tells them If they had been merciful to his Brethren he would have spared their lives which he might lawfully have done they being not Canaanites though they were Enemies But now he could not do it seeing by the Law of God he was bound being next of blood and also a Magistrate to punish them with death that had murdered his Brethren see Numb 35.19 31. Whereupon he bad his young Son Jether to rise up and slay them And he imposes this work on him rather than another that he might train him up from a Youth to draw his Sword against the Enemies of Israel and that he might avenge the death of his Vncles and that it might add if not to the pain yet to the dishonour of their death to die by so young an hand But this young Boy had scarce courage enough to look them in the face so far was he from drawing his Sword against them Zeba and Zalmuâ—na seeing this said to Gideon Rise thou up and fall upon us thy self For as the man is so is his strength Do thou slay us with thy own hand and dispatch us quickly and let us not fall ignobly by the hand of a Child So Gideon slew them with his own hand and took away the Ornaments that were on their Camels necks which were very rich being adorned with Gold-Chains and Jewels as Ensigns and Memorials of his Victory Now the Ephramites came over Jordan and brought the Heads of Orch and Zeeb and presented them to Gideon But then they highly expostulated †Thus they proudly quarrelled with Jephta Ch. 12. and upon the same account see the like 2 Sam. 19.41 42 43. with him that they were not called out as well as other Tribes when he first raised Forces to go against the Midianites They looked upon this as a great neglect and contempt of them that other Tribes that were not so nearly allied to him and the Manassites as they were being both of them of Joseph's Posterity should be called to the first On-set and they left only to snatch up here and there some of the flying Midianites So that he and his Souldiers had gathered in the main Vintage and they were called in only to gather up the Gleanings Gideon mildly answered That they had no cause to complain For what have I done says he in comparison of you Are not the Gleanings of Ephraim better than the Vintage of Abiezer * Gideon was of that Family Consider what vast multitudes of them you have had the killing and pillaging of at the Fords of Jordan whilst we went in pursuit of only fifteen thousand of them that fled with Zeba and Salmunna Consider you have had the Honour to take and kill Oreb and Zeeb and therefore what cause have you to murmur or repine This mild Answer of his abated their anger and so they rested satisfied Judg. Ch. 7. whole Chapter and Ch. 8. from 1. to 22. SECT CXL THe people of Israel were now so highly pleased with Gideon for delivering them out of the hands of Midian that they offered to make him their King and to settle the Kingdom successively upon his Posterity He told them He would not Rule over them as a King because the accepting of the Regal Power to Himself and his Family would seem as it were a taking of the Government out of God's Hand who set up whom He pleased to Rule over them The Lord saith he shall Rule over you Take ye heed of rejecting Him 1 Sam. 8.6 7. neither I nor my Son shall be your King Thus he would not give any consent to the Change of the Government without God's leave But though Gideon refused this profer of theirs yet he told them He had one Request to make to them which if they would grant him he would take it very kindly from them which was That every one of them would give him one of those Ear-rings * Or golden Ornaments whither worn in the Ear or on the Forehead For the Hebrew word is used for both see Gen. 24.22 35.4 which they had taken from the Ishmaelites who used to wear such golden Ornaments They told him They would willingly do it And accordingly spreading a Garment to receive them every one cast in one of those Ear-rings or golden Ornaments they had taken from the Ishmaelites and the weight of them came to a thousand seven hundred Shekels of Gold which according to our account comes to 2380 pounds And besides these they added some Chains and golden Boxes wherein the Ishamelites carried sweet Perfumes and purple Garments which the Kings of the Midianites had worn All these they added besides the Collars which had been taken from the Necks of the Camels which Gideon had taken to himself as his proper Prey Gideon of part of this Gold now given him made an Ephod like that of Aaron's with a Breast-plate set with many precious stones of great value see Exod. 28.15 16 17. and made of Gold Blue Purple Scarlet c. 'T is like his design in making this Ephod was that it should be a Monument of that great Victory he had obtained after he had offered Sacrifice to God over the Midianites the Monument being made of the Prey there taken and possibly his purpose was to make use of this Ephod to enquire by the Judgment of Vrim what the Will of the Lord was upon all Emergent Occasions not considering that this Priviledge was only annexed to Aaron's Ephod or possibly he made this Ephod that the High Priest being adorned with it should Sacrifice for him and the people at the Altar which he by the Command of God had erected in Ophrah But what-ever was his intention he seems herein highly to have sinned against God and to have ministred occasion to the Israelites to commit Idolatry to which they were before of themselves too prone For after