to be slain without guilt and seduced his wife, or that Saul refused to
kill so many people of Amalek; and you shall know of a truth that Saul’s
crime was the greater; for no offence is graver than to be disobedient
toward one’s superiors, as Saul was. And you may observe even at this
day among cloister folk, that if a monk is disobedient toward his abbot,
where an abbot rules the cloister, or toward the prior, where such a one
controls, he is forthwith expelled from the holy order and from the
monastery and is thenceforth regarded as a layman. Likewise, if a priest
refuses to obey his superior the bishop, he is at once deprived of
clerical honors, and the right to say mass is taken from him as well as
all other official duties. In the same way, if a bishop, be he humble or
powerful, refuses to obey his superior, he is immediately shorn of his
dignity and all his office; and after that he is regarded among learned
men as any other layman unworthy of any distinction. And it ought to be
even more evident that it could not prosper Saul to be disobedient to
such a lord as God Himself, when he was ordered to invade Amalek and the
land of the Amorites and to slay all that was living. God took His rod
of punishment and placed it in Saul’s hands, bidding him execute His
wrath and spare nothing that was living; to burn fortified cities,
farmsteads, clothing, and whatever else there was; to lay the entire
land in ruins and thus cleanse it with sword and ax and fire. Saul,
however, carried out the vengeance that he was charged with in another
way, by destroying everything that was lacking in beauty or value; but
whatever seemed to him to be beautiful, valuable, and worth possessing
he spared, brought home to his country, and distributed among his men.
But when Samuel came to Saul and showed him the wrath of God, Saul spoke
as if excusing himself: “Praise be to God, for I have fulfilled His
command: I invaded Amalek and visited the entire kingdom with fire and
sword; but King Agag I have brought with me, wishing to honor God’s
command by slaying him here, if He wills that he die. Fat oxen and fine
sheep I have brought hither to sacrifice such to God as are acceptable
to Him; and the children of the chief men I have brought hither to be
kept in bondage and distress, doing fitting service for ourselves.”
Then Samuel replied: “How can God now accept that as a sacrifice which
He has Himself cursed in His anger? For God demands a blessed and not an
accursed sacrifice; and you shall know of a surety that obedience is
more pleasing to God than any sacrifice.” Truth stood by and said: “What
need is there to conceal the motive that induced Saul to neglect doing
as God commanded him? Saul imagined himself so firmly established in his
kingship that he could order these things more according to his own
liking than to God’s command; he showed excessive pride in failing to
remember who had given him the power. And this is the reason why he took
good horses, oxen, sheep, and much else of value, that he might satisfy
the greed of his knights and the rapacity of his other warriors rather
than carry out the commands of God. And he spoke falsely when he said
that he had brought horses and sheep and other things of value into his
kingdom to sacrifice them to God; for he knew that a cursed sacrifice
was not acceptable to God.” Then the decision was left to Justice and
she decreed in this wise: “Whereas God took His rod of punishment, and
placing it in Saul’s hands bade him execute the divine wrath upon a
cursed people, let that punishment now come upon Saul and his family
which he failed to visit upon those whom God had commanded him to carry
it out upon. But the same rod of punishment that was given to Saul to
shake over others, another shall now hold and shake over Saul and all
his kin. And because he wished in his avarice to possess the riches that
were forbidden him, let him now forfeit those riches that were given to
him before.”[321] But the reason why Justice passed such a severe
judgment upon Saul was that God knew his disposition thoroughly. For it
was in Saul’s nature to be proud and stubborn in the face of God; and as
soon as he thought himself firmly established in his kingdom, he became
greedy and avaricious, as is evident from this account.
Footnote 321:
On this episode see _I Samuel_, xv.
Now there was this difference between the tempers of David and Saul:
when Nathan the prophet charged David with sin, he spoke reproachfully
of his fault, almost as if condemning himself, and implored mercy,
though willing to suffer punishment, as if prepared to accept with
gratitude any terms which God might impose for his misdeed; therefore he
won favor through the lenient judgment of Mercy. Yet, his son died
because of Uriah’s death, though David himself did not die; and for
violating Uriah’s wife he suffered a great disgrace in that his son
dishonored him in the sight of all the people.
