CHAPTER XXV.

SAUL DELIVERS ISRAEL.

1 SAMUEL XIII. AND XIV.

E do not know how old Saul was when he gained his victory over the Ammonites, and was proclaimed king by the people. The narrative we are to examine next begins with the words: "Saul was years old when he became king, and he reigned two years over Israel." The number before" years" is wanting. One of the stories, as we have seen, represents Saul as a mere lad, sent out by his father to look for some stray asses, and causing him great anxiety by his protracted absence; but in reality he was a man of at least middle age, for at the very beginning of his reign his son Jonathan was a full-grown man one of the most valiant of the Israelite heroes, and entrusted by his father with an important command.

Now that he was anointed king, Saul availed himself of his authority at once. Instead of disbanding all the troops with which he had relieved Jabesh, he kept three thousand of them under arms about him. For Nahash was not the only foe that the Israelites had to fear, nor indeed the principal one. The Philistines were their great oppressors. The whole of Canaan this side the Jordan was in their power. Some parts of the Israelite territory were treated so completely as Philistine provinces that many of the inhabitants were forced to serve in the Philistine armies. Indeed, the Israelites were brought so low that all the smiths (who were probably not very numerous) were carried away out of the land, at any rate if they attempted to settle anywhere near the Philistine cities. The object of this measure was to prevent the Israelites obtaining swords or steel spears. Even when their ploughs, spades, bill-hooks, or scythes required sharpening, they had to take them to be done by the Philistines, who made them pay a good round price-three shekels for each implement.1 It need hardly be said that Saul's thoughts turned at once to these Philistines, and that he watched for an opportunity of attacking them. For the present, therefore, he kept two thousand warriors about himself,

1 After an amended version.

encamped in two divisions at Michmash and Bethel, while he gave Jonathan command of a thousand more whose quarters were at Gibeah.

There, at Gibeah, the Philistines had set up a trophy of war,1 that vexed the soul of every good Israelite who saw it. But woe to the man who should dare to throw it down! It would be regarded as a declaration of war. Not long after the defeat of Nahash, the report spread like fire through the land of Israel that Saul had thrown down this triumphal monument of the Philistines, and so given the sign for insurrection. The report was true. Jonathan, at his father's command, had overthrown the trophy; and now heralds, despatched by Saul, traversed the land in every direction, trumpet in hand. In every city or village through which they passed they blew the horn and cried, "Let the Hebrews rise and fight! proclaiming to all who heard them that Saul had summoned every man who could bear arms to battle.

Meanwhile, of course, the Philistines were not idle. They had hardly heard that the Hebrews had laid presumptuous hands upon their triumphal column before they seized their arms to punish such audacity and quell the insurrection. At Michmash, south-east of Beth-horon,1 a prodigious army soon assembled. There were a thousand1 chariots, six thousand horsemen, and a countless host of foot soldiers. Then terror fell upon the hearts of the Israelites. Many of them fled back from the camp; 1 some concealed themselves among the thickets of densely-wooded districts, others hid their wives and children in caves, and some even fled with their families across the Jordan to the land of the Gadites and Gileadites. Thus the district which was first exposed to the vengeance of the Philistines was almost depopulated. Saul's army melted away till there were but six hundred warriors left, and even they were so badly armed that not one of them, except Saul and Jonathan, possessed a sword or a lance. The others were at best armed only with clubs, stones, bill-hooks, slings, bows and arrows without metal heads. What could Saul do with such troops against all the well-armed warriors of the Philistines? And yet it was no fool-hardiness that kept him so 、 near the enemy, for between Michmash and Gibeah there was a mountain pass, the sides of which were so abrupt that even a small band could hold the position against a vastly superior power. The Philistines, however, availed themselves of their numbers to devastate the country. Their picked battalion,

1 After an amended version.

known as "the destroyer," was separated into three divisions, each of which took a different road, and destroyed everything it could lay hold of. The Philistines hoped by this means to draw the Israelites from their impregnable position. Meanwhile the main army remained at Michmash, with its outposts stationed at the mountain pass.

