7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, 'that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: 'seven days Heb, the business. 3 Heb. ask thee of peace. 4 Heb. it shall come to pass that when these signs, &c. Heb. do for thee as thine hand shall find. Chap. 13. 8.

8 Heb, turned. 9 Heb. a man to his neighbour. 10 Chap. 19. 24.
12 Heb. Let the king live. 18 Or, he was as though he had been deaf.

Verse 1. "Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head."-See the note on Exod. xxx. 25, and Levit. viii. 1 The act of anointing was a sign of investiture with royal authority, among the Hebrews and some other Orienta nations, from whom it has descended to ourselves-the act being part of the coronation ceremonies in our own and othe European kingdoms. Among the Hebrews, however, it was the principal, not a subordinate, act of investitur We must distinguish two sorts of unction; one was private, by some prophet, and does not appear to have con veyed any distinct right to the throne. "They were," says Jahn, "only prophetic symbols or intimations that the persons who were thus anointed should eventually govern the kingdom." Thus Saul himself did not become kin till some time after this anointing, when the kingdom was renewed at Gilgal: and thus David, though anointed i Saul's life-time, did not at all pretend to the kingly dignity, on any occasion, while Saul lived, nor afterwards til first the men of Judah, and, seven years after, the other tribes, called him to the throne. In fact, no king, at an period, alleges a right to the throne as proceeding from the previous anointing by a prophet; nor did the people con sider themselves bound to nominate him in consequence of such anointing; though the knowledge of the fact tha he had been anointed, had the effect of a prophecy in directing the attention of the people towards him, as one wh would, at some time or other, be a king. The other anointing, which took place after the new king had been solemni recognized by the people, formed the actual inauguration ceremony; and that it was repeated, even when the perso had been previously anointed by a prophet, shows that this previous anointing was only considered as a prophetic inti mation. David, who had been prophetically anointed by Samuel, was twice afterwards anointed when successivel called to reign over Judah and Israel. The more solemn inaugural anointing, was performed by the high-priest, an

probably with the holy anointing oil. This solemn anointing does not however appear to have been confirmed on every succeeding king. The first king of a dynasty seems to have been anointed for himself and his successors, and the proper heir succeeded to the rights of his father, without a renewal of the unction. The only exception appears to have been in cases of disputed succession, when the anointing was deemed to give the preference to the person who obtained it. Thus David, as the founder of a new dynasty, was anointed; but none of his successors were, except when the order of succession was contested or disturbed. Thus, Solomon was anointed, his right being contested by his elder brother Adon jah; Joash was anointed, when his claim was asserted, after the throne of Judah had been usurped and occupied for six years by Athaliah. The case of Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, the only other king in the hereditary kingdom who is said to have been anointed (2 Kings xxiii. 30), seems at first view to be an exception to this rule, but, on further examination, the act is so described as to convey an idea of irregularity: “The people of the land took Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king:" and the irregularity itself is found by comparing his age with that of Jehoiakim (verses 31 and 36), by which we find that he superseded his elder brother; and this sufficiently accounts for his having been anointed. This is the view which the Hebrew writers entertain of the practice; and it appears to be correct, unless we suppose that other anointings took place in the kingdom of Judah than those which are registered in the sacred books.

EGYPTIAN MODE OF ANOINTING.

Kissed him."-This is thought to have been a kiss of homage and respect, and intended as an example of obedience to the new king. We do not feel assured that Samuel's kiss was more than one of common regard: but it may be as well to speak of it as a kiss of respectful homage, as it is certain such was in use among the Jews. Thus, in Psalm ii. 12, the kings and judges of the earth are instructed to "kiss the son, lest he be angry;" doubtless meaning that they should offer the kiss of homage. The kisses of homage and respect, so mentioned or alluded to in the Bible as to enable us to discover the forms in which they were exhibited, are kissing the hands of the superior person, or his feet, or the ground before him, or some part of his dress. No one will suppose that Samuel's kiss was of this description, since such acts imply the humblest deference that can be shown. If his kiss were really the kiss of respect, it was probably of that kind which is indicated by kissing the forehead, and which implies respectful consideration mingled with esteem. Such was Antar's salutation of Prince Malik: "Antar kissed the prince's head, and prayed for a continuance of his glory" (vol. ii. p. 119). This act has still the same meaning among the modern Bedouins; but the state of the great Oriental sovereigns does not admit of any but the mere abject indications of respect. The shades of meaning, as denoting affection and respect, are so diversified, as connected with the act of kissing, that it is not easy to understand what is intended, when the act is simply mentioned without specification. We shall, however, endeavour to discriminate the different meanings as they occur.

5. Hill of God."-Some infer from chap. xiii. 3, that this was Geba, where there certainly was a garrison of the Philistines. Wherever it was, we may conclude that this name, "hill of God," was applied to it on account of a school of the prophets being established there, where young men received instruction in the Divine Law. The students in this school (such as are elsewhere called "sons of the prophets ") were doubtless the "company of prophets," mentioned in the sequel. This is the first intimation we have concerning the existence of such establishments, and we may, with probability, attribute their origin to Samuel, in his combined character of a prophet and civil ruler of the country. These sons, or pupils, of the prophets, are often afterwards mentioned, and they appear at times to have been numerous. The establishments to which they belonged seem to have been generally presided over by some inspired prophet, whom the students called their father (2 Kings ii. 12). Samuel was one, and perhaps the first, of these fathers (chap. xix. 20, Elijah was another (2 Kings ii. 2), and was succeeded in his office by Elisha (2 Kings vi. 1). Besides the knowledge of the law, the pupils acquired the art of sacred psalmody, or (as it is called here and in 1 Chron. xxv. 1. 7) of prophesying, that is, of singing sacred hymns to instrumental music. Saul's "prophesying" seems to have consisted in his being enabled, in spirit and fact, to join them in their musical acts of praise, without that previous instruction which they had received. The students were employed by the prophets occasionally in prophetical missions, even for the

anointing of future kings, and the reproving of those that reigned (2 Kings ix. 1; 1 Kings xx. 15). It seems that God generally selected his inspired prophets from those schools, as Amos (vii. 14, 15) mentions it as extraordinary that, in his case, a herdsman, rather than one of the sons of the prophets, had been called to the prophetic office. The students lived in a society or community, in houses built by themselves, and were accustomed to eat together with the presiding prophet; and their food seems to have been chiefly pottage of herbs; but the people sometimes sent them bread, parched corn, honey, dried fruits, &c. (2 Kings iv. 38–42; vi. 2). This is the substance of what the Scriptures say about the schools of the prophets.

23. "He was higher than any of the people from his shoulders, and upward.”—This circumstance has already been pointed out in verse 2 of the preceding chapter; and, no doubt, the stature of Saul had no small effect in procuring for him the ready acclamations of the people. It is evident that the Hebrews partook fully in the notion, which we find everywhere in the early history of nations, that height of stature and accomplishments of person, formed one of the principal recommendations to honour. This was not only the feeling of the people, but of Samuel himself, for when he was sent to anoint Jesse's sons, the tall figure and fine appearance of Eliab made him hastily conclude that he must be the destined king of Israel; which mistake occasioned the impressive rebuke from the Lord: "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (ch. xvi. 7). Antiquity is replete with exhibitions of the same kind of feeling. In the sculptures of Egypt and Persia, the king is usually distinguished by his size and stature from the persons with whom he is associated-not, of course, that the kings were always, or even generally, thus actually distinguished from their subjects; but they were so represented, in conformity with the ideas of dignity as associated with colossal proportions. There is an interesting passage in Homer, where the old king of Troy, viewing the battle-field from the walls, asks Helen the names of the several Grecian chiefs who attract his attention. It is remarkable that Priam's attention is exclusively drawn towards the tall colossal men, and these, according to Homer, happen to be the most distinguished chiefs of the Grecian host. So of Agamemnon, "the king of men," he says:—

After Helen has satisfied the king, Antenor takes occasion thus to compare Menelaus and Ulysses, as they had appeared to him at a feast:

"Atrides by the shoulders overtopped

The prince of Ithaca; but when they sat,
Ulysses had the more majestic air."

The king next was attracted by the appearance of Ajax.

"Yon Achaian chief,

Whose head and shoulders tower above the rest,
And of such bulk prodigious-who is he?"

Herodotus (iii. 20.) speaks of an Ethiopian nation, which always elected to the sovereign power the person most distinguished for size and proportionate strength, under the idea (as Diodorus seems to explain it—iii. 1), that monarchy and a fine person, being the two first gifts of Heaven, ought to be associated. The same author (Herodotus), speaking of the vast army mustered by Xerxes for the invasion of Greece, takes notice that, in an assemblage of so many myriads of men, there was not one who, in point of height and beauty of form, might seem more fit than Xerxes to be the master of such a host. It would be tedious to trace the development of the same feeling among the Greeks, Romans and other nations, who, however widely they differed in other respects, agreed very well in the desire to give the place of authority to persons of superior personal appearance, when no stronger interest intervened. This kind of feeling is not yet wholly extinct, even in Europe, where, although distinguished stature is not expected in persons of authority state requires its exhibition in the guards and attendants of royalty. This too was very ancient; for, if we may believe Josephus, when king Solomon rode abroad in his chariot, he was escorted by the tallest young men that could be found in the nation, mounted on horseback, and in complete armour. This "modern" practice is therefore as old as the time of Josephus, if not so old as that of Solomon.

25. "The manner of the kingdom."-See the note on 2 Sam. v. 3.

27. "Brought him no presents.”—See the notes on Judges iii. 15; and chap. ix. 7.

CHAPTER XI.

1 Nahash offereth them of Jabesh-gilead a reproachful condition. 4 They send messengers, and are delivered by Saul. 12 Saul thereby is confirmed, and his kingdom renewed.

THEN Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead: and all

the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.

Heb. as one man. 8 Or, deliveranc