;" rather, "a stated sacrifice."

Verse 9.-" for if I knew," &c.; rather, "for if I know for a certainty that it is determined on the part of my father to bring evil upon thee, and I tell it thee not" "Suspensa est sententia ut solet esse in ejusmodi juramentis." Houbigant ad locum. Verse 12. Between 1 and , two MSS. of Kennicott's have ".

, the morrow of the third day;' i. e.

the day after to-morrow.

,necne ,ולא

'necne,'' or not.'

The entire passage I would render thus:

12. "And Jonathan said unto David, as Jehovah

God of Israel liveth, I will surely sound my father

at a convenient season [כעת] the day [מחר השלשית]

after to-morrow, and behold it is either well with David or not; then I will send unto thee, and give thee information.

13. "So Jehovah do to Jonathan, and much more,

if it please my father to do thee mischief, I will accordingly give thee information," &c.

Jonathan engages for two things; to give David

notice if

any immediate mischief is intended, and to give him notice if it should be intended at any time hereafter. That the affirmative form of asseveration is used after the execration: "So Jehovah do to me, and more." See 1 Kings xix, 2.

Verse 14. [*] "And it shall not be [N]

ולא תעשה עמדי חסד ,so long as I may chance to live

[that thou shalt not religiously shew me kind ness, that I die not.".

77707, kindness of Jehovah;' i. e. religious kindness, to which thou art bound by the tenor of thy oath.

Verse 15. "But also thou"-rather, "And thou".

Verse 16. This 16th verse may be understood as the close of Jonathan's adjuration, and should be thus rendered: "But let Jonathan be cut off with the house of David, and Jehovah require it at the hand of David's enemies." He desires to be considered as united to David's family, that his fortunes may thrive or decline with those of David's house, and his calamities be revenged upon David's enemies.

VOL. I.

Y