Saul's headquarters were at some little distance from the pass, in the direction of Gibeah, at the pomegranate tree. Tradition long pointed out the very spot. Here he was surrounded by his six hundred men, and Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, the brother of Eli's grandson Ichabod,1"bore the ephod:" that is to say, consulted Yahweh for him. One day Jonathan had wandered away from the headquarters without his father's knowledge, and accompanied by no one but his armor-bearer. Presently he came to a rock called Bozez, from which he could see certain Philistine warriors standing on a higher rock right opposite, called Seneh. The sight was more than he could bear. His blood boiled. "Shall we fall upon these uncircumcised?" he cried indignantly, as he turned to his companion. "It is as easy for Yahweh to give the victory to few as to many!" His armor-bearer declared that he was perfectly ready to follow him. But would Yahweh help them? Was it his will that they should undertake this desperate adventure? This was the only question they need ask, and Jonathan knew how to find the answer. "Let us stand where those fellows can see us," he said to his attendant, "and if they say 'Wait till we come to you!' then we will stay here; but if they say 'Come up here if you dare! we'll teach you who you are!' then we will take them at their word, for it will be a sign that Yahweh has given them into our hands." Upon this they came out into the sight of the Philistines, who greeted them with a shout of contemptuous laughter the moment they saw them. "Only look," they cried, "here are the Hebrews creeping out of their holes! Come up here, and we'll teach you who you are!" "Follow me!" cried Jonathan to his companion, "for Yahweh has given the Philistines into the hand of Israel!" And to the amazement of the Philistines, the bold warrior, followed by his armor-bearer, began scrambling up the slope on his hands and knees. Terror seized the Philistines. They gazed in breathless amazement at their desperate assailants, and were too completely stupefied to strike them down as they crept towards them. Before they had recovered their 1 See pp. 441, 442.

senses the two were upon them. Jonathan had already struck down several of their number, while his armor-bearer followed him and made sure his work. Thus, twenty of them fell under the hero's arrows and stones.' The panic spread. It seized the whole army, not only the ill-armed and ill-organized mass that generally constituted the bulk of an ancient army, but the chosen troops themselves. The earth trembled. It was a 66 'panic of God." The flight was

universal.

Saul's watchmen observed the commotion, and reported it to their prince. He was not a little surprised, and gave orders at once that search should be made to see whether any of his warriors were absent. The truth was soon discovered. Jonathan and his armor-bearer were nowhere to be found. Ahiah was sent for without loss of time, and he soon stood with his ephod1 before Saul ready to consult Yahweh. Saul asked him whether he should attack the Philistines or remain in his own camp. Meanwhile the army of the Philistines broke into general and open flight. "Hold," cried Saul to the priest, "no need to consult Yahweh now!” "To arms!" they shout on every side, as they rush upon the foe. Philistines are beside themselves with terror. Believing themselves to be betrayed they turn their weapons upon each other, unable in their panic fear to distinguish friend from foe, and all is utter confusion!

The

The fate of the Philistine army was soon decided. The slaves1 who had been compelled to serve in it now took the side of Saul and Jonathan. The Israelites who had hidden in Mount Ephraim, in the rear of the hostile army, came out at the news of the defeat and fell upon the foe from every side. Saul's band of six hundred soon swelled to ten thousand, and the flying enemy was followed with unwearying persistence into every corner of Mount Ephraim.

But now Saul made a great mistake.' He feared that his people, many of whom no doubt had tasted but little food during the last few days, might lag behind in the pursuit, and stay to eat the provisions that fell into their hands, so he cried aloud, "A curse upon the man who tastes food before the evening, or who eats anything till the measure of my vengeance on my foes is full!" So every one fasted, and even when the warriors came to a thicket where honey was dropping on every side they dare not so much as taste it, for fear of the

curse.

1 After an amended version.

But Jonathan had not heard his father's oath, and as he was faint with hunger, he plunged his stick into the honey as he hastened past and tasted it. He was told at once by one of the soldiers what his father had said; but he did not at all approve of it. He was naturally vexed to see that the fruits of his heroism would not be so rich as he had hoped, and as they might have been. "My father," he said, "is spoiling everything! Look how my eyes have been cleared by just tasting this honey! What a glorious day this would be if. every one might eat freely what he could find, for they are all weak and exhausted for want of food. We shall have but a paltry victory after all."

At last the evening came. The Israelites had pursued the Philistines to Ajalon, and now they could go no further. Their hands were full of booty, including a number of oxen, sheep, and calves. Nothing could have been more welcome under the special circumstances. The sharp tooth of hunger drove them to a course from which they would otherwise have shrunk. To slaughter the cattle in the usual manner would have taken too long, especially as they had no metal weapons, so they dashed the animals upon the ground, tore off pieces of the flesh and devoured it, blood and all.1 This was a sin against Yahweh, and as such it roused the indignation of Saul to the utmost. As soon as he heard what was going on he did all that could be done to put an end to it. He ordered his immediate followers to bring him a huge stone, and then go round amongst the scattered groups of the people and tell them to bring their cattle there to be slaughtered. The people obeyed. Every one brought his prize to the spot. Saul devoted himself to slaughtering the animals for his people upon the stone he had set up for the purpose, taking care that in every case the blood should flow off properly. He afterwards dedicated the stone, all deluged with blood, as an altar to Yahweh. This was the first altar he raised.

66

When the hungry soldiers were satisfied, and were therefore in a condition to pursue the enemy still further, as the smoke of the sacrifice rose into the air from the newly-erected altar, Saul's warlike zeal broke forth again with new strength. "Come," he cried to his warriors, let us spend the whole night in pursuing the Philistines! Let us plunder them till morning breaks; not one of them must be left alive!" Many of his wearied followers must have longed for a good night's rest, after such a trying day and such a hurried meal; but be

1 See p. 86.