Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 11:4
Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.
4. lift up their voices and wept ] Oriental nations naturally display their feelings in tears accompanied by loud wailings. Cp. ch. 1Sa 30:4; Gen 27:38; Jdg 2:4; Jdg 21:2, &c. Achilles, Patroclus and other Homeric heroes shed tears in a way which western nations account utterly unmanly.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They came to Gibeah on account of the connection between the Benjamites and the people of Jabesh Judg. 21.
In the ears of the people – They did not even inquire for Saul, so little was he looked upon as king. 1Sa 11:5 shows how completely he was still in a private and humble station.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. Then came the messengers to Gibeah] It does not appear that the people of Jabesh-gilead knew any thing of Saul’s appointment to the kingdom, for the message is not directed to him but to the people.
The people lifted up their voices and wept.] They saw no hope of deliverance, and they expected that their reproach would be laid on all Israel.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul; partly, because it was not far from them; and partly, because it belonged to the Benjamites, who had a special obligation to take more care of that place, from whence they had their wives, Jdg 21:10, &c.; and partly, because Saul, their new-chosen king, was there.
The people lifted up their voices, and wept, both in compassion towards them, and for fear of themselves, lest it should shortly be their own lot.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul,…. Where he was born, and brought up, and now dwelt; and he being elected king, it brought an honour to the place; and from hence had this name, to distinguish it from the others, and this is the first time it was so called. Now the messengers from Jabesh came hither directly, because they knew that Saul, the chosen king, dwelt here, and the Benjaminites, of all the tribes, had great reason to show regard to them, since it was from thence they had four hundred wives, when they were reduced to six hundred men only, in order to raise up their tribe:
and told the tidings in the ears of the people; Saul being not at home in the city, but in the fields, they reported to them the hardships their city was under, being besieged by the Ammonites, and threatened that if not relieved in such a time, all their right eyes would be plucked out:
and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept; moved with sympathy to their brethren, and who by their intermarriage with them were nearly related to them; and who might fear they would not stop there, but having taken that place would march forward, and come to them, and use them in like manner; the thought of which was very distressing to them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Soul Delivers Jabesh, vs. 4-11
One wonders whether the men of Jabesh-gilead had much confidence in receiving help from the Israelites. Their history was bound up with one of the early tragedies, the time when they had failed to join the rest of Israel in the war against Benjamin. The Israelites had put their city to the sword, saving only the virgins for wives for the surviving men of the decimated tribe of Benjamin (Jdg 21:8-14). On the other hand the messengers may have had a special appeal for Benjamin, because more than half the Benjamites were maternally related to the Jabeshites through those virgins of the times of the judges. Here is where they might expect to find the greatest sympathy, and so it seems to have been correct.
It is interesting to note that King Saul had reverted to his rural life of a herdman and farmer. He was coming out of the field when he heard the loud laments of the people in Gibeah. Upon inquiring he learned about the sadistic proposal of Nahash, the Ammonite king. There was not much time to get ready to relieve the city, so Saul used a severe threat to coerce the Israelites to gather for war against the Ammonites. He slew an ox and sent pieces of it into every tribe of Israel, with the threat that such would be done to the oxen of any who did not respond to the call. Saul also very shrewdly included Samuel in his plans, for he knew that a large number of people in Israel still looked upon the old prophet as their leader and judge.
The Spirit of the Lord moved on Saul at this time to enter upon an engagement which would solidify his position as king with the people. God also caused fear of Him to come upon the Israelites so that they answered Saul’s challenge in great numbers. When Saul mustered them at Bezek, in the tribe of western Manasseh, across the Jordan valley from Jabesh-gilead on the eastern side, there were 300,000 meri of Israel and 30,000 men of Judah. Note that the tribe of Judah is already being singled out as a special one of the tribes of Israel.
Saul’s message to the men of Jabesh was that by the time the sun became hot on the following day there would be relief for them. The men were very understandably happy to hear this news. However, they made as though they were resigned to their fate, probably to throw the enemy off guard. They sent out word to Nahash that the next day they would come out and he could do to them as he wished.