his death the Israelites did grosly abuse this Ephod to Idolatry and Superstition either resorting to it to inquire concerning the Will of God in their Doubts and Difficulties or offering Sacrifices there by occasion of it or being taken with the glory of it falling down before it and worshipping it and at last abusing it to the grossest Idolatry and making use of as 't is probable in the Worship of Baal vers 33. Be sure some way or other they Idolatrously abused it and are therefore said to have gone a whoring after it and it became a Snare to Gideon and to his House that is it insnared his Posterity by degrees drawing them to do that which was very displeasing to God and at last became the utter ruine of his Family For all the Tragical Accidents that afterwards befel his House may be looked upon as the effects of God's Wrath for this Idolatry However the Midianites were now so vanquished that they lifted not up their heads any more to vex Israel Gideon therefore after this Victory went and dwelt quietly in his own house and judged
epulis Deut. 12.12 17. praecipue 14. 22. 3. Decima de decimâ quae â—at sacerdotum 4. Decima trieterica tertio quovis anno from him which were to be the means of his livelihood all the time they should live upon the Land He shews they might kill and eat for their own refreshing whatsoever they desired at home and when they had a purpose to offer Peace-Offerings and by way of thankfulness to God for some eminent mercy to rejoyce together if the holy place were too far from them they might feast together upon their Cattel which they might kill for food only then they must be sure not to eat them as holy things but even as they would eat the Roe-Buck or Hart. Only says he as I said before be sure you eat not the blood for the blood is the vehicle of the animal life and therefore you may not eat it with the flesh And you must observe this Precept that it may go well with you and your Children (g) A man cannot better bless his Children than by his own Obedience to his heavenly Father after you continually As for their Burnt-Offerings He shews them they must offer the flesh and blood together upon the Altar and the blood of their other pacifick Sacrifices and Peace-Offerings must be poured out upon the Altar and then they might eat of the flesh of * For only the fl sh of these Sacrifices was to be eaten by the Owners Levit. 15. them Further he shews them That when the Lord their God shall have destroyed the Nations before them whose Land they go to possess then they must especially take heed that they be not insnared by following their Idolatry Therefore says He I advise you not to inquire after their gods or how they worshipped them thinking to serve the true God as they served their Idols For they use to perform such Rites and Services to their Idols which are most abominable to the Lord particularly they burn their Sons and Daughters * Of this abomination practis'd by the Heathâ—n and imitated by the backsliding Jews see Jer. 7.31 19.5 in the fire to their gods Take heed therefore of following them in these or any other of their abominations do what I command you from the Lord neither add it to it nor diminish from it 18. He comes now to expound and dilate upon the Third Commandment The Third Commandment by prohibiting Chap. XIII the abuse of the Lords Name which was profaned by false Prophets Revolters and Inticers to Idolatry Having given the people warning to take heed of being seduced to Idolatry by Strangers of other Nations here he gives them the like warning to take heed of being seduced by any that should arise among their own Brethren If there shall arise saith he among you any that shall pretend himself to be a Prophet and shall say that God hath appeared to him a Vision or a Dream and he giveth you a sign or wonder (h) Such as the cleaving Jeroboam's Altar which the Prophet told them of before hand 1 Kings 13.3 as a sure sign that God had sent him that is laboureth to confirm what he saith he had by Vision or Dream by foretelling some wonderful and supernatural thing that shall come to pass though this sign and wonder come to pass yet if withall he shall perswade you to worship false gods or to worship the true God in a false manner you shall not because of his signs and wonders regard what he saith if his Doctrine be not according to the truth which God hath taught you For the Lord may by the Spirit of Prophesie reveal things to come to wicked men and false Prophets as he did to Balaam and Caiaphas He knowing how thereby to bring Glory to Himself though they intend only to corrupt and seduce thereby For the Lord may suffer the Devil and false Prophets thus to abuse men to try and make known whether they love the Lord their God with all their Hearts and Souls and will cleave to him For those whose hearts are upright towards God will not be drawn away from the true Doctrine he hath taught them by such delusions see Gal. 1.8 Therefore he injoyns them to put to death every Dreamer or false Prophet that shall endeavour to seduce them from the true Worship and Service of God unto Idolatry and in so doing they shall not only justly punish evil doers but prevent the hurt which they would do among the people And He tells them That not only the false Prophet but all others whatsoever were to be put to death that should seduce them though secretly to Idolatry and they were not to spare those that were dearest to them in this