But when Samuel accused Saul of his crime, he replied as if defending
his cause and praised himself for having done so well and spoke in this
wise: “Praise be to God, for I have done what He commanded;” though he
knew in his own mind that anything else was nearer the truth. Therefore
he was stricken by the sentence of Justice, God seeing his arrogant
boasting and lying excuses. But his arrogance and envy became even more
evident after he discovered that God was angry with him; for Saul fell
ill; and now and then madness came upon him, so that he had to be
watched when the malady troubled him. Then it was learned that if a man
could be found who could play the harp well before him, he would find
relief and the illness would afflict him less. So they found a lovely
youth whose name was David, the son of Jesse in Bethlehem, who knew how
to strike the harp skilfully; he came to the king, and whenever the
malady came upon Saul, David, standing before him, struck the harp and
the illness departed immediately. But when Saul discovered that the
malady was less severe, he loved David highly and made him his shield
bearer.[322] Samuel, however, had already anointed him king in secret,
no one knowing it but his father and his brothers. David remained with
Saul many days and served him faithfully; and all men perceived that God
was with him in all his doings. Saul, too, was well disposed toward him
at first: he gave him his daughter and assigned him a troop to
command.[323] But after Saul had won his great victory over the
Philistines and David had slain the giant Goliath and they were
returning from the warfare, women came forth from cities and fortresses,
dancing toward them and singing praises to them for their victory. And
the burden of their song was this, that Saul had conquered a thousand
but David ten thousand.[324] When Saul heard this he was seized with
wrath and envy toward David and said in his own thoughts: “Now I
perceive that God has chosen this man to take the kingdom after me
instead of my sons; but I shall try to upset this plan if I can, though
so cleverly that no one shall perceive that I kill him intentionally.” A
few days later Saul’s habitual illness came upon him; but David took his
harp and, standing before him, played as was his wont to relieve the
king’s illness. Saul had a javelin in his hand which he threw at David,
aiming to drive it through him and pin him to the wall of the room. Thus
he had planned to avoid responsibility for the murder by leading the
people to think he had done it in frenzy and not with evil intent. David
escaped and found security from that peril. But when Saul saw that David
had escaped and he had not caught him, he sent him on frequent forays
among heathen people in the hope that he would be slain in warfare. But
the more frequently David went out into battle, the more frequent
victories and the greater honors did he win; and God magnified him
before the eyes of all the people. And the more Saul saw him prosper,
the more he envied him.[325]
Footnote 322:
_I Samuel_, xvi, 14-23.
Footnote 323:
_Ibid._, xviii, 12-21.
Footnote 324:
_Ibid._, xviii, 6-9.
Footnote 325:
Cf. _I Samuel_, xix, 8-11.
Now you can imagine the state of King Saul’s mind: he could say nothing
against David, only what was good. But since he perceived that God loved
David much because of his humility and loyalty, he envied him as Cain
envied his brother Abel because God loved him. Indeed, Saul’s enmity
toward David became so evident that he could not conceal his intentions
to kill him. Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, reminded the king that it would
be a sin to slay an innocent man, speaking in this wise: “My lord, why
are you angry with your servant David? If there is any guilt on his part
that may be injurious to your kingdom or dignity, every man who is with
you here will seek his life; and we can seize him whenever we like, for
he is not on his guard against us, knowing himself to be guiltless. He
has served you long and has been faithful in all things; he fought
against great odds when he slew Goliath, and God rescued your entire
kingdom through David’s wonderful victory, which he won fighting unarmed
against a giant. He has waited upon you in your distressing illness; and
wherever you have placed him at the head of the host, he has brought a
vigorous defense to your kingdom, and no one knows that he has been
anything but loyal. Therefore conquer your wrath, sire, and do not fall
into such an evident sin of murder before God as to slay an innocent
man.”[326] Saul, however, became only the more wrathful and charged with
treason his son and everyone else who spoke a good word for David.
Footnote 326:
Cf. _I Samuel_, xix, 4-7.