Saul divided his men into three companies and evidently made an all night march. They were on the scene long before the sun got hot, arriving during the last watch of the night. The slaughter of the Ammonites was so great and complete that by the time mid-morning arrived they were totally defeated. The Ammonites were so scattered that two of them could not be found together. So Saul’s heroic act saved Jabesh-gilead.
To complete the analogy noted above, note that: 1) when men call for help, God has deliverance for them, and it can be had before the sun gets hot, or early in the day of life; 2) the Lord is on hand early to utterly rout the Devil from his intended prey; 3) the victory of the saved is complete through the salvation of Christ.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
CRITICAL AND EXPOSITORY NOTES.
1Sa. 11:4. Told the tidings in the ears of the people. Either they were not aware of the election of Saul, as Keil supposes, or they did not approve of his appointment, or he was not in Gibeah and did not return from his ordinary occupation until the message had been delivered.
1Sa. 11:5. What aileth the people? Even the men of Gibeah did not apply to Saul, which seems to show that he was not held in much esteem in his native city.
1Sa. 11:6. And the Spirit of God. This time the Spirit of God came upon him, as upon the Judges before him, as a Spirit of supernatural energy and powercompare Jdg. 3:10; Jdg. 5:31; Jdg. 11:29, etc.(Biblical Dictionary).
1Sa. 11:7. And he took a yoke of oxen, etc. This was a symbolical action, which struck the mind more than words could have done (Clericus), and was suited to the character and habits of an agricultural and pastoral people. (Jamieson.) After Samuel. The introduction of Samuels name is a proof that Saul, even as king, still recognised the authority which Samuel possessed in Israel as prophet of Jehovah. (Kiel.) And the fear of the Lord fell, etc. Jehovah is not equivalent to Elohim, nor is the fear of Jehovah in the sense of fear of His punishment, but a fear inspired by Jehovah. (Kiel.) The Spirit of the Lord, which impelled Saul to this noble and vigorous action, so strangely contrasted with his former quiet life behind the plough, laid hold at the same time on the whole nation, so that it was suddenly lifted up, as it were involuntarily, in the uniting and strengthening power of this Spirit from above, to a new life before God (in His fear) and within itself (in unity and union) against the enemies of the theocracy. (Erdmann.)
1Sa. 11:8. Bezek. In the tribe of Issachar, in the plain of Jezreel, not far from Bethshean, at about as great an elevation as Jabesh, according to Eusebius (Onomasticon) seventeen Roman miles north of Nablous, on the road to Scythopolis. (Erdmann.) The children of Israel, etc. This separate mention of Israel and Judah smacks of the times that followed the division of the Israelites into two kingdoms. (Clericus.) The numbers will not appear too large if we bear in mind that the allusion is not to a regular army, but that Saul had summoned all the people to a general levy. (Keil.) That the large and powerful tribe of Judah has the relatively small number (30,000) of warriors over against the 300,000 of Israel, is due to the fact that a large part of its territory was in the possession of the Philistines, as to whose further advance more care had to be taken, now that the north-eastern frontier of the country was threatened by the Ammonites. (Erdmann.)
1Sa. 11:11. On the morrow, etc. Crossing the Jordanprobably by the upper ford opposite Wady Jabis, which comes down from the east into the Jordan opposite Beisanin the evening, Saul marched his army, all night according to Josephus, thirty furlongs. (Jamieson.) Into the midst of the host. Of the Ammonites who had gone forth to meet the sally of the men of Jabesh, and found themselves between them and Sauls companies. (Wordsworth.) They which remained were scattered. Josephus adds that they made a great slaughterNahash being amongst the number of the slainand pursued the fugitives in a complete rout across the desert. (Jamieson.)
1Sa. 11:12. And the people said unto Samuel. To whom they still looked as their ruler, and whose presence is mentioned to show Sauls moderation and clemency at this time; for it was not Samuel but Saul who interfered to rescue those who had despised him. (Wordsworth.)
