Commentaria in I Regum (I Samuelis)
AND WITH WHOM THEY ARE PLACED LEARN.—In Hebrew arubbatam, that is, take their mixture, that is, learn with whom they are mixed and associated. Perhaps our version, instead of arubbatam, read the similar arukatam, that is, their order. Whence it renders, with whom they are placed learn; the Septuagint, learn what they need; the Chaldee, bring their goodness; Pagninus, take their pledge, that is, redeem; Vatablus, bring certain things of a different kind (as mixed) which thou mayest give them.
20. AND HE CAME TO THE PLACE OF MAGALA.—A place so called, as the rampart of the camp, from its circular form; for agol signifies round or a circle; or from the circuit of chariots; for with these they are wont to fence camps, and chariots are driven on round or circular wheels. Whence the Septuagint render, and he came to the rotundity; the Chaldee, came into the camp; Vatablus, came into the rampart of the camp.
26. FOR WHO IS THIS UNCIRCUMCISED PHILISTINE, THAT HE SHOULD DEFY THE ARMIES OF THE LIVING GOD?—Behold, David, now impelled by the Spirit of God, is in travail with a single combat with Goliath, to defend the honour both of God and of Israel. Whence St. Ambrose on Psalm 118, sermon 17: “David,” he says, “all being terrified, made light of the onset of the Philistine, and in single combat took upon himself the whole weight of the war and of the entire battle, by his own virtue alone refuting the common disgrace and turning back upon the enemy the reproach of the whole people.” And in sermon 18, he teaches that David here prefigured Christ: “For he bore the type of Him,” he says, “who was to come upon the earth as one despised, and without legate, without helper, without messenger, to free the whole people of this world by the battle of His cross; to whom the souls of the saints, renewed through the Sacraments of baptism, would applaud, because He had slain with the sword of His word that true Goliath revealed and betrayed to us. The true Goliath lies, therefore, laid low by the humility of the Son of God; he has lost the head which he turned to many arts and frauds. Souls now sing securely, who before wept over the torments of their sins. They say, with timbrels, that is, resounding with their bodies dead to sin: Saul hath slain his thousands, David his ten thousands. That hard king is indignant, and the devil is angry, because the young women sang, for the son of hardness deceived few, Christ redeemed the whole world.”
28. AND WHEN ELIAB HIS ELDER BROTHER HEARD HIM, etc., HE WAS ANGRY WITH DAVID, etc.,—either out of human prudence reproving the curiosity, pride and rashness of the young David, as one who sought a single combat with a giant; or doing this very thing out of a certain emulation or little envy, says Theodoret. Whence allegorically St. Augustine, in sermon 197 already cited: “This elder brother,” he says, “who out of malice rebuked David, bearing the type of Christ, signified the people of the Jews, who out of envy detracted from Christ the Lord, who had come for the salvation of the human race, and often afflicted Him with many injuries. Why, he says, hast thou left those sheep and come to the battle? as though the devil, envying the salvation of men, seemed to speak through his mouth: as if he said to Christ: Why hast Thou left the ninety-nine sheep that had not strayed, and come to seek the one that was lost, and to call it back to its own fold, freed by the staff of the cross from the hand of the spiritual Goliath, that is, from the power of the devil? Why, he says, hast thou left those few sheep?”
29. IS IT NOT A WORD?—as if to say: I do not seek to fight, as thou seemest to accuse me of having left the sheep for that cause, but only talk of the common rumour and speech which is on everyone’s lips concerning this giant. So St. Chrysostom, homily 46 on Genesis: “See,” he says, “his prudence and meekness. He says nothing rash or harsh to them, but, checking their flame and soothing their envy, he says: Did you see me take up arms? Did you see me set in array with the rest in the line? I only wished to see and to ask: Why are you so mad against this man?”