David fled from King Saul’s wrath with a few men, but provided with
neither clothes nor weapons. He came to the city called Nob, the bishop
of which was Ahimelech, a son of Ahitub the bishop; but Ahitub was the
son of Ichabod, the son of Phineas, the son of Eli the bishop. When
David came to the bishop Ahimelech, he pretended to be traveling on an
important mission for King Saul, and asked him to give him and his men
something to eat and to furnish him with weapons. The bishop Ahimelech
gave him such victuals as he had, but weapons he had none to give him
except the sword that had belonged to Goliath; and this he gave him, for
he did not know that he was a fugitive, but believed he was traveling on
the king’s errand, as he had said. But so fierce was Saul’s hatred
toward David, that as soon as he learned that the bishop Ahimelech had
given him food, he seized the bishop and all his kinsmen and charged
them with treason. The bishop replied to the charge in this wise: “My
lord, I confess that I gave David what food I had and the weapon that I
had, for he said he was traveling on an important errand on your behalf.
Why should I not give hospitality to a man like David, who is the best
and the most highly esteemed of all the men that you have about you
except your sons, and who is furthermore your own son-in-law and has
been faithful to you in all things? Never have I had any design against
you or your honor. Do not think, my lord, that I, your servant, have
plotted with David against your will; I could not know why David
traveled in such distress, for he told me that you had sent him with
important errands; nor did I know that he had fallen into any guilt
against you.” Then Saul replied in fierce anger: “This I swear that you
shall perish to-day, you and all your kin.” Thereupon he caused the
bishop to be slain along with eighty-five other men, all of whom were
robed in the priestly dignity. After that he ordered all who dwelt in
the city of Nob to be slain, even women and children, and had the city
burned.[327]
Footnote 327:
On the fate of Ahimelech and the inhabitants of Nob, cf. _I Samuel_,
xxi, 1-9; xxii, 9-19.
Now I have revealed to you the ferocity which God found in Saul’s heart
when he removed him from the kingship, and which later became evident in
what you have now heard and in much else of like import, though I have
told this only. The displeasure which the king incurred from God fell so
heavily upon him, for the reason that God saw in his heart the fierce
avarice which later began to appear. Now he wanted to kill David, though
innocent, because he found that God loved him; and he slew the bishop,
though guiltless, and so fierce was he that he slew everything in the
city that had life and afterward burned the city. But where God had
commanded him to use severity of this sort, there he had spared; here,
however, he slew God’s servants in defiance of God’s command. But in
David’s case God passed a more lenient judgment for the reason that,
just as he perceived the ferocity in Saul’s heart, he found true
repentance and clemency in David’s heart, as I shall now show you.
There was a son of the bishop Ahimelech, Abiathar by name, who was hid
in a cave when all those were slain of whom I have just spoken. Abiathar
fled to David and told him all these happenings. But when David heard
these tidings, he sighed and spoke thus in deep sorrow: “May God in His
mercy forgive me for this slaughter, for I have too great a share in it,
having eaten your father’s bread. And now since you have come hither,
abide with me; and if God permits me to live, He will also protect you
with me, and let whatever God wishes happen to us both.” Thereupon David
elevated him to the bishop’s office which his father had held. But when
David’s kinsmen learned that he was abiding in the forest, they joined
him with a large force counting not fewer than four hundred men; and
from that time on David grew in strength as God willed.[328] He camped
among the hills with this force and made repeated attacks on Saul’s
enemies, but never on the king himself or his men. But whenever Saul
learned where David lay concealed, he marched out to seek him, intending
to slay him.
Footnote 328:
_I Samuel_, xxii, 1-2, 20-23.
Then it happened once, when David and his men were hiding in a large
cave, that Saul entered this alone on a necessary errand. Then said
David’s companions: “Now God has fulfilled what He has promised you and
has delivered your enemy into your hands; be sure to secure this
quarry.” David stole up and cut a piece off Saul’s mantle, though the
king was not aware of it, and returned to his comrades. Then David’s
companions said to him: “If you are unwilling to lay your own hand upon
him, let us kill him.” David replied: “My crime would be as great before
God, whether I do it myself or bid others do it. God keep me and all our
companions from such a sin as to lay hands upon the Lord’s anointed. He
is my master and I served him long; he is also the Lord’s anointed and
it would be a great crime, if I were to lay hands upon him, for I have
no revenge to take either for father or brother or any other kinsman;
nor is it as if he had taken the throne which he sits upon from my
kinsmen with violence or deceit; but God chose him to it and sanctified
him to His service, honoring him with His own name. Wherefore it is
right that He Who appointed him to the kingship should deprive him of it
according to His will, but not I in vengeful audacity. And I swear this
day that God alone shall call him, whether by demanding his soul or by
causing him to fall in battle before his enemies; but as for my hands,
they shall let him live many days. But I regret deeply that I injured
his garment if he shall feel hurt or dishonored because of it.”
When Saul had departed and returned to his host, David ran up on a hill
and cried: “My lord, King Saul! can you hear?” But when Saul turned to
hear what this man said, David bent both knees to the earth and bowing
before the king said to him: “Those men do ill who tell you, my lord,
that I mean to be your enemy; for now I have evidence here in my hand
that your life was in my power to-day, when you left all your host and
entered the cave alone; and it was no less in my power to injure your
life than your clothes, for here I have in my hand a large piece of the
skirt of your mantle. Now let God judge between us. You see how they
have told lying tales, who say that I have striven after your life.”
Saul appreciated these facts fully, for David spoke the truth; and he
promised that he would nevermore hate David.[329] But not many days
passed before Saul went out again to seek David, as he did constantly
after that. Now it came to pass another time, when Saul had made a
wearisome journey in search of David, that sleep came upon the king and
all his host. And David went into the camp where Saul lay, but none was
aware of it. The man who accompanied him was named Abishai and he said
to David: “Now you can see that God surely intends to deliver your enemy
into your hands, and it is not advisable to refuse what God Himself
offers you. I will thrust my spear through him, if you will permit me,
and then we shall return to our men.” David answered: “God has done this
to tempt me and to see whether I would lay my hands on His anointed. Now
I must answer as before, that God shall tear the kingship from him,
either by demanding his soul or by causing him to fall before his
enemies; but as for my hands, they shall let him live many days; for I
have no revenge to cherish against him, either for plunder or for the
loss of kinsmen, except such as was incurred while he was cleansing the
land with righteous punishment; and it is neither my proper business nor
that of anyone else to take revenge for such; for it is a more serious
matter than even a wise man can conceive to lay hands on the Lord’s
anointed, who is dedicated and hallowed to God. Let us take his
saddle-cup and his spear for a proof, and then let us return to our
forces.”[330]
Footnote 329:
The story of David and Saul at En-gedi is told in _I Samuel_, xxiv.
Footnote 330:
Cf. _I Samuel_, xxvi.
Now you will understand the character of both King Saul and David from
what I have just told you. David knew that he was chosen of God to
govern, that he was the Lord’s anointed, consecrated and hallowed to God
no less than Saul was. He also knew that God had rejected Saul. And God
delivered Saul into David’s hands, so that he could have taken Saul’s
life at any time, if he had wished. David showed great faithfulness and
humility in this, that every time he saw Saul, he bowed before him and
saluted him as any other unhallowed layman would, who had not been set
apart for chieftainship. Although Saul lay in wait for his life, David
continued to serve him, and worried the king’s enemies as much as he
could. On the other hand, Saul had nothing against David except that he
knew God had chosen him to be king; and he showed great wickedness and
fierce hatred in striving to slay an innocent man, one who served him
faithfully. He likewise displayed an inordinate vanity in wishing to
make away with a man whom God Himself had chosen to rule after him. For
these reasons God passed a severe judgment in Saul’s case; for He saw in
Saul’s heart what men could not perceive, though subsequently God made
this fact evident to the sight of men. But in David’s case God was more
lenient, for the reason that He found him always humble and faithful in
everything, as He made clear to men later on. There is further evidence
of this in the fact, that as soon as David learned that Saul and his son
Jonathan had fallen, he and all his host lamented in great sorrow, and
David spoke these words: “Be ye cursed, ye mountains of Gilboa! May God
nevermore send rain or dew or growing grass upon you, for you led King
Saul and his son Jonathan along treacherous paths in their flight across
your summits and refused to show them serviceable highways, whereby they
could save their lives from the hands of the foeman; nor did you provide
them with sheltering ramparts upon your heights. It is a bitter sorrow
for all the people of Israel, that splendid chieftains like Saul and
Jonathan should pass away from council and government. Great strength
and power have perished this day, when such excellent princes are fallen
as Saul and Jonathan were, and the many good knights with many good
weapons and much good armor who have perished with them. Let the lesser
men beware of God’s wrath, since He has allowed the heathen to lay hands
on His anointed. Let the multitude bewail a loss like this, that such
excellent rulers should fall before the heathen.”[331] Such words and
many more like them David spoke that day, and thus he lamented their
death rather than rejoiced in the fact that the realm had fallen to him
and into his keeping. From this you will observe how upright he was, how
honest and free from faults. But whenever human nature caused him to
fall into sin, he forthwith showed keen repentance, imploring God’s
mercy and compassion; and God gave heed at once to his honest regret.
