thy kingdom to another; so he will be sure not to falsify his word, nor retract that his just purpose.

35. "And the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel."]-And God did (as those do which repent them of their former actions) profess to undo that which he had done in setting up Saul; and therefore did now cast him off, and anoint another in his stead.

XVI. 14." But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him."]-And the Lord took from Saul those graces of wisdom and moderation wherewith he had endued him, and gave power to an evil spirit to seize upon him, and to vex him with phrensy and distemper.

23. "And the evil spirit departed from him."]-By the sweet and holy music of David, the spirits of Saul were so composed for the time, and calmed, that he brake not forth into his wonted fury.

XVII. 29. "What have I now done? Is there not a cause?”]— Is it not a just reason that my father hath sent me hither for your good? Have I not a lawful business here? Wherein then have I given thee cause of displeasure or exception?

58. "And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man?"]-And Saul, having never seen David till this occasion of vanquishing the Philistine, (which fell out before his phrensy, and David's playing before him,) said unto David, Whose son art thou, thou young man?

XVIII. 1. “And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David."]-When Saul had called David to the court, and entertained him as an attendant there, it came to pass, that, upon his conference with Saul, the heart of Jonathan was deeply affected towards David.

10. "And he prophesied in the midst of the house."]—And he carried himself as a man distracted of his senses, both in his speeches and motions.

XIX. 20. " And they also prophesied."]-See chapter x. 6, and xviii. 10.

24. "And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night."]-And he stript himself of his military habit, or of his kingly attire, and carried himself in a wild distracted fashion, and lay down so disrobed all that day and that night;

appearing before Samuel in the habit and fashion of a prophet, amongst the rest.

XX. 26. "He is not clean; surely he is not clean."]-Some legal uncleanness hath happened unto him, that hinders him from this holy feast; for the law forbids any unclean person to eat of these holy sacrifices.

30. "Thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness."]-This thy favour to David shall be to thine own wrong and shame; since by this means thou shalt be defeated of the kingdom, as if thou wert base born, and therefore uncapable to succeed me: and to the shame of thy mother, who shall by this act be proclaimed an adulteress, and a dishonourer of my bed.

XXI. 4. "But there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women."]-There is hallowed bread, which having been consecrated to the Lord, may not (thou knowest) be received by any ordinary person, much less by any that is unclean; but in this necessity, if the young men have abstained from the use of women, and have kept themselves this way undefiled, I shall condescend to give it unto them.

5. "The vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel;" (or, as in the margin, "especially when this day there is other sanctified.")]-The bodies of the young men are this way undefiled; and the bread, however consecrated, is unto us, in this case of necessity, but as common bread, so as we may lawfully receive it; especially when as this day there is other bread sanctified according to the law, in the room thereof.

11. "Is not this David the king of the land?"]-Is not this David that sways so much in Israel?

XXIV. 3. "To cover his feet."]-To discharge the necessities of nature.

13. "Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee."]-Were I such as thou supposest me, wicked, surely wicked acts would proceed from me; but now thou findest how far I am from any villanous intention against thee; neither shall my hand lift up itself against thee to thy hurt.

XXV. 22. "If I leave of all, &c., any that pisseth against the wall."]-If I leave so much as a dog alive in all the house of Nabal.

37. That his heart died within him, and he became as a

stone."]-Nabal was so deeply stricken with an apprehension of the danger that was towards him, by the relation of his wife, that his heart was cold within him; and he became stupid, and senseless with fear and astonishment.

XXVI. 19. "They have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods."]They have driven me away from God's people, and from his holy ordinances; and have, in effect, as good as said, Go, serve other gods.

XXVIII. 6. "Neither by Urim nor by prophets."]-God hath withdrawn himself from Saul; and gave no answer to him, either by his priest or by his prophets.

15. "And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?"]—And the evil spirit, which appeared in the likeness of Samuel, as counterfeiting the speech of the prophet also, said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up? 19. "Shalt thou and thy sons be with me."]-To morrow shalt thou and thy sons be dead men.

XXXI. 10. "They fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan."] -They hanged up Saul's body on the wall of the city of Bethshan.

