- 153-
(^194) The whole history tends to show that David was alone, alike in Nob and
afterwards in Gath, though from Mark 2:25, 26, we infer that a few faithful friends
may have kept about him to watch over his safety till he reached the border of
Philistia.
(^195) The passage in the Hebrew is very difficult. The word which we have rendered
"instrument" is applied to human instrumentality in Genesis 49:5; Isaiah 13:5;
32:7; Jeremiah 50:25; comp. also Acts 9:15.
(^196) The Psalm evidently refers to the time of Saul's persecutions. On this point
critics are almost unanimous. Most of them, however, take the word "Cush" as the
name of a person (though it nowhere else occurs), and date his otherwise unknown
"report" in the period between 1 Samuel 24 and 27 (comp. 26:19). But I regard the
term "Cush" - the Cushite, Ethiopian - as an equivalent for "Edomite," and explain
the expression "the Benjamite," as referring to Doeg's identification (as a proselyte)
with the Benjamites, and his probable settlement among them, as evidenced by 1
Samuel 22:7, 9. The Rabbis have a curious conceit on this point, which, as it has
not been told by any previous critic, and is incorrectly alluded to by Delitzsch and
Moll, may here find a place. It occurs in Sifre 27 a, where the expression, Numbers
12:1, is applied to Zipporah, it being explained that she is called "a Cushite"
(Ethiopian), because, as the Ethiopian differed by his skin from all other men, so
Zipporah by her beauty from all women. Similarly the inscription, Psalm 7:1, is
applied to Saul, the term Cush, or Ethiopian, being explained by a reference to 1
Samuel 9:2. On the same principle, Amos 9:7 is accounted for, because Israel
differed from all others, the Law being given to them only, while, lastly, the Ebed-
melech, or servant of the king, in Jeremiah 38:7, is supposed to have been Baruