1 Chronicles 10:2

1Ch 10:2 And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

Ver. 2. And the Philistines slew Jonathan.] Though a pious and valiant prince.

“ Non te tua plurima, Pentheu,

Labentem texit pietas. ” - Ovid.

“ Cadit et Ripheus iustissimus unus,

Qui fuit in Teucris, et servantissimus aequi. ” - Virg.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(2) The Philistines followed hard after Saul.—Literally, clave to Saul, that is, hotly pursued him. (Comp. 1 Kings 22, 31.) The destruction of the king and his sons would make their triumph complete.

The sons of Saul.—Omit the. Eshbaal, Saul’s fourth son, was not in the battle (2Sa_2:8. Comp. 1Ch_8:33). Like Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, Saul may have witnessed the death of his sons (2Ki_25:7). Jonathan, at least, would not be far from him in the last struggle. “In their deaths they were not divided.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. Malchi-shua] This is the correct spelling, not Melchi-shua.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Followed hard after. The Hebrew verb implies all this and rather more, viz. that they made the pursuit of Saul and his sons their one special object. Luther"s "Hingen sich au Saul" expresses this forcibly. Abinadab ; or Ishui (see 1Ch_8:33; 1Sa_14:49) The sons of Saul. Omit the article, which is not present in the Hebrew text. The fourth son, not withstanding our ver. 6, survived. (2Sa_2:8-15)

HOMILIES BY F. WHITFIELD Vers. 2, 14.

Saul and David.

The portion of the Book of Chronicles referring more particularly to the genealogy of Israel ends with the thirty-fourth verse of the ninth chapter. With the following verse commences the real history of the people. The history of a nation is the history of its head or king; and we commence that history with the history of Saul and David. They both appear on the scene in the following verses. We must not forget, in reading this history, that these two personages are representative characters. They are eminently typical. In Saul we must not omit to see the head of the great world-power, or that which is antagonistic to the kingdom of the Son of God. In David, likewise, we must see One greater than David, even the true David, the Lord Jesus Christ. Saul and David are from beginning to end in opposition, Saul"s history comes first. He is the people"s choice, the man of the world. His entire course is enmity against David. Hatred, opposition, and bitter persecution are the results of this enmity. The end of the world-power, as represented in him, is defeat and failure, ruin and death. Thus will this world"s rule end also. Nevertheless, all this opposition and enmity are most needful to David and his few faithful followers. It disciplined and trained him for the kingdom for which he had been anointed of God. So this world"s misrule and enmity are most needful for the Lord"s anointed ones. David and his followers under Saul were strangers and pilgrims indeed. So Christ and his people are now. But their time is at hand when the weeds of sorrow shall be exchanged for the laurels of victory. I said Saul"s history comes first. It is always so. Whether in the history of individuals or nations, whether in nature or in grace, in everything the dark background comes first, and then the lines of the picture of grace can be seen. The tenth chapter of this book is man at his best estate. It is the dark background. One chapter is enough for it. The eleventh chapter begins with the God-man, David, who is the type in it of a "Greater than David." It goes on unfolding chapter after chapter. It has not ended yet, for in the history of David"s Son the Lord Jesus Christ it is still going on. The chapters are still unfolding him, and will throughout eternity, for he is "the everlasting God," the "I am that I am, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. W.

HOMILIES BY R. TUCK Ver. 2.

Innocent sharing in calamity.

The judgment that came upon King Saul could not be limited to him; it included his sons, his family, his dynasty. Saul"s sin was distinctly personal. He committed acts of wilfulness; he failed in the completeness of his obedience. (1Sa_13:8-14 1Sa_15:8, 1Sa_15:9) And yet his sin could not be personal only no man can secure that his sin shall be, while he comes into relations with others. Saul"s sin must also be official the iniquity of the representative person, the king; and relational the iniquity of the father, the head of a family. So far as a man"s sin starts a train of consequences, he cannot limit the disabilities to his own suffering, and he may not wonder if the resultant calamities should strike him through the suffering of those most dear to him. To our feeling the exceeding bitterness of the consequences of wilful sin lies in the fact of their involving others, and those whom we would most anxiously spare.

I THE INNOCENT DO NOT SHARE IN THE GUILT. Distinguish between the guilt and the calamity that follows on it. The guilt can rest only on the man who does the wilful and guilty act, because an action is only guilty action when it is wilfully done against light and knowledge. So, depending on the will, it belongs exclusively to the individual. King Saul was guilty before God, but his sons were not, save as they may have personally accepted and approved their father"s acts, and so made themselves individually responsible. This way of becoming sharers in guilt is taught by St. Paul in Rom_1:22. He comes under the Divine judgment who has pleasure in them that do evil things, as well as those who actually do the evil.

II THE INNOCENT MAY SHARE IN THE CALAMITY THAT FOLLOWS ON SIN. This may be illustrated from the family sphere a father"s wrong-doing breaks up the home, etc.; or from the social spheres neglect of sanitary laws on the part of local governments involve theinnocent citizens in disease and plague; or from the national spheres a king"s wrong-doing brings war, and battle and siege are calamities for women and children as well as for soldiers.

III THE INNOCENT MUST SHARE IN THE CALAMITY THAT FOLLOWS ON SIN. For this is precisely the condition under which God has set mankind. It follows, of necessity, upon that fact of the "solidarity of the race," which modern writers are now setting in prominence, but which St. Paul taught as one of the basis-principles of Christianity long years ago. See his speech at Athens and the Epistle to the Romans. Illustrate by the figure of "many members in one body." One limb or organ, diseased, gives vain and weakness in other organs that are not diseased. Men are, in actual life, as vitally related as parts of the body, and if one member sins the other members suffer with it.

IV THE INNOCENT SHARING IN CALAMITY HAS A MORAL MISSION. It is one of warning. We only feel the real evil of sin through the pressure of the troubles that follow upon it. But it becomes an effective warning that we must drag others down with our sin; and we can never be sure who will be the chief sufferer it may possibly be our dearest and best.

V THE INNOCENT SHARING IN CALAMITY HAS A RECOVERING AND REDEMPTIVE POWER. It awakens to a sense of sin, recovering us from the delusions of self-will. It binds men together in a brotherhood of helpfulness; seeking to relieve from burdens of suffering, they are led to see that suffering must be dealt with at its root, which is sin.

Lead up to the fact of the Lord Jesus Christ, the innocent member of the human race, the spotless and perfectly obedient Son of God, suffering in, with, and for a guilty world. It is precisely this which is the fullest and most effective revelation of the guilt of mankind. Yet it is precisely this which is the great recovering and redemptive power. "He was wounded for our transgressions," and "by his stripes we are healed. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.