II. SAMUEL.

I. 9. “Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me; for anguish (or, my coat of mail) hindered me, that my life is yet whole in me."]-Dothou put me out of pain in killing of me; for though I have offered to do this despatch upon myself, yet the coat of mail which is upon me hath hindered my weapon from freely entering into my body; so as my life is yet, to my sorrow, left whole and entire in me.

18. "Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow behold, it is written in the book of Jasher."]-Upon too good experience of the advantage which the Philistines had of Israel by the skill in shooting, he caused the men of Judah to be trained up in the use of the bow; as it is also recorded in the civil annals of Judah.

21. "Nor fields of offerings."]-Let there be upon you no fruitful fields, that may yield offerings of first fruits, and tithes unto the tabernacle of God.

II. 14. "Let the young men now arise, and play before us."]— Let the young men arise, and skirmish before us.

26. "Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter

end?"]-Dost thou not consider, that the remembrance of so much Israelitish blood shed by their brethren will be once grievous unto thee?

27. "As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother."]-As the Lord liveth, thou art the only cause of this bloodshed; for if thou hadst not made that challenge, and provoked us thereby to fight, surely in the morning the people had peaceably departed without giving any blow to their brethren.

III. 8. “Am I a dog's head?"]—Am I so base a person in thine eyes, that thou shouldst think fit to charge me in this challenging fashion?

33. "Died Abner as a fool dieth?"]-Did Abner die as cowards or malefactors are wont to do?

34. "Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou."]-Their hands use to be bound, and their feet fettered; and so they are forced to undergo foreseen death: it was not so with thee, O Abner; thy hands and thy feet were free; as the valiantest man may be surprised by the violence of a wicked enemy, so wert thou surprised and slain.

V. 6. "Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither."]-This our city is so defenced of itself, that we care not for all thy forces; and if there were none but the blind and the lame, impotent persons, in it, thou shalt never be able to take it: those very blind and lame do boldly defy thee.

8. "Wherefore they said," (or, as the margin, Because they said, even) the blind and the lame," &c.]-Because they had said (even the blind and the lame, in a presumption of the strength of their forts, had said) He shall not come into the city, nor enter into our houses.

VI. 7. "And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah."]-And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah for his presumption in touching the ark, which should have been carried on the shoulders of sacred persons, not on a cart, as the Philistines had placed it; and though it might be carried by the sons of Levi, yet might it not be touched by them.

14. "And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod."]-And David testified the joy of his heart by the vehement and cheerful motions of his body, in a grave and holy manner, dancing before the ark of

God; and, for the more freedom and ease of that motion, had girded a linen garment close about him.

20. "Who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants."]-Who, casting off the robes of majesty, (which would have become his person and this action,) and, arraying himself basely, exposed himself and his gestures to the scorn and derision even of boys and girls in the street.

23. "Had no child unto the day of her death."]-Michal was punished with barrenness all the days of her life.

VII. 14. "I will chasten him with the rod of men."]-If he offend me, I will chastise him gently and favourably; as loving parents use to correct their dearest children.

15. "My mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee."]-I will not utterly take away the kingdom from his posterity, as I took it from Saul, to give it unto thee, but will perpetuate it spiritually to thy seed.

VIII. 2. “And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive."]He subdued the country of Moab, and divided it out as he thought good, casting down their cities; and so proportioning his execution, that he put to death two parts of the inhabitants, and suffered one third part at the least to live and become tributary.

IX. 7. "Thou shalt eat bread at my table continually."]-Thou shalt be provided for, upon my charge, all thy life long.

X. 6. "Saw that they stank before David."]-That they had made themselves odious unto David in offering so foul an affront to his ambassadors.

XI. I. "After the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle."]-In the turning of the year, even in the spring time, when kings are wont to draw their forces out of the garrison into the field.

XII. 5. "He that hath done this thing shall surely die;" (or, "is the son of death")]-He that did this thing hath well deserved death.

8. "I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom," &c.]—I gave into thy power and command thy master's house and thy master's wives; both the persons and houses and substance that pertained to Saul, to be at thy disposing.