Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 23:27
But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.
27. there came a messenger, &c.] Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. Cp. 2Ki 19:7; 2Ki 19:9.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 27. There came a messenger] See the providence of God exerted for the salvation of David’s life! David and his men are almost surrounded by Saul and his army, and on the point of being taken, when a messenger arrives and informs Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land! But behold the workings of Providence! God had already prepared the invasion of the land by the Philistines, and kept Saul ignorant how much David was in his power; but as his advanced guards and scouts must have discovered him in a very short time, the messenger arrives just at the point of time to prevent it. Here David was delivered by God, and in such a manner too as rendered the Divine interposition visible.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
God stirring them up by his all-disposing providence to do it at this time for Davids rescue. Compare 2Ki 19:9.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
But there came a messenger unto Saul,…. From his court, by order of his council there; though the Jews t say it was an angel from heaven; but be it which it will, it was certainly the providence of God that directed this affair, that a messenger should come to Saul just at that very time that David was like to fall into his hands:
saying, haste thee, and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land; were come into it, and spread themselves in it, as the word signifies, which expresses their numbers they had poured in, the force they came with, and the possessions they had already got; perhaps they had taken the advantage of Saul’s departure in quest of David, to penetrate into the tribe of Benjamin, where his patrimony, residence, and court were, and which were liable to fall into their hands; and therefore his presence was immediately required, and haste was necessary.
t Midrash apud Yalkut in loc.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(27) The Philistines have invaded the land.This, as Lange well observes, was Gods plan to save David. The Philistines had probably availed themselves of the opportunity which Sauls withdrawal of his forces southward to surround the armed band of David had given them, and were invading in force the more northern provinces.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
27. There came a messenger This was a signal working of Providence to deliver the son of Jesse from most imminent peril.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Sa 23:27-28. There came a messenger unto Saul Thus, by the timely interposition of Providence, David was delivered from one of the most immediate dangers of his life: and from this time they called the place Selang hammachlekoth; i.e. the rock of divisions: the rock where Saul was obliged to divide himself from David, and go after the Philistines. Osiander thinks that David gave it this name in gratitude for his deliverance, as a memorial that there God had, by little less than a miracle, divided his enemy from him. Possibly this was a rock of one of those mountains which Solomon calls the mountains of Bether, (Son 2:17.) in the Margin of our Bible interpreted division.
Note; (1.) God has various ways of delivering his people; even the Philistines shall sometimes be made instruments of his mercy to them. (2.) They who have fled to the mountain of refuge Jesus Christ, shall find such a strong rock of division between them and danger, that none shall be able to hurt them.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
(27) But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land. (28) Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth. (29) And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.
The Hebrew word Sela-hammah-lekoth, means the rock of divisions. And is there not an everlasting division between the Sauls and Davids in all ages of the church? Reader, remark how, in the very moment of inevitable destruction, as it should appear to us, the Lord calls off the enemy from the pursuit: thus is the case of Saul from David. And in a yet more remarkable case, in the instance of another Saul, in gospel times, when he was threatening, and breathing out nothing but death and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. It is sweet to trace the Lord’s hand in our deliverances. See those scriptures; Act 9:1 , and Isa 37:28-29 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 23:27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.
Ver. 27. But there came a messenger, &c. ] Here was Deus ex machina, God appearing as out of an engine: where human help failed, divine came in. God sent from heaven and saved his poor servant “from the reproach of him that would have swallowed him up, Selah.” Psa 57:3 So he took off Sennacherib; 2Ki 19:8-9 and Julian, by the Parthian war; and Charles V from persecuting the Protestants, by the Turks breaking into Hungary; those dogs licked Lazarus’s sores. So one Justice Gilford, in Queen Mary’s days, going up the stairs to Mrs Roberts’s chamber, to compel her, willed she, nilled she, to go to Mass, was suddenly taken with his old disease the gout, and so tormented that he swore he would never trouble her anymore. a
a Act, and Mon., 1880.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
there came: Gen 22:14, Deu 32:36, 2Ki 19:9, Psa 116:3
the Philistines: 2Ki 19:9, Rev 12:16
invaded: Heb. spread themselves upon, 1Ch 14:13
Reciprocal: 2Sa 22:19 – prevented Est 6:1 – that night Psa 35:3 – stop Psa 119:87 – almost Psa 124:7 – Our soul Isa 37:9 – he heard Act 12:6 – the same
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 23:27-28. There came a messenger unto Saul See the providence of God! His wisdom is never at a loss for ways and means to preserve his people. Nothing could be more distressful, nothing more hopeless than the situation of David at this time. He was surrounded on all sides, and there seemed no way left for escape; but as we learn from the fifty-fourth Psalm, composed by him on this occasion, he addressed himself in prayer to his almighty Saviour, who soon showed him that he can deliver at all times, and in all circumstances, however dangerous and distressing. They called that place [ ] Sela-hammah-lekoth That is, the rock of divisions. Because God, by this interposition of the Philistines invading the land just at this time, separated Saul from David, and in a manner pulled him away, when the latter was now almost within his reach.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
23:27 But there came a {k} messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.
(k) Thus the Lord can pull back the bridle of the tyrants and deliver his out of the lion’s mouth.