Saul's Strange Way Of Opening Hostilities
Saul's reply to David's action against him was the slaughter of the kohenly body at Nob. Had not its kohen Ahimelech given the set apart loaves to David as food? Had he not surrendered Goliath's sword? Ahimelech received this accusation at Gibeah and defended himself adroitly: David had come to Nob, as he had often done before, when he needed to consult YAHWEH. It was true that during his last visit he had been received with honour, and that he had given him the little he possessed, and since David was ritually clean no spiritual crime could be attributed to him. As for Goliath's sword, it was the commander of the royal armies who had asked for it; it was his by right, since his particular duty was to fight for Yisrael. Ahimelech had had no information about the dispute between the king and David (a questionable assertion) and had acted in complete loyalty.
Saul was unmoved: the kohen deserved death; and accordingly, he, and his whole family were slaughtered.11 The Edomite Doeg alone agreed to perform the massacre. Only one of Ahimelech's sons, Abiathar, managed to escape to David with the ephod he had taken, unobserved, from the tabernacle. David received it with great feeling. He now possessed the instrument of anointing which had hitherto been used by the ministers at Shiloh, and he also had at hand the kohen who could ask the questions and interpret the answer. According to contemporary ideas, this meant that YAHWEH would give this little band the benefit of his counsel and lead it to victory.
11 At that time David had taken refuge in the desert of Negeb, and he was saddened to learn of the murder of the kohen of Nab who had fed him. The inscription of Tehillim 52 suggests that when he received this news, he composed these verses against Doeg the traitor, who had been one of the agents in this sad business. Modern scholars, however, consider that it really belongs to the time of YermeYah (645 -587)
Saul's One Idea: David's Capture
It was the usual story of conflict between a well equipped and organized army and a small band of guerillas, constantly retreating and yet always ready to surprise the enemy at the least expected moment.
Saul's attitude was the result of a fixed idea in a sick and unbalanced mind. David, a leader of first-rate ability might well have provided Saul with priceless assistance in his conflicts with the Philistines. Saul made every effort to track him down, and his failure aggravated his jealousy, his anger and his fits of depression.
By this time, David's men had increased to six hundred; they were rough fellows, perhaps not very dependable, but well experienced in fighting. The way they repulsed a Philistine raid at Keilah affords a preliminary notion of their bravery and of their leader's skill.
Saul, unhappily, was never able to view the situation objectively. For David only wanted to be restored to favour, to regain his place at court and his position as leader of the king's forces. But Saul sank even deeper into the abyss of his murderous ideas. He foresaw that one day YAHWEH would place this young man on the throne. He became obsessed with a single idea: how to get rid of his rival. This made him even neglect the danger from the Philistines.
David Confronts Saul
It was a desperate cat and mouse pursuit, but the mouse was never caught. Both the writer and the reader inevitably sympathize with the young and always quick-witted hero. David was frequently near capture, but he always slipped through his enemy's hands.
Only two characteristic episodes illustrating the mentality of the times need be mentioned here: the first occurred at the cave at Engedi, the second at Ziph.
The district of Engedi, on the banks of the Dead Sea, is a stony wilderness. David had narrowly escaped one of Saul's patrols and taken refuge in a deep and gloomy cave.12 Into this cave came Saul, in order to cover his feet (a traditional Scriptural expression for 'to relieve himself'). David crept up to him unobserved, and cut off the border of his cloak. His men were about to lay hold of Saul, but David restrained them, saying: 'He is the anointed of YAHWEH.'
Without being aware of the deadly danger he had just escaped, Saul left the cave. David followed him and called out: 'My lord king! Saul looked round; David bowed to the ground and did homage, and then, keeping his distance, showed him the border of his cloak and explained that he could have killed him easily, but had not done so. He begged Saul to realize that 'there is neither malice nor treason in my mind. I have not offended against you, yet you hunt me down to take my life. May YAHWEH be judge between me and you...May YAHWEH be the judge...take up my cause and free me from your power' (1 Schmuel 24).
Saul wept. 'You are a more upright man than /', he said and concluded by prophesying that David would indeed reign and that the sovereignty of Yisrael would be secure in his hands.13 He asked David to spare his descendants, should they ever fall into his hands. Then they parted, and David and his men went back to the stronghold. About this time, Schmuel died in Ramah.
Saul still kept on the track of his elusive enemy and we meet them both again in the desert of Ziph.14 Saul had established himself on the Hill of Hachilah on top of the plain. By evening he had set up his tents, and surrounded by soldiers, retired to rest. Together with his friend Abishai, David inspected the approaches to the camp and saw that it would be possible to slide through the circle of sentinels. With a little skill, they managed to get behind the enclosure formed by the ring of defenses, and at nightfall reached the tent in which Saul was sleeping. Abishai wanted to pin him to the ground with his own spear, but David restrained him; all he wanted was to take Saul's spear, fixed in the ground by his side, and the pitcher of water to quench his thirst during the night. They took these things and then leaving the camp, climbed the slope overlooking the tents, and shouted to Saul to show the objects they had just taken from him. The royal army, awakened by this noise, was soon alert. The king came out of his tent. When he saw that his spear and pitcher were in David's hands, he realized the magnanimity of the man whom he pursued with hatred. Although Saul begged David to come back, his prudence restrained him. But the whole incident may be just another version of the encounter at Engedi.
12 David is on the point of being captured. Tehillim 142: Prayer of a hunted man To YAHWEH, my cry! I plead To YAHWEH, my cry! I entreat. I pour out my supplications...
13 Tehillim 57 David's thanksgiving to YAHWEH: I mean to sing and play for you, awake my muse, awake, lyre and harp, I mean to wake the dawn
14 The town of Ziph. built on the hill now known as Tel el-Zif, about two miles south-east of Hebron. The wilderness of Ziph, one of the divisions of the arid wilderness of Yahudah. lay between the hill and the Dead Sea. The Ziphites. who supported Saul, kept him informed about David's movements .Hence Tehillim 54: YAHWEH save me by your name by your power see justice done to me. It is an ancient composition, and may be by David.
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