CHAP. XXI, 2." and I have appointed" Read, with LXX, Vulgate, Symmachus, and Houbigant,

יוערתי

Verse 5." and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread," &c. The passage is eertainly obscure. But this is certain, that David never uttered the nonsense which this translation puts into his mouth. Castalio gives the probable meaning of the place:" suntque corpora famulorum casta. Quod si profectio ipsa profana fuerit, at hodie quidem lustrabitur in corporibus." * This version he explains in a note, in these words:" si forte mei famuli, tum quum profecti sunt, fuerant cum uxoribus, at hodie quidem parierunt, quoniam hic dies tertius est, quod temporis spatium lustrandis corporibus est destinatum."

, vessels,' the body, more especially a particular member of the body: as the corresponding

* Queen Elizabeth's translators render the passage to the same effect. They render by how much more,' which were better rendered by nevertheless,' or 'yet for certain.' Otherwise their translation differs not from Castalio. The alteration, in our public translation, like many others, for the worse, was made, as I suspect, upon the authority of no better critic than Le Clerc.

*tvo is used in the New Testament. See that word

in Parkhurst's Greek Lexicon.

p", lustrabitur;' impersonally, sanctification

shall be made in their vessels.

CHAP. xxii, 14. "and goeth at thy bidding.' b. A very obscure phrase. If I were

A .וסר אל משמעתר

to venture upon a conjectural emendation, it should be 30 for 1; “and alway ready at thy summons." The readiness which this word would particularly express, would be a readiness for military service. See Parkhurst, D, II.

Verse 15. -"nor to all." Read, with three or four of Kennicott's Codd.

CHAP. Xxiii. Between the 1st and 2d verse, the 6th should be inserted. See Houbigant.

Verse 9." that Saul secretly practised mischief against him;" rather," that Saul was coming against him, intent upon mischief." There was no secrecy in Saul's present practices. See Houbigant.

Verses 15, 16, 18, 19.

most solitary recess.'

"wood.", "in the

Verse 25. "Saul also," &c.; rather thus, "For when Saul and his men set out to search for David, then they told David, and he went down to a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul

heard it, and pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon."

-"to search for David." I read with some of

לבקש את דוד .Kennicott's Codd

CHAP. XXIV, 3, "in the sides of the cave." 99, ἐσωτερον του σπηλαι, LXX. -" in in

teriore parte speluncæ." Vulg.

Verse 10." and some bade me kill thee;" rather, with Vulgate," and I thought to kill thee." -"but mine eye spared thee." Read, with Vulgabygy

ותחס עיני עליך,gate and Houbigant

CHAP. XXV, 1. " And Samuel died" See note, chap. xx.

According to Josephus, Samuel was judge, after Eli's death, for the space of twelve years before Saul was king. He lived, after Saul became king, eighteen years. Saul by this account must have survived Samuel ten years.

Verse 3.

churlish and evil in his doings;" ra

ther," harsh and ill-mannered."

Verse 24. "Upon me, my lord," &c.; rather, "in me, my lord, there is blame." Abigail's language is merely that of humble acknowledgment.

Verse 27. "And now this blessing-let it even

be given"

Read, with Vulgate and LXX, ny

I pray

thee, accept

,And now * ;קח נא הברכה הזאת

MP;

this small present-and let it be given❞—

Verse 33. " blessed be thy advice;" rather,

--

"blessed be thy gentle manners." ô TgOTOS σov, LXX. τρόπος σου,

CHAP. XXVI, 8. -"with a spear, even to the earth

at once." Read, 1

to the earth at one stroke."

CHAP. XXVII, 7.

Philistims was a full

year and four months." The Vulgate makes the time only four months, as if his copies omitted the word '" after, and the conjunction prefixed to

is supported by one ימים The omission of .ארבעה

MS. of Kennicott's, that of by three, if not by four. The LXX give the same time of four months; yet their version plainly confirms the reading of some word for juegas after, but without the " fixed to. I think the true reading likely to

pre

,Philistim – פלשתים ימי ארבעה חדשים,be thus

was the exact space of four months." Houbigant would insert the word n between

ימים

ny and

"". But the authority of the antient versions,

confirmed in some degree by Kennicott's collations, seems in this case the safest guide.

Verse 8. " for those nations," &c. Very obscure in the original; the sense doubtful.

Verse 10." Whither have ye made a road today?" Read, with LXX, Vulgate, and Houbigant,

Upon whom have ye made » ; אל מי פשטתם היום

an incursion to-day?"

CHAP. XXViii, 12. "And when the woman saw

Samuel, she cried with a loud voice," &c. « Quia videlicet Samuel insperato adveniebat, et antequam magicis suis artibus uteretur. Propterea Samuel post de Saule, non de sagâ, conqueritur, qui molestus sibi esset, et eventum belli, qualis futurus esset, consilio tam inutili quàm pravo inquireret. Ex Ex quo sequitur, Samuelem, non magicis artibus, sed Dei numine fuisse excitatum." Houbigant ad locum.

Verse 16." and is become thine enemy." The

,ויהי עס רער LXX and Vulgate seem to have read

But the Masoretic reading (which appears to have been the reading of Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion) may stand, and is very good sense, if for ", in the following verse, we read, which is the reading of three of Kennicott's Codd. and three of De Rossi's.

Verse 17. to him;" rather, "to thee." See the preceding verse.

CHAP. XXIX, 3. —" since he fell [unto me];" rather, "since he deserted," i. e. from Saul, his master,