Wesley Corpus

Saul and Jonathan's life - guard, ver. 1, 2. Jonathan smites a garrison, and the people are called together, ver. 3, 4. The Philistines come up, and the Israelites are terrified, ver. 5 - 7. Saul sacrifices, ver. 8 - 10. Is reproved by Samuel, ver. 11 - 14. The people diminished, plundered, and disarmed, ver. 15 - 23. Blew - That is, he sent messengers to tell them all what Jonathan had done, and how the Philistines were enraged at it, and therefore what necessity there was of gathering themselves together for their own defence. Saul - Perhaps contrary to some treaty. Thirty thousand chariots, &c. - Most of them, we may suppose, carriages for their baggage, not chariots of war, tho' all their allies were joined with them. Strait - Notwithstanding their former presumption that if they had a king, they should be free from all such straits. And hereby God intended to teach them the vanity of confidence in men; and that they did not one jot less need the help of God now, than they did when they had no king. And probably they were the more discouraged, because they did not find Samuel with Saul. Sooner or later men will be made to see, that God and his prophets are their best friends. All the people - That is, all that were left. Seven days - Not seven compleat days; for the last day was not finished. Camest not - That is, when the seventh day was come, and a good part of it past, whence I concluded thou wouldst not come that day. Supplication - Thence it appears, that sacrifices were accompanied with solemn prayers. Forced myself - I did it against my own mind and inclination. For ever - The phrase, for ever, in scripture often signifies only a long time. So this had been abundantly verified, if the kingdom had been enjoyed by Saul, and by his son, and by his son's son; after whom the kingdom might have come to Judah. A man - That is, such a man as will fulfil all the desires of his heart, and not oppose them, as thou dost.