case If thy Brother says he or thy Son or Daughter or the Wife of thy bosome or thy Friend which is as thine own Soul entice thee secretly saying Let us go and serve other gods of what Nation soever thou shalt not consent and hearken unto him neither shall thine eye pity him neither shalt thou spare or conceal him thou shalt certainly procure his death by declaring the thing to the Magistrate and informing and bearing Testimony against him and procuring justice to be executed upon him according to this Law and as his just Accuser thou shalt throw the first stone at him see Deut. 17.7 and then the rest of the people shall stone him And all Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you Further that he may manifest Gods extream hatred and detestation of Idolatry he tells them That if in any of their Cities they shall hear of the revolt of any other of their Cities through the instigation of some wicked men Sons of Belial that went out from among them separating themselves from Gods people in point of Religion they must first inquire diligently concerning the truth of the thing and if they find it certain that such abomination is wrought among them then they shall smite the Inhabitants of that City with the edge of the Sword destroying it utterly and all that is therein and the Cattel thereof and they shall gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof and shall burn with fire the City and all the spoil thereof every whit for the honour of God and in Obedience unto his Command thereby offering it up as a Sacrifice to Him and that City shall be a ruinous heap for ever and shall not be built again They must not take to themselves or their own use any part of the accursed goods of the City see Josh 6.17 that so the Lord may turn from the firceness of his anger which oftentimes is kindled not only against the Sinners themselves but all Israel for their sakes see Joshua 7.1 11 12. Chap. XIV 19. He comes now to give them some Precepts concerning their Conversation among themselves which he shews should be holy
Father had done For such as his Father was such was he His Father a while out of respect to men viz. as long as Jehoiada lived did that which was right but afterwards fell away to Idolatry and so did he As his Father did not suppress the worship of God in high places no more did he As soon as he was setled in the Government he put to death those that had killed the King his Father who it seems were great men and had Court-offices and therefore call'd his servants whom at first for fear of danger he forbore to meddle with but when he saw a fit opportunity and felt his own strength he dealt with them yet spared their children according to the Law of God Deut. 24.16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children neither shall the children for the fathers every man shall be put to death for his own sin About the 13 or 14 year of his reign he resolved to make war upon the Edomites who in his Grandfather Jehoram's time had rebelled against the Kingdom of Judah and so continued unto this time In order hereunto he musters three hundred thousand choice men of his own subjects such as were able for war and could handle spear and shield and made Colonels over thousands and Captains over hundreds according to the dignity of their families But notwithstanding he had so great an Army it seems he did not much confide in them but thought it better in point of policy to manage this war by Auxiliaries and accordingly hired an hundred thousand able valiant men of the Israelites who in those times by reason of their successful wars against the Syrians were accounted excellent Souldiers to go with him against the Edomites and gave them an hundred talents of silver * That is thirty seven thousand five hundred pound sterling See 1 Chron. 22.14 So every Regiment consisting of a thousand had a Talent of silver that is 375 l. to engage them in this service A Prophet comes to him from the Lord and advises him to dismiss these Israelites for the Lord was not with them †2 Chron. 25.7 to wit with any of the children of Ephraim Ephraim is here put for the ten Tribes being the greatest Tribe of the ten and having the priviledg of the first born Gen. 48.19 God did not love them because they were Idolaters though he did sometimes prosper them in their wars against the cruel Syrians But says he if thou wilt go up to fight against the Edomites with these Israelites contrary to the declared mind of God do it at thy own peril and make thy self as strong as thou canst for the battel and see what will come of it Assure thy self God will make thee fall before the enemy For God alone hath power to help or cast down success in war is wholly ordered by him The King was something startled at this message but says he if I should dismiss them what shall I do for the hundred Talents that I have given them I know not how to recover them from such a numerous company without much hazard and much bloodshed The Prophet answers The Lord is able to give thee much more than this So Amaziah separated them from his own Army to which they were joined and sent them home again But they being thus dismissed were exceeding angry and lookt upon themselves as slighted and scorned as if their aid and assistance had not been of any value wherefore in their return home they fell upon the Cities of Judah viz. such as were the frontier Towns bordering all along the breadth thereof upon the Kingdom of Israel and slew three thousand of the subjects of Judah and carried away much spoil Amaziah having dismissed the Israelites marches with his own Army into the Edomites Country and there obtain'd a great victory over them wherein he slew ten thousand of them and took ten thousand prisoners whom he cast down from the Rock Selah and so broke them in pieces Possibly he us'd them with the greater severity because of their revolt from the Crown of Judah and their unwillingness to return to their obedience thereunto Having thus conquered the Edomites among other spoils he brought away their Gods also and by a monstrous impiety set them up to be his Gods and bowed down before them and burnt incense unto them David did not use to do so but burnt the gods of his enemies which he took see 1 Chron. 