31. AND THE WORDS WHICH DAVID SPOKE WERE REHEARSED,—when he inquired about the reward of him who should conquer Goliath; whence those who heard knew his courage and desire of fighting a duel with Goliath, sent into him by God; and therefore reported the whole matter to Saul, who, seeing and hearing David offering himself with so great a spirit for the duel with the giant, recognised in him something heavenly and divine. For, as St. Chrysostom says, in the homily On David and Saul, David not out of pride or rashness, but out of zeal and charity for his country ran against the barbarian.
36. FOR I THY SERVANT HAVE KILLED BOTH A LION AND A BEAR.—Allegorically St. Augustine, sermon 197: “David, that is Christ, then strangled the lion and the bear, when, descending to the lower regions, he freed all from their jaws. Finally hear the Prophet supplicating in the person of the Lord: Deliver my soul from the sword, my only one from the hand of the dog; save me from the lion’s mouth. And because the bear has strength in its hand, and the lion in its mouth, in these two beasts the same devil is figured. This, then, was said in the person of Christ, that His only Church might be taken from the hand, that is, from the power, or from the mouth of the devil.”
Tropologically, Abbot Paemen, asked by one tempted with the spirit of fornication to give him a remedy, answered with that of David, 1 Kings 17: “I struck the lion, and often strangled the bear. This is thus understood, because I cut off anger from my mind, and afflicted fornication with labours.” So Rufinus in the Lives of the Fathers, book 3, no. 16.
38. AND SAUL CLOTHED DAVID WITH HIS GARMENTS.—For he saw that such courage in David could not be but from God; he thought him therefore driven by God to this duel. Hence it is plain that David was tall of body; for otherwise the garments and arms of the tall Saul could not have been fitted to him. Less fitting is what Lyranus, Serarius and others say, that these garments are called Saul’s, not because they were his own, but because they were taken from his wardrobe. Worse, the Rabbis feign that God adapted the garments of Saul to the body of David. Saul did this to honour David and encourage him to the duel.
40. AND HE TOOK HIS STAFF, etc., AND CHOSE HIM FIVE SMOOTH STONES OUT OF THE BROOK, AND PUT THEM IN THE SHEPHERD’S SCRIP,—such as shepherds are wont to use, to store their little things in it. Less aptly, therefore, do St. Chrysostom, St. Augustine and Rupert render, instead of scrip, a pail, or milk-pail, in which shepherds are wont to milk the milk from the sheep. For what is a milk-pail for in this duel?
AND WENT FORTH AGAINST THE PHILISTINE.—“David seemed to men unarmed, but he was armed with the sword of the divinity,” says St. Ambrose, sermon 18.
he says, bore the type of Christ. For who could fight against Goliath, that is, the devil, before Christ the Lord freed the human race from the power of the devil? For David is interpreted strong of hand. What is stronger than He, brethren, who conquered the whole world armed not with iron but with wood? The children of Israel stood, then, against their adversaries forty days. Forty days, on account of the four seasons and the four parts of the globe of the earth, signify the present life, in which the Christian people ceases not to fight against Goliath and his army, that is, against the devil and his angels. Nor yet could it conquer, unless the true David, Christ, had come down with the staff, that is, with the mystery of the cross.” And after some things: “Christ came, therefore, and bound the devil. But someone says: If he is bound, why does he still prevail so much? It is true, dearest brethren, that he prevails much, but he lords it over the lukewarm and negligent, and those who do not truly fear God: for he is bound like a dog tied with chains, and can bite no one except him who has joined himself to him by deadly security. See now, brethren, how foolish is that man whom a dog placed on a chain bites. Do not thou join thyself to him by the wills and desires of the world, and he will not presume to approach thee: he can bark, he can solicit, he cannot bite at all except one who is willing. For he harms not by compelling but by persuading, nor extorts consent from us, but asks for it.” And soon: “David took the staff, Christ bears the cross.”
Tropologically St. Bernard, in the sermon for the fourth Sunday after Pentecost, takes by the five stones of David five virtues, by which we lay low Goliath, that is, the elation of the mind, namely the threatening of punishments, the promise of rewards, the love of God, the imitation of the saints, and prayer.