Return to
The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
The Antiquities of the Jews
Written by Flavius Josephus
Translated by William Whiston
Book Six
Chapter 13
How David, When He Had Twice The Opportunity
Of Killing Saul Did Not Kill Him. Also Concerning The Death Of
Samuel And Nabal
1. About this time it was that David heard how the Philistines
had made an inroad into the country of Keilah, and robbed it; so
he offered himself to fight against them, if God, when he should
be consulted by the prophet, would grant him the victory. And
when the prophet said that God gave a signal of victory, he made
a sudden onset upon the Philistines with his companions, and he
shed a great deal of their blood, and carried off their prey,
and staid with the inhabitants of Keilah till they had securely
gathered in their corn and their fruits. However, it was told
Saul the king that David was with the men of Keilah; for what
had been done and the great success that had attended him, were
not confined among the people where the things were done, but
the fame of it went all abroad, and came to the hearing of
others, and both the fact as it stood, and the author of the
fact, were carried to the king's ears. Then was Saul glad when
he heard David was in Keilah; and he said, "God hath now put him
into my hands, since he hath obliged him to come into a city
that hath walls, and gates, and bars." So he commanded all the
people suddenly, and when they had besieged and taken it to kill
David. But when David perceived this, and learned of God that if
he staid there the men of Keilah would deliver him up to Saul,
he took his four hundred men and retired into a desert that was
over against a city called Engedi. So that when the king heard
he was fled away from the men of Keilah, he left off his
expedition against him.
2. Then David removed thence, and came to a certain place called
the New Place, belonging to Ziph; where Jonathan, the son of
Saul, came to him, and saluted him, and exhorted him to be of
good courage, and to hope well as to his condition hereafter,
and not to despond at his present circumstances, for that he
should be king, and have all the forces of the Hebrews under
him: he told him that such happiness uses to come with great
labor and pains: they also took oaths, that they would, all
their lives long, continue in good-will and fidelity one to
another; and he called God to witness, as to what execrations he
had made upon himself if he should transgress his covenant, and
should change to a contrary behavior. So Jonathan left him
there, having rendered his cares and fears somewhat lighter, and
returned home. Now the men of Ziph, to gratify Saul, informed
him that David abode with them, and [assured him] that if he
would come to them, they would deliver him up, for that if the
king would seize on the Straits of Ziph, David would not escape
to any other people. So the king commended them, and confessed
that he had reason to thank them, because they had given him
information of his enemy; and he promised them, that it should
not be long ere he would requite their kindness. He also sent
men to seek for David, and to search the wilderness wherein he
was; and he promised that he himself would follow them.
Accordingly they went before the king, to hunt for and to catch
David, and used endeavors, not only to show their good-will to
Saul, by informing him where his enemy was, but to evidence the
same more plainly by delivering him up into his power. But these
men failed of those their unjust and wicked desires, who, while
they underwent no hazard by not discovering such an ambition of
revealing this to Saul, yet did they falsely accuse and promise
to deliver up a man beloved of God, and one that was unjustly
sought after to be put to death, and one that might otherwise
have lain concealed, and this out of flattery, and expectation
of gain from the king; for when David was apprized of the
malignant intentions of the men of Ziph, and the approach of
Saul, he left the Straits of that country, and fled to the great
rock that was in the wilderness of Maon.
3. Hereupon Saul made haste to pursue him thither; for, as he
was marching, he learned that David was gone away from the
Straits of Ziph, and Saul removed to the other side of the rock.
But the report that the Philistines had again made an incursion
into the country of the Hebrews, called Saul another way from
the pursuit of David, when he was ready to be caught; for he
returned back again to oppose those Philistines, who were
naturally their enemies, as judging it more necessary to avenge
himself of them, than to take a great deal of pains to catch an
enemy of his own, and to overlook the ravage that was made in
the land.
4. And by this means David unexpectedly escaped out of the
danger he was in, and came to the Straits of Engedi; and when
Saul had driven the Philistines out of the land, there came some
messengers, who told him that David abode within the bounds of
Engedi: so he took three thousand chosen men that were armed,
and made haste to him; and when he was not far from those
places, he saw a deep and hollow cave by the way-side; it was
open to a great length and breadth, and there it was that David
with his four hundred men were concealed. When therefore he had
occasion to ease nature, he entered into it by himself alone;
and being seen by one of David's companions, and he that saw him
saying to him, that he had now, by God's providence, an
opportunity of avenging himself of his adversary; and advising
him to cut off his head, and so deliver himself out of that
tedious, wandering condition, and the distress he was in; he
rose up, and only cut off the skirt of that garment which Saul
had on: but he soon repented of what he had done; and said it
was not right to kill him that was his master, and one whom God
had thought worthy of the kingdom; "for that although he were
wickedly disposed towards us, yet does it not behoove me to be
so disposed towards him." But when Saul had left the cave, David
came near and cried out aloud, and desired Saul to hear him;
whereupon the king turned his face back, and David, according to
custom, fell down on his face before the king, and bowed to him;
and said, "O king, thou oughtest not to hearken to wicked men,
nor to such as forge calumnies, nor to gratify them so far as to
believe what they say, nor to entertain suspicions of such as
are your best friends, but to judge of the dispositions of all
men by their actions; for calumny deludes men, but men's own
actions are a clear demonstration of their kindness. Words
indeed, in their own nature, may be either true or false, but
men's actions expose their intentions nakedly to our view. By
these, therefore it will be well for thee to believe me, as to
my regard to thee and to thy house, and not to believe those
that frame such accusations against me as never came into my
mind, nor are possible to be executed, and do this further by
pursuing after my life, and have no concern either day or night,
but how to compass my life and to murder me, which thing I think
thou dost unjustly prosecute; for how comes it about, that thou
hast embraced this false opinion about me, as if I had a desire
to kill thee? Or how canst thou escape the crime of impiety
towards God, when thou wishest thou couldst kill, and deemest
thine adversary, a man who had it in his power this day to
avenge himself, and to punish thee, but would not do it? nor
make use of such an opportunity, which, if it had fallen out to
thee against me, thou hadst not let it slip, for when I cut off
the skirt of thy garment, I could have done the same to thy
head." So he showed him the piece of his garment, and thereby
made him agree to what he said to be true; and added, "I, for
certain, have abstained from taking a just revenge upon thee,
yet art thou not ashamed to prosecute me with unjust hatred.
(23) May God do justice, and determine about each of our
dispositions." - But Saul was amazed at the strange delivery he
had received; and being greatly affected with the moderation and
the disposition of the young man, he groaned; and when David had
done the same, the king answered that he had the justest
occasion to groan, "for thou hast been the author of good to me,
as I have been the author of calamity to thee; and thou hast
demonstrated this day, that thou possessest the righteousness of
the ancients, who determined that men ought to save their
enemies, though they caught them in a desert place. I am now
persuaded that God reserves the kingdom for thee, and that thou
wilt obtain the dominion over all the Hebrews. Give me then
assurances upon oath, That thou wilt not root out my family,
nor, out of remembrance of what evil I have done thee, destroy
my posterity, but save and preserve my house." So David sware as
he desired, and sent back Saul to his own kingdom; but he, and
those that were with him, went up the Straits of Mastheroth.
5. About this time Samuel the prophet died. He was a man whom
the Hebrews honored in an extraordinary degree: for that
lamentation which the people made for him, and this during a
long time, manifested his virtue, and the affection which the
people bore for him; as also did the solemnity and concern that
appeared about his funeral, and about the complete observation
of all his funeral rites. They buried him in his own city of
Ramah; and wept for him a very great number of days, not looking
on it as a sorrow for the death of another man, but as that in
which they were every one themselves concerned. He was a
righteous man, and gentle in his nature; and on that account he
was very dear to God. Now he governed and presided over the
people alone, after the death of Eli the high priest, twelve
years, and eighteen years together with Saul the king. And thus
we have finished the history of Samuel.
6. There was a man that was a Ziphite, of the city of Maon, who
was rich, and had a vast number of cattle; for he fed a flock of
three thousand sheep, and another flock of a thousand goats. Now
David had charged his associates to keep these flocks without
hurt and without damage, and to do them no mischief, neither out
of covetousness, nor because they were in want, nor because they
were in the wilderness, and so could not easily be discovered,
but to esteem freedom from injustice above all other motives,
and to look upon the touching of what belonged to another man as
a horrible crime, and contrary to the will of God. These were
the instructions he gave, thinking that the favors he granted
this man were granted to a good man, and one that deserved to
have such care taken of his affairs. This man was Nabal, for
that was his name, - a harsh man, and of a very wicked life,
being like a cynic in the course of his behavior, but still had
obtained for his wife a woman of a good character, wise and
handsome. To this Nabal, therefore, David sent ten men of his
attendants at the time when he sheared his sheep, and by them
saluted him; and also wished he might do what he now did for
many years to come, but desired him to make him a present of
what he was able to give him, since he had, to be sure, learned
from his shepherds that we had done them no injury, but had been
their guardians a long time together, while we continued in the
wilderness; and he assured him he should never repent of giving
any thing to David. When the messengers had carried this message
to Nabal, he accosted them after an inhuman and rough manner;
for he asked them who David was? and when he heard that he was
the son of Jesse, he said, "Now is the time that fugitives grow
insolent, and make a figure, and leave their masters." When they
told David this, he was wroth, and commanded four hundred armed
men to follow him, and left two hundred to take care of the
stuff, (for he had already six hundred, (24)) and went against
Nabal: he also swore that he would that night utterly destroy
the whole house and possessions of Nabal; for that he was
grieved, not only that he had proved ungrateful to them, without
making any return for the humanity they had shown him, but that
he had also reproached them, and used ill language to them, when
he had received no cause of disgust from them.
7. Hereupon one of those that kept the flocks of Nabal, said to
his mistress, Nabal's wife, that when David sent to her husband
he had received no civil answer at all from him; but that her
husband had moreover added very reproachful language, while yet
David had taken extraordinary care to keep his flocks from harm,
and that what had passed would prove very pernicious to his
master. When the servant had said this, Abigail, for that was
his wife's name, saddled her asses, and loaded them with all
sorts of presents; and, without telling her husband any thing of
what she was about, (for he was not sensible on account of his
drunkenness,) she went to David. She was then met by David as
she was descending a hill, who was coming against Nabal with
four hundred men. When the woman saw David, she leaped down from
her ass, and fell on her face, and bowed down to the ground; and
entreated him not to bear in mind the words of Nabal, since he
knew that he resembled his name. Now Nabal, in the Hebrew
tongue, signifies folly. So she made her apology, that she did
not see the messengers whom he sent. "Forgive me, therefore,"
said she, "and thank God, who hath hindered thee from shedding
human blood; for so long as thou keepest thyself innocent, he
will avenge thee of wicked men, (25) for what miseries await
Nabal, they will fall upon the heads of thine enemies. Be thou
gracious to me, and think me so far worthy as to accept of these
presents from me; and, out of regard to me, remit that wrath and
that anger which thou hast against my husband and his house, for
mildness and humanity become thee, especially as thou art to be
our king." Accordingly, David accepted her presents, and said,
"Nay, but, O woman, it was no other than God's mercy which
brought thee to us today, for, otherwise, thou hadst never seen
another day, I having sworn to destroy Nabal's house this very
night, and to leave alive not one of you who belonged to a man
that was wicked and ungrateful to me and my companions; but now
hast thou prevented me, and seasonably mollified my anger, as
being thyself under the care of God's providence: but as for
Nabal, although for thy sake he now escape punishment, he will
not always avoid justice; for his evil conduct, on some other
occasion, will be his ruin."
8. When David had said this, he dismissed the woman. But when
she came home and found her husband feasting with a great
company, and oppressed with wine, she said nothing to him then
about what had happened; but on the next day, when he was sober,
she told him all the particulars, and made his whole body to
appear like that of a dead man by her words, and by that grief
which arose from them; so Nabal survived ten days, and no more,
and then died. And when David heard of his death, he said that
God had justly avenged him of this man, for that Nabal had died
by his own wickedness, and had suffered punishment on his
account, while he had kept his own hands clean. At which time he
understood that the wicked are prosecuted by God; that he does
not overlook any man, but bestows on the good what is suitable
to them, and inflicts a deserved punishment on the wicked. So he
sent to Nabal's wife, and invited her to come to him, to live
with him, and to be his wife. Whereupon she replied to those
that came, that she was not worthy to touch his feet; however,
she came, with all her servants, and became his wife, having
received that honor on account of her wise and righteous course
of life. She also obtained the same honor partly on account of
her beauty. Now David had a wife before, whom he married from
the city Abesar; for as to Michal, the daughter of king Saul,
who had been David's wife, her father had given her in marriage
to Phalti, the son of Laish, who was of the city of Gallim.