14.12 But this man seems more infatuated and bewitched with Idolatry than Ahab himself The anger of the Lord was hereupon exceedingly kindled against Amaziah and he sent a Prophet to him who said to him Why hast thou sought after the gods of the Edomites which could not deliver their own people viz. the people that worshipped them out of thy hands The King being vexed at this free reproof of the Prophet would not let him go on but said Who made you of the Kings councel I charge thee forbear speaking any many or speak at thy own peril So the Prophet forbore and only said I know that the Lord hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this great wickedness in setting up these Idols and now refusest to hearken to my counsel Amaziah being puft up and grown insolent upon his good success against the Edomites and taking advice of some such Counsellors as Rehoboam did in a vain and proud manner sends a challenge to Joash King of Israel saying to him Come let us look one another in the face and meet in a pitched field with our Armies Probably the injury done him by the Israelites whom he dismissed when he undertook his late expedition against the Edomites was that which provoked him to challenge Joash and this late wrong might probably bring other old matters to remembrance Joash who was a Prince as proud and haughty every whit as Amaziah answers him in a scornful manner by a Parable The Thistle says he that was in Lebanon sent to the Cedar saying Give thy daughter to my son to wife and there passed by a wild beast and trod down the Thistle Whereby he intimates that it would be insufferable pride in the Thistle to presume to desire the Cedars daughter as a wife for his son For he that seeks to match his child with another mans supposes himself equal to that other man But he takes it in great scorn that Amaziah should think himself equal to him But if it be too much presumption for the Thistle to offer to make affinity with the Cedar how much more presumption is it to make war against him which he would have Amaziah to know was his present case He further tells him Indeed he had smitten the Edomites and thereupon he perceived his heart was proud and much lifted up But however he advises him to content himself with that victory and to tarry at home and not meddle with him to his hurt lest he and Judah with him fall
and to carry it to his mouth but Jonathan not being with his Father in the Camp when he thus adjured the people and so knowing nothing of it and being through hunger and weariness ready to faint he put forth the end of his Javelin or Spear that he carried in his hand and dipt it in the wild honey that lay before him and did eat of it whereby his spirits were much revived and refreshed and his eyes that were dim before with fasting and faintness and emptiness and want of spirits were now enlightened and grew clear again One of the Souldiers seeing him thus eat told * V. 28. In the Hebrew phrase a man is said to answer when his speech relateth to a thing before done as well as to a thing before spoken See Numb 11.28 him of the charge that his Father had given the people which till then they had observed but now were grown so weary and faint that they could not any longer pursue the enemy Jonathan hearing this said My Father hath caused a great inconvenience to the whole land of Israel this day by imposing upon you this severe charge seeing hereby he hindreth you from obtaining a full and compleat victory For if I my self by tasting a little honey am so much refreshed that I am enabled to go on chearfully as your Leader in the pursuit how much more if all the Souldiers had been permitted to eat freely of the enemies spoils as they happened to light upon them would they have been enabled thereby to have pursued and slaughtered more of their enemies However the Israelites smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon in the Tribe of Dan not far from their own Country But night being come and the time of the prohibition expir'd being with long fasting extream hungry they greedily flew upon the spoil and cattel of the enemy and slew them on the ground and dressed them and eat them not staying till they could be throughly cleansed of the blood which was contrary to the Law Deut. 12.16 And thus though they strictly observed the Kings command for fear of present death yet they observed not Gods command though the violation of it brought them under the penalty of a greater punishment Some acquainted Saul herewith telling him that the people sinned against the Lord in eating the flesh before the blood was well drain'd out of it Saul severely