Verse 25. "the manner of the kingdom. " nobon voyD; jus regni ; the constitutional authority and duties of the kingly office. This was a different thing from D, the manner of the king, mentioned in chap. viii, 9, 11.

CHAP. Xi, 8. "the children of Israel-the men of Judah." How happened it that Israel and Judah were separately numbered?

Verse 12. "Who is it that said, Shall Saul," &c.

CHAP. XII, 11. " Bedan," read "Barak," LXX; or rather, "Deborah (Arabic and Syriac) and Barak," (LXX).

riac.

"Samuel," read "Samson." Arabic, and Sy.

Verse 14. then shall both ye, and also the king that reigneth over you, continue following the Lord your God;" rather, "and both ye, and the king that reigneth over you, continue following Jehovah your God [it is well]."

Verse 15.-" against you, as it was against your

בכם ובמלככם כאשר היתה באבותיכם fathers. Read

"against you and your king, as it was against your fathers." See LXX, and Houbigant.

Verse 22. "And turn ye not aside, for then should

After 1, omit ", with MSS.,

ye go after"

LXX, and Vulgate.

"And ye not aside after”.

CHAP. Xiii, 1. "Saul reigned one year," &c. 19 ΠΑΡ. υἱος τριακοντα ἔτων Σαουλ ἐν τῷ

במלכו

Barikeven aury. Hexaplar versions. Their copies had "Saul was thirty years

בן שנה שלשים שאול במלכו

old when he became king."

Verse 3." the garrison of the Philistim that was in Geba." The Philistim therefore yet had stations on the border: they were not therefore yet subdued in the manner described in chap. vii, 13.

Verse 5." thirty thousand chariots." Bochart and Houbigant would read, with Syriac and Arabic, "three thousand."

-"horsemen." What, were these horsemen? It is remarkable that the number of these horsemen was just the double of what is taken to be the true number of the chariots. See Isaiah xxi, 9, and the notes.

Verse 6. " for the people were distressed;" rather, "for the numerous army was very near."

Verse 8. "Samuel had appointed." Read, with

אשר שם שמואל .several MSS

Verse 12. "I forced myself therefore"-"Necessitate compulsus" Vulg. Biaoles, Symm.

Verse 22. " neither sword nor spear." Their

weapons therefore must have been arrows, slings, clubs, sharp stakes hardened in the fire.

CHAP. XIV, 4. The original gives the idea of a ford of a river, which run between the stations of the Philistim and the Israelites, which Jonathan had to pass the course of the river from east to west. In the middle of the channel two pointed rocks: the one, nearer to the northern bank, on which Micmash was situate; the other to the southern, where Gibeah stood.

Verse 7.-" behold I am with thee, according to thy heart." Read, with LXX and Houbigant, ; "behold I am with thee; my heart as thy heart."

; כלבכך כלבבי

Verse 15.-" so it was a very great trembling ;" rather, "and it was a panic [sent] of God," To the same effect the LXX.

Verse 18. " for the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel."

-" with the children", The conjunction 1 never renders with.' One MS. of Kennicott's hasy. The LXX read ". But what was this ark of God, which was at hand in the camp, which Saul commands the priest to bring? The ark of the

covenant was at Kiriath-jearim, and certainly not to be moved but by the express command of God, or upon signal given for its removal, as in the wilderness. The Israelites, in the latter end of Eli's time, had suffered for their presumption, when they removed it from Shiloh to the field of battle, without any previous command or permission on the part of God. See chap. iv. It is not likely that they would so soon repeat the same crime, or that Saul, so lately seated on the throne, would give so extraordinary an order. The word is ambiguous, and may render either bring hither,' or go to.'

Aquila and Symmachus render it in the latter sense: gooελθε και κιβωτῳ του Θεου but then they add expressly, that this ark, to which the priest, according to their version, is to resort, was in the camp; v yag oUV TOIS υίοις Ισραηλ ἐν τῇ παρεμβολη. And upon another occasion we read of an ark in the camp, which cannot be understood of the ark of the covenant. 2 Sam. xi, 11. From the latter part of this first book of Samuel it appears, that during Saul's life, both Saul and David were possessed at the same time of the instruments of oracular consultation, of which an ark, with the cherubic emblems, seems to have been an essential part. Mr Hutchinson's conjecture,

therefore, that the Israelites, in these times, had more emblematic arks than one, deserves great at, tention, though the exposition which he offers of this verse is inadmissible. See his Works, vol. vi, p. 148-151. And his reasoning upon a very forced interpretation of Numb. ii, 17, compared with Numb. X, 33, is weak and ill-founded.

Verse 21. "Moreover the Hebrews," &c. Read,

והעברים אשר היו לפלשתים אשר עלו,with LXX עמם במחנה נסבבו גם המה להית .c&

"And the slaves that belonged to the Philistims before that time, which went up with them to the camp, they also changed sides [deserted] to take part with," &c.

Verse 22. -" in the battle." The Vulgate adds, -" et erant cum Saul quasi decem millia virorum." The LXX have the like addition, but they place it at the end of the following verse.

Verse 25. "And all they of the land came to a wood." For, one MS. of Kennicott's has Dyn;" and the whole army came to an apiary." Verse 26. into the wood;" rather, " into the apiary."

Verse 41. -" give a perfect lot." See LXX, Vulgate, and Houbigant.