9. After this came certain of the Ziphites, and told Saul that
David was come again into their country, and if he would afford
them his assistance, they could catch him. So he came to them
with three thousand armed men; and upon the approach of night,
he pitched his camp at a certain place called Hachilah. But when
David heard that Saul was coming against him, he sent spies, and
bid them let him know to what place of the country Saul was
already come; and when they told him that he was at Hachilah, he
concealed his going away from his companions, and came to Saul's
camp, having taken with him Abishai, his sister Zeruiah's son,
and Ahimelech the Hittite. Now Saul was asleep, and the armed
men, with Abner their commander, lay round about him in a
circle. Hereupon David entered into the king's tent; but he did
neither kill Saul, though he knew where he lay, by the spear
that was stuck down by him, nor did he give leave to Abishai,
who would have killed him, and was earnestly bent upon it so to
do; for he said it was a horrid crime to kill one that was
ordained king by God, although he was a wicked man; for that he
who gave him the dominion would in time inflict punishment upon
him. So he restrained his eagerness; but that it might appear to
have been in his power to have killed him when he refrained from
it, he took his spear, and the cruse of water which stood by
Saul as he lay asleep, without being perceived by any in the
camp, who were all asleep, and went securely away, having
performed every thing among the king's attendants that the
opportunity afforded, and his boldness encouraged him to do. So
when he had passed over a brook, and was gotten up to the top of
a hill, whence he might be sufficiently heard, he cried aloud to
Saul's soldiers, and to Abner their commander, and awaked them
out of their sleep, and called both to him and to the people.
Hereupon the commander heard him, and asked who it was that
called him. To whom David replied, "It is I, the son of Jesse,
whom you make a vagabond. But what is the matter? Dost thou,
that art a man of so great dignity, and of the first rank in the
king's court, take so little care of thy master's body? and is
sleep of more consequence to thee than his preservation, and thy
care of him? This negligence of yours deserves death, and
punishment to be inflicted on you, who never perceived when, a
little while ago, some of us entered into your camp, nay, as far
as to the king himself, and to all the rest of you. If thou look
for the king's spear and his cruse of water, thou wilt learn
what a mighty misfortune was ready to overtake you in your very
camp without your knowing it." Now when Saul knew David's voice,
and understood that when he had him in his power while he was
asleep, and his guards took no care of him, yet did not he kill
him, but spared him, when he might justly have cut him off, he
said that he owed him thanks for his preservation; and exhorted
him to be of good courage, and not be afraid of suffering any
mischief from him any more, and to return to his own home, for
he was now persuaded that he did not love himself so well as he
was loved by him: that he had driven away him that could guard
him, and had given many demonstrations of his good-will to him:
that he had forced him to live so long in a state of banishment,
and in great fears of his life, destitute of his friends and his
kindred, while still he was often saved by him, and frequently
received his life again when it was evidently in danger of
perishing. So David bade them send for the spear and the cruse
of water, and take them back; adding this withal, That God would
be the judge of both their dispositions, and of the actions that
flowed from the same, "who knows that then it was this day in my
power to have killed thee I abstained from it."
10. Thus Saul having escaped the hands of David twice, he went
his way to his royal palace, and his own city: but David was
afraid, that if he staid there he should be caught by Saul; so
he thought it better to go up into the land of the Philistines,
and abide there. Accordingly, he came with the six hundred men
that were with him to Achish, the king of Gath, which was one of
their five cities. Now the king received both him and his men,
and gave them a place to inhabit in. He had with him also his
two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, and he dwelt in Gath. But when
Saul heard this, he took no further care about sending to him,
or going after him, because he had been twice, in a manner,
caught by him, while he was himself endeavoring to catch him.
However, David had no mind to continue in the city of Gath, but
desired the king, that since he had received him with such
humanity, that he would grant him another favor, and bestow upon
him some place of that country for his habitation, for he was
ashamed, by living in the city, to be grievous and burdensome to
him. So Achish gave him a certain village called Ziklag; which
place David and his sons were fond of when he was king, and
reckoned it to be their peculiar inheritance. But about those
matters we shall give the reader further information elsewhere.
Now the time that David dwelt in Ziklag, in the land of the
Philistines, was four months and twenty days. And now he
privately attacked those Geshurites and Amalekites that were
neighbors to the Philistines, and laid waste their country, and
took much prey of their beasts and camels, and then returned
home; but David abstained from the men, as fearing they should
discover him to king Achish; yet did he send part of the prey to
him as a free gift. And when the king inquired whom they had
attacked when they brought away the prey, he said, those that
lay to the south of the Jews, and inhabited in the plain;
whereby he persuaded Achish to approve of what he had done, for
he hoped that David had fought against his own nation, and that
now he should have him for his servant all his life long, and
that he would stay in his country.
Continue on to
Book
Six,
Chapter 14,
The Antiquities of the Jews
by
Flavius Josephus
Return to
The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
Return to the
Christians Standing with Israel
*******************************************************************
Christians Standing with Israel
About Christians Standing with Israel
Israel Resources
Israel Media
Israel News
Israel Blog
Israel Pictures
Friends of Israel
Contact Christians Standing with Israel
site map
http://www.christiansstandingwithisrael.com/