chargeth their sin upon them but without any acknowledgment of his own which was the cause of theirs Ye have sinned this day says he in thus eating the blood Roll me a great stone that thereon in my sight the people may kill their Beasts and that I my self may see the blood fully drained out of the Cattel which they kill Then Saul began †V. 35. Aedificavit Saul Altare i. e. Caepit aedificare cum caepisset extruere altare domino dixit Saul descendamus ad Philisteos c. videtur hoc innuere Saulem opus tantum-modo incaepisse postea negligenter destitisse quomodo antea fecit quando Deum consuleret to build an Altar to the Lord that he might offer thereon Gratulatory Sacrifices for that glorious victory which God had newly given them but it seems he did not finish it Saul and the people having now refreshed themselves he exhorts them vigorously to prosecute the Philistines Let us go says he after the Philistines by night and spoil them unto the morning light and let us not leave a man of them The people seemed very willing to it but the High-Priest said before we undertake such a weighty business let us first ask counsel of God by Vrim and Thummim and crave his direction in it Saul agreed hereunto and was willing to ask counsel of God by the High-Priest but the Lord answered him not (a) Silentium Dei eo spectabat ut innocentia Jonathae praepostera Saulis inhumanitas nimia durities in lucem protraheretur that day which shewed that he was highly displeased see Ch. 28.6 but not with Jonathan for eating a little honey but with Saul for the rash charge which he in his arrogance and tyranny had imposed upon the people having no warrant from God to do it It is evident that the Lords refusing to answer Saul tended to his that it might be discovered that Jonathan had indeed offended against the command of his Father though ignorantly but that Saul had by that rash unadvised charge and curse hindred the prosecution of the victory caused Israel to sin and now brought his own Son under the danger of being accursed and put to death Saul concluding that God was angry because when he enquired of him by the Priest he would not answer him he therefore presently commanded all the heads of the Tribes and Families to draw near unto him that by casting lots it might be discovered who it was that had thus offended God among them for though himself had greatly sinned in that rash and unadvised Oath he had made and the curse he had imposed upon the people yet he concludes that the violation of his command must needs be the great offence which caused the Lord to be silent and therefore for the finding out this he would have them cast lots and solemnly protests who ever was found guilty yea though it were Jonathan his Son he should not be spared but not a man among them would accuse Jonathan Then he said to the people Be ye on the one side and I and Jonathan will be on the other and he prayed unto the Lord to give forth a perfect lot that is a lot which might clear the innocent and fall upon the guilty The lot being cast Saul and Jonathan were taken then the lot was cast between Saul and Jonathan and Jonathan was taken Jonathan was truly innocent and faultless but not in Saul's sense and therefore why is he taken by the lot that was innocent Many reasons are rendred for it 1. To punish Saul's rash Oath who thereby brought his dearest Son into extream danger See the case of Jephtha Judg. 11.30 31 35. 2ly To discover Saul's hypocrisie who seemed very scrupulous and conscientious in keeping a rash and wicked Oath yet made not conscience of killing his innocent Son 3ly To justifie Jonathan and that he might be declar'd innocent Jonathan being taken Saul asks him what he had done Jonathan tells him he had tasted a little honey with the end of his rod or javelin and he saw he must die for it though he was wholly ignorant of the Kings severe prohibition Saul replies God do so to me and more also if I spare thee a stranâ—e zeal this was in Saul and an evidence that the Spirit of God had left him he will not now in pursuance of his rash Oath spare a brave â—â—riant and most worthy Son and yet a little while after contrary to Gods express coâ—trâ—â—â—â—d spareth the wicked King Agag Ch. 15.8 The people hearing this his raâ—â—
resolution concerning his Son what say they shall Jonathan die who hath wrought this great Salvation in Israel Shall he die that is innocent and hath committed no offence that deserveth death Shall he die that is so brave a Prince and worthy of all honour and reward seeing the Lord by him hath given a great and miraculous deliverance to his people when they were in a forlorn and desperate condition As the Lord liveth there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground for he hath wrought with God that is under God and by his help and assistance a great deliverance for us So the people rescued Jonathan that he was not put to death Thus Saul ceased from pursuing the Philistines any further at present and so the rest of them got back to their own Country However Saul being by this glorious victory better confirm'd and setled in the Royal Throne he took upon him the managing of all the affairs of the Kingdom and especially shewed himself very valiant and active in fighting against all the enemies of it particularly against Moab and the children of Ammon bordering on the East of Canaan against Edom bordering on the South against the Kings of Zobah on the North and