1Sa. 11:13. And Saul said. An evidence that Saul was beginning to gain confidence under the influence of the Spirit of God. (Biblical Commentary.)
1Sa. 11:14. Gilgal. Doubtless the Gilgal mentioned in chapter 1Sa. 10:1. Most commentators think it was the one in the Jordan valley. See notes on chapter 1Sa. 7:16. A very appropriate place, formerly the camp of Joshua (Jos. 5:9; Jos. 6:10), and connected with those glorious victories which God had wrought by his hand when He first settled Israel in Canaan. (Wordsworth.)
1Sa. 11:15. And there they made Saul king before the Lord. These words mean nothing more than the solemn announcement and presentation of Saul before the nation as divinely appointed king in consequence of the divine legitimation given by his brilliant exploit against the Ammonites. The before the Lord indicates the essential difference between this act, and the proclamation and homage at Mizpah, marking the religious act of installation sealed with a solemn offering, by which Saul was formerly and solemnly consecrated to his office by the invisible God-king. (Erdmann.) The late period at which the regal form of government was established in Israel is an evidence of the Divine origin of the law, which in a certain degree provides for it, and restrains it. It was not unproductive of advantage to the permanent interests of religion that this great change was delayed by Providence until the Mosaic law had subsisted long enough to prove that its first establishment had not originated in any human policy, and that its subsequent support was independent of any human power. (Graves.)
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.1Sa. 11:4-15
SAULS FIRST VICTORY
I. Men need an occasion to reveal their qualifications for special and important service. Much power lies hidden in the world, because it has never met with an occasion to call it outbecause it has never been brought into contact with the combination of circumstances needed to make it manifest. The power by which men send their thoughts round the world by the telegraph wire, or make their words audible at a distance by means of the telephone, has been in the world ever since its creation, but it has only been made manifest in modern times, because men have only lately learned how to give it an occasion to reveal its mighty and wonderful capabilities. If one saw an acorn or a corn-seed for the first time, and was ignorant of the process of germination, he would not dream of the wondrous capabilities which lay hidden within them. And if they were always kept above the ground or planted in an unsuitable soil, or if the rain and sun never reached them, the hidden power within them would remain hidden for ever. And so it is with the mental and spiritual capabilities of men. They may be there, but they need an occasion to call them forth. A soldier may be possessed of courage enough to head a forlorn hope, or of endurance enough to sustain a long-continued siege, but if his lot is cast in a time of peace, his capabilities in this direction will never be known even to himself. There are to-day many members of the Church militant who are as courageous and faithful as the martyrs of the fifteenth centurymany good soldiers of Jesus Christ who would prove themselves as valiant for the truth as those who have sealed it with their blood in bygone ages. But the spiritual power within them is hidden even from themselves, because the occasion to reveal it is wanting. It is evident that at this period of Sauls history the people of Israel were ignorant of his mental abilitythey did not think he possessed the courage and the tact necessary to lead them to battle and to victory, but the attack of the Ammonite host furnished the needed occasion for the revelation of what was in him.
II. When God has called a man to any special work, he need not seek the occasion, because the occasion will seek him. When a vessel has been built for the ocean it will be certain to find an occasion to show what it is made ofthe elements will seek it out and test the strength of its timbers and its power to weather the storm. Every wave that lashes its sides will furnish an occasion for it to prove what it can do. So when God has destined a man to any special service in the world, there is no need for that man to go out of his way to find an occasion to reveal what is in him. He who called him to the work will likewise give him the opportunity to reveal what he is fit for. Saul had been anointed to the kingship of Israel by the prophet of God, and his appointment had been ratified by lot, which was also an expression of the Divine will. He could, therefore, have felt no doubt in the matter. But he did not seek an occasion of displaying his fitness for the post of honour and responsibility to which he had been called, but returned to the occupation of his early life apparently in the belief that the occasion would not be wanting in which he might prove his ability to fulfil the duties of his new position. And the occasion sought him when the men of Gibeah told him the tidings brought by the messengers of Jabesh. So if any man feels that God has called him to any special work in the world, he need not seek an occasion to prove his fitness for it, for if there has been the call, He who called him will not let the occasion be wanting. If he gives himself up to Divine guidance, and faithfully discharges the duty which comes next to hand, God will take care of the rest. Paul doubtless knew that God had chosen him to bear his name before kings (Act. 9:15), but he did not go out of his way to find an occasion to do it. He who had destined him to the service provided the opportunity for him (Act. 26:2; 2Ti. 4:16).
III. The action of one man is needed to make many men one in action. Men must have leadersthey must have some one around whom they can rally as a centre of unity if they are to band together to do anything in the world. And when one man of energy and ability concentrates all his own powers to a certain end, other men of less energy and ability will concentrate around him, and their united efforts will become a mighty power. The people of Israel at this time do not appear to have been unwilling to help their brethren of Gilead, but they did nothing but weep until Saul took the initiative and called upon them to follow him. When Sauls spirit was stirred within him by the Spirit of God to summon all Israel into the field, the fear of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man (see marginal rendering). Granted that there was a supernatural influence at work here, is not the Spirit of God behind all such great movements when their aim is the freedom of the human race or of any part of it? And does not God always move the mass to united action by first moving the heart of one man to take bold and decisive action? The decisive action of Luther at Worms was the fruit of the movement of the Spirit of God upon his soul, and it was the means of inciting the Protestant princes of Germany to united action in the defence of religious liberty.
IV. A conquest of personal enemies by forgiveness is more honourable to a man than a conquest of national enemies by the sword. One of Sauls successors has left it upon record that he who ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a city (Pro. 16:32); and it is so because the first victory is more difficult to win, and is far more complete and lasting than the second. There are many men who are physically courageous with a kind of animal courage, who would not miss an opportunity to avenge a personal insult if the occasion offeredit is harder to overcome malice in the heart than an enemy on the field. But he who can do the first overcomes his enemy far more completely, for in the latter case it is only the body of the enemy which is overpowered by superior physical strength, and he will be ever on the watch to renew the attack. But to overcome a man by forgiveness takes the mans heart captive, and, by turning him into a friend, makes it certain that the conquest is a lasting one. Saul showed his fitness to be a king by his brilliant victory over the Ammonites, but he showed it more by his victory over himself when he said, concerning his former personal enemies, There shall not a man be put to death this day.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
1Sa. 11:6. Without this zeal no anointed one may be found. For this word will always hold good: Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord slothfully, (or negligently) (Jer. 48:10). But in truth zeal alone is not the right ornament of the warriors of Christ. Prove thy zeal, whether it is not perhaps mixed with flesh and blood, or even proceeds altogether from this fountain, and know that zeal for the Lords cause should not flow from mere excitability, from a momentary ebullition of natural compassion, or from being overcome by human displeasure and anger. Not the strange fire which the sons of Aaron took, but the fire from the holy altar, the Spirit of Godlet us learn it from Saul!must overmaster, inflame, inspire us.Disselhoff.
1Sa. 11:7. There are two sorts of fear. One is a selfish, reward-seeking fear. In this we are caring for ourselves, and that is properly human fear. But there is also a fear of the Lord, the fear that one has for His sake alone, when one fears lest the Lord has been grieved through our own sins, or those of others, or lest we or others should not have sufficiently glorified Him in ourselves.Berlenberger Bible.
1Sa. 11:9. Bold assurance of faith, which in a great undertaking, anticipates its success as an accomplished fact.Langes Commentary.
1Sa. 11:13. The victory over the foe is to Saul nothing but a saving act of God Himself. He regards himself as simply the instrument of God. This is the ground for the rejection of the demand; none should die that day. Thereby he gained a victory
(1) over himselfhe restrains himself in the exercise of a right;
(2) over the anger of those who demanded that justice should be executed;
(3) over his former opponents;
(4) over the whole people, who must have been carried along by him in the path of noble moral conduct, and lifted above themselves to the height on which he stood.Langes Commentary.
As in God, so in His deputies, mercy and justice should be inseparable; wheresoever these two go asunder, government follows them into distraction and ends in ruin. If it had been a wrong offered to Samuel, the forbearance of the revenge had not been so commendable, although on the day of so happy a deliverance perhaps it had not been unseasonable; a man hath reason to be most bold with himself; it is no praise of mercy, since it is a fault of justice to remit another mans satisfaction; his own he may.Bp. Hall.
1Sa. 11:15. How many instructive memorials of Gods power and love to His people might suggest themselves to Saul at Gilgal (see Critical Notes). How many pledges and earnests to himself if he imitated Joshua in faith and obedience to God, especially at Gilgal!Wordsworth.
How absurdly are our judgments led away by merely outward circumstances. Saul was not less the King of Israel, when following his herds at Gibeah, than when returning from the conquest of the Ammonites. His title rested on the Divine appointment, and was not more sacred because surrounded by the lustre of a victory; yet it appeared so in the eyes of the Israelites.Lindsay.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Jabesh-gilead Delivered. 1Sa. 11:4-11
4 Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.
5 And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.
6 And the spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.
7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying; Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.
8 And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9 And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, Tomorrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and showed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.
10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, Tomorrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.
11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.
4.
Why did Saul return to the farm? 1Sa. 11:5
There was no kingdom as such; that is, there was no army, no court, no palace. Saul again demonstrates a very wholesome attitude inasmuch as he was content to return to his fathers house and to his former way of life. When he heard of the oppression of the Ammonites, his anger was aroused; and it is even connected with the Spirit of God, inasmuch as he was rightly indignant that such an act was to be committed. He sent word to Nahash, as the custom of war would be; but it would further take Nahash off his guard, making it possible for the Israelites to attack unawares while the enemy was lax with its night guard.
5.
In what way did the Spirit of God come upon Saul? 1Sa. 11:6
Nothing is said about the manner in which the Holy Spirit came upon Saul. On the Day of Pentecost the coming of the Spirit was attended by certain outward signs which were visible and audible (Act. 2:3-4). Gods spirit came upon the judges throughout their three-hundred-year history, but nothing is said in any of their cases to indicate that there were such manifestations to be tested by the senses. Generally, it was stated that the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him (Jdg. 14:6). The coming of the Spirit in such a case enabled Samson to perform feats of unusual strength. In the case of Saul it appears that Gods spirit helped him to have the courage he needed to take the necessary action. The spirit of God incited him to such righteous indignation that he determined not to let the king of the Ammonites go unpunished for his threatened cruelty.
6.
Why did Saul dissect his oxen? 1Sa. 11:7
By sending a piece of his oxen to each of the twelve tribes of Israel, Saul demonstrated in a dramatic way that their help was needed in the war against Nahash. He told them that if they did not come forth to fight with him and Samuel against Nahash, their oxen might well be hewn into pieces by the enemy. It was in this way that the Levite had called all Israel as one man to punish the sinners of Gibeah after they had misused and killed his concubine (Jdg. 19:29-30). The dramatic action served its purpose in Sauls case, and the fear of the Lord came upon the people. They came out to battle with a unified purpose.
7.
Where was Bezek? 1Sa. 11:8
Bezek was one of the first towns conquered by the Israelites after the death of Joshua (Jdg. 1:4). The location is indefinite, but it must have been near the border of Benjamin and Judah. This was a good place for the men of Israel to meet before they crossed over the Jordan to attack Nahash.
8.
Why was a difference made between Israel and Judah? 1Sa. 11:8
Judah had been given the preeminence by his father Jacob (Gen. 49:8-12). Judah had been the leader as the people marched through the wilderness under Moses guidance. In many ways he was always separate from the rest of the people of Israel. Sauls numbering revealed that there were 30,000 men of war ready to go up to battle out of Judah. The other eleven tribes totaled only 300,000. Judah had been the largest tribe in both the numberings in Moses day (Numbers 1, 26). Since there were only 330,000 between the two at this time, only one-half of Israels fighting force must have been involved in this campaign. At the first numbering in the wilderness, there were 603,550 men twenty years of age and over, thus able to go to war (Numbers 1). At the second numbering there were 601,730 (Numbers 26). The fact that there is a division made between Judah and the rest of Israel is not an indication of this books being written after the schism in the days of Jeroboam (1 Kings 12).
9.
Why did the men of Jabesh-gilead send a message to Nahash? 1Sa. 11:10
The men of Jabesh-gilead said that they would come out to Nahash on the following day. They indicated by this that they were coming out in order that he might put out their right eyes. Such a message of seeming surrender would throw the king off his guard and make him less watchful. It would also give the necessary time for Sauls army to make a forced march all night and come upon the Ammonites by surprise.
10.
What was Sauls strategy? 1Sa. 11:11.
Saul divided his people into three companies. They would thus be able to attack from both sides of the city and from the front or the rear. Since he came on them in the morning watch, it was before the heat of the day when the Ammonites were expecting the men of Jabesh-gilead to surrender. Such strategy took the Ammonites completely by surprise. They were separated from each other and could not join forces to do battle. The victory was complete for the men of Saul.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(4) Then came the messengers to Gibeah.In the preceding verse we read that it was resolved by the beleaguered city to send messengers to all the coasts of Israel, but we only hear of the action taken by Saul in Gibeah. It therefore may be assumed that this was the first city they sent to, not only on account of their ancient friendship with Benjamin, but because Gibeah was the residence of the newly-elected sovereign, Saul.
And all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.This is exactly what might have been expected from Benjamites hearing of the terrible straits into which the city they all loved so well, and which was united to them by such close bonds of friendship and alliance, was reduced; but though they grieved so deeply, they do not seem of themselves to have been able to devise any plan for its relief, until their great fellow-citizen took the matter in hand.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. Messengers to Gibeah Gibeah was nearly sixty miles southwest of Jabesh, and it would have taken a day and a night for the messengers to reach it. But why were these messengers sent to Gibeah? We most naturally suppose that the elders of Jabesh knew that Saul had very recently been elected king, and therefore dispatched their messengers to his place of residence. When they arrived at Gibeah they found no regal court, and no king, for Saul was away in the field attending to the cattle. What then could they do but utter the tidings in the ears of the people? All the people wept For they saw no prospect of saving their brethren from this cruel infliction, and their nation from foul reproach.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Sa 11:4 Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.
Ver. 4. And all the people lifted up their voices, and wept. ] This was to “weep with those that weep.” Rom 12:15 And if in addition they “turned again unto the Lord, that their” distressed “brethren might” the sooner “find compassion,” as 2Ch 30:9 , they did best of all. God, in such a case, “will restore comforts unto his mourners.” Isa 57:18
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
to Gibeah: 1Sa 10:26, 1Sa 14:2, 1Sa 15:34, 2Sa 21:6
lifted up: 1Sa 30:4, Jdg 2:4, Jdg 21:2, Rom 12:15, 1Co 12:26, Gal 6:2, Heb 13:3
Reciprocal: Gen 49:27 – a wolf 1Ch 12:3 – Gibeathite Est 4:3 – great mourning Job 2:12 – their voice Isa 10:29 – Gibeah
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 11:4-5. To Gibeah of Saul So called, because it was the place where Saul was born and brought up, and where he had hitherto dwelt. Behold Saul came after the herd For, being only anointed king, and not publicly inaugurated, nor having yet had opportunity of doing any thing worthy of his place, he thought fit to forbear all royal state, and to retire to his former private life, which, howsoever despised in these latter ages, was anciently in great esteem. Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? Let me know, that if it be a grievance that can be redressed, I may endeavour to help them. Good magistrates, says Henry, are in pain if their subjects be in tears.