Footnote 331:
Cf. David’s lament in _II Samuel_, i: 17-27. The author has made but
slight use of David’s own language.
Earlier in our conversation we have told how Absalom, King David’s son,
raised the whole land in revolt against his father. But when David’s
captains happened to meet Absalom in battle and David learned of his
death, he cried out in these words: “What shall it profit me to live, an
aged man who grows weaker day by day, now that you, my son Absalom, are
dead in the flowertime of youth? Would to God that I could die now and
that you my son might live!”[332] David was never so bitter against
other men but that he would rather suffer death himself than see
another’s death, except where he saw that punishment was inflicted on
the demand of justice. This was shown again at one time when David’s
entire kingdom incurred the wrath of God, and a pestilence came upon the
realm, so violent that people perished by thousands. When the plague
approached the city of Jerusalem, David beheld the angel, who was
smiting the people, standing between heaven and earth with a blazing
sword. And when he saw the angel with the sword lifted as if ready to
strike, he placed his neck under the edge and said: “I beg thee, O Lord,
that this sword be rather turned against my neck than that more of God’s
people shall now be slain, and that my Lord’s wrath may fall upon me,
who am guilty and worthy of punishment, and upon my family rather than
that God’s people shall be rooted out on my account.” As soon as God saw
David’s regret and heard his very acceptable prayer, He commanded the
angel to desist from slaying the people, and forthwith the plague ceased
everywhere in the kingdom.[333]
Footnote 332:
Cf. _II Samuel_, xviii, 33.
Footnote 333:
Cf. _II Samuel_, xxiv.
From these and many other similar instances you will now observe how
full of grace and goodness David was toward all men. And just as God saw
kindliness, mercy, and humility in his heart, He saw avarice, ferocity,
and unmeasured pride in Saul’s heart; consequently every fault was
graver before God in Saul’s case than in David’s; for the men were
unlike. David was the meekest and the most merciful of men, and whenever
he fell into any fault he implored God to spare him; but Saul grew
fiercer and more envious the more sins he fell into and the nearer he
saw God’s wrath approaching. Now if you think that these answers have
led you to a clearer understanding of the matters that you have asked
about, I believe it will not be necessary to discuss these subjects any
further.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
LXIV
ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE JUDGMENTS OF SOLOMON
_Son._ I see clearly now from what you told in your last speech that the
judgments were lenient in David’s case, because he regretted the sins
into which he fell, but more severe in Saul’s case, because he was less
disposed to do penance for his misdeeds. Now there are certain other
matters which I am much interested in and which I shall ask about with
your permission, namely those events that occurred after David’s death.
Once when two women came before King Solomon, quarreling about a child,
the king ordered the child to be hewn in pieces and half given to each
of them:[334] now I wish to ask whether, if neither of the women had
spoken up, the king would have hewn the child asunder or not.
Footnote 334:
See _I Kings_, iii, 16-28.
_Father._ The king ordered the child to be divided because he knew of a
surety that the one who was the mother would not be willing to have the
child divided.
_Son._ I asked whether the king would have divided the child if the
mother had kept silence.
_Father._ If the mother had been so void of mercy that she would not ask
him to spare the child, the king would have divided it between them.
_Son._ Would it not look to you like plain murder, if he had slain an
innocent child, seeing that it was not for punishment?
_Father._ It would indeed have been murder if he had killed the child;
still, the guilt would not have been with the king but with the mother,
if she had failed to beg mercy for her child, when she heard the king
render a fair judgment in their case, which she realized would mean the
child’s death; therefore the guilt would be hers if she withheld the
motherly pity which could save the child.
_Son._ What do you think about the death of Joab and Adonijah, whom King
Solomon slew? Was that a righteous judgment or not? And why did King
Solomon cause Shimei to be slain for cursing his father David, seeing
that David had already forgiven Shimei this offence?