against the Philistines on the West and though he did not wholly vanquish and subdue them becaused God had reserved that work and the glory of it for David yet he sore vexed them and much weakened them so that they did not with that courage and success fight against Israel as before they had done And all this came to pass through Gods free mercy to his people giving good success to Saul in his Wars though a wicked man for their sakes And besides the forementioned successes Saul gathered a great host and smote the Amalekites as appeareth in the following Chapter and here is spoken of by way of anticipation that his warlike exploits might be summed up together In the next place Saul's Sons are mentioned that followed their Father in the War and like valiant Souldiers lived and died with him as Jonathan Ishui who is called Abinadab Ch. 31.2 and Melchishua Ishbesheth is not here named though now above twenty years of age see 2 Sam. 2 10. possibly because he followed not his Father in the Wars Neither are his Children by Rizpah here mentioned because she was not his Wife but only his Concubine The Daughters he had by his Wife whose name was Ahinoam were Merab and Michal The Captain of his host was Abner his Cousin-german Son to his Uncle Ner. And when he saw any strong or valiant man he took him into his service 1 Sam. Ch. 14. whole Chapter SECT CLXVI SOmetime after Samuel by Gods appointment sendeth Saul to destroy the Amalekites but before he telleth him what God commanded him to do he putteth him in mind of Gods singular favour towards him and the high honour he had exalted him unto that thereby he might move him to perform what God commanded him with the more diligence and chearfulness And though he had formerly failed in his duty yet now remembring what the Lord had done for him he should be sure strictly to observe his Commands and Injunctions Samuel now tells him that the Lord would send him against Ameleck three several times the Lord declared that he would destroy the Amalekites Exod. 17.14 Numb 24.20 and Deut. 25.19 And now Saul is sent to execute that vengeance upon them which the Lord had so long ago at several times threatned and though the present King and subjects of Amalek had been cruel and bloody adversaries to the people of God as Samuel intimates v. 33. As thy sword hath made many women childless so shall thy mother be childless and so deserved to be destroyed for their own sins yet because the Lord would have the Israelites know that he had not forgot the former injury of their Ancestors towards his people though 't was four hundred years since it was done he resolves now to visit it upon them and he mentions one circumstance that greatly aggravated it viz. that when his poor people had been long under a miserable bondage in Egypt and were newly escaped from it yet even then they came out against them and sought to destroy them Nor need it seem strange that the present Amalekites should be utterly destroyed for that which their Ancestors had done so many years before For though God destroys none everlastingly but for their own sins yet with temporal punishments he doth usually punish the Children for the sins of their Ancestors especially when the Children go on in their Fathers steps as by that which is said of Agag v. 33. it seems those Amalekites did Samuel therefore commands Saul from the Lord to go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they had and not to spare Man Woman or Child no not so much as their very Cattle †V. 7. Jumenta Bruta pereunt quippe possessiones organa fulcra gaudia peccantium For he had anathematiz'd and devoted them all to destruction as he did Jericho Saul hereupon gathers a great Army and numbers them in the Plains of Telaim or Telem a City in the Tribe of Judah Josh 15.24 and finds them to be two hundred thousand footmen besides ten thousand men of Judah (a) The men of Judah are reckoned apart from the men of Israel 1. Because they usually had the priviledg of going first against the enemy in any common danger 2. Because the Messias was to come of his Tribe Saul marching his Army and coming near to the chief City of Amalek he sent to the Kenites the posterity of Jethro who lived in Tents see Judg. 4.17 among these Amalekites to depart and get them out from among them if they loved their lives for Jethro and his family had shewed kindness to the Israelites when they came out of Egypt he himself came out with much joy to meet Moses and to congratulate all the goodness which the Lord had shewed to Israel therefore now Saul gave them warning to remove away that they might not suffer with the Amalekites whom God intended at this time to punish for the wrong their Progenitors had done to his people but he was willing to spare the Kenites for the kindness their Ancestors had shewn to them The Kenites accordingly removed from them soon after Saul in the valley of their chief City fought (b) V. 5. Vajareb pugnavit contendit scil cum eo with the Amalekites and discomfited them and took their King Agag prisoner and pursued them from Havilah to Shur which is over against Egypt and destroyed all that came out with Agag to fight against them with all others they could meet with and destroyed also their Cities and Towns But that many of them did escape this slaughter is manifest from Ch. 27.8 and Ch. 30.1 as we shall see afterwards Saul having taken their King whom he should above all the rest have slain he and