55 then would not I tell it thee? Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly? 20.11. And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field. And Jonathan said unto David, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about this time to morrow, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward 60 David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee; Jehovah do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace and Jehovah be with thee, as he hath been with my father. And thou shalt not 65 only while yet I live shew me the kindness of Jehovah, that I die not but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when Jehovah hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let Jehovah 70 even require it at the hand of David's enemies. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him for he loved him as he loved his own soul. Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. And when thou hast stayed 75 three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel. And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. 80 If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as Jehovah liveth. But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way for Jehovah hath sent thee away. And as touching the 85 matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, Jehovah be between thee and me for ever. : 20.24. So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat 90 by the wall and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty. Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen : him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. And it came to pass on the morrow, after the new moon, the second day of the month, that David's place was empty and Saul said unto 95 Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day? And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem : and he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me 100 to be there and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table. Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast 105 chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion? For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be 110 slain? what hath he done? And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month for he was grieved for David, because his father had 115 done him shame. 20.35. And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an 120 arrow beyond him. And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. But the 125 lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: 130 and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah be between me and thee, and between my seed 135 and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city. : LESSON XLIX DAVID IN EXILE I SAMUEL 21.1 to 23.13 1 21.1. Then came David to Nob to 1 Ahimelech the priest and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me 5 a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. 10 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, when I came 15 out, the vessels of the young men were holy, although the journey was a common one: how much more then to day shall their vessels be holy. So the priest gave him hallowed bread : for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before Jehovah, to put hot bread in the day when it was 20 taken away. Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Jehovah; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul. And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought 25 my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it 1 Ahimelech seems to be the same person who is called Ahiah on page 171 (chap. 14.3). is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me. (22.1) David there- 30 fore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain 35 over them and there were with him about four hundred men. 22.3. And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God 40 will do for me. And he brought them before the king of Moab : and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold. And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth. 45 22.6. When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him ;) then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; 50 will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth 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 55 sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. And he enquired of Jehovah for him, and gave him 60 victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king. And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my 65 lord. And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? Then 70 Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house? Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to 75 all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more. And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house. And the king said unto the runners that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of Jehovah; because their hand also is with David, and 80 because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of Jehovah. And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day four85 score and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword. And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled 90 after David. And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain Jehovah's priests. And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house. Abide thou with me, fear not: for he 95 that seeketh my life seeketh thy life but with me thou shalt be in safeguard. There 23.1. Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors. fore David enquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and smite 100 these Philistines ? And Jehovah said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? Then David enquired of Jehovah yet again. And Jehovah 105 answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought |