Verse 2
men. Septuagint reads this word in text.
mount = hill country.
every man. Hebrew. "ish. App-14.
Verse 3
Jonathan. See note on 1 Samuel 18:1.
Verse 4
Gilgal. In the plain of Jordan, east of Jericho, good for water, remote from Philistines, and connected with sacred memories.
Verse 5
thirty thousand . . . six, &c. Multiples of six. See App-10.
as the sand, &c. Figure of speech Parcemia. App-6.
Verse 6
men. Hebrew. "ish. . App-14.
distressed = pressed: i.e. into Saul"s service. and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton. App-6.
Verse 7
the Hebrews went over. Figure of speech Paronomasia (Ap 6), `ibrim `abru.
Verse 8
had appointed. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Aramaean, and Septuagint, read "said". Some codices read "appointed".
Verse 9
offered = offered up. See App-43.
Verse 10
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.
salute = bless.
Verse 12
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.
a = the.
Verse 13
thou hast not. Some codices, with three early printed editions, and Vulgate, read "and hast". Some codices, with Septuagint and Syriac, read "because thou
hast". God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.
thy kingdom. This possible only with God a sovereign.
Verse 14
man, &c. Hebrew. "ish. App-14. Quoted in Acts 13:22.
own heart = his own pleasure. Compare Psalms 89:20, Psalms 89:21.
captain = leader, or representative.
Verse 15
Gilgal. The Septuagint preserves a Homceoteleuton here, adding after "Gilgal [and the rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army when they arrived from] Gilgal "; the eye of the scribe going back to this last "Gilgal" instead of to the one in 1 Samuel 13:15.
present = found.
men. Hebrew. "ish. App-14.
Verse 16
Gibeah. Probably the Geba of 1 Samuel 13:3.
Verse 19
no smith. This explains why Ehud had to make his own dagger (Judges 3:16); why Shamgar had only an ox-goad (Judges 3:31); why Samson "had nothingin his hand" (Judges 14:5-6); and why "not a shield or spear among 40,000 in Israel" (Judges 5:9). In other days we read of how many "drew sword".
land. Some codices read "bounds".
Verse 20
coulter. Anglo-Saxon = a cutter; hence, a plough-share.
mattock = a kind of pickaxe, with broad instead of pointed ends.
Verse 22
with Saul = with those who were with Saul and Jonathan: a picked force.
Verse 23
garrison = post, or permanent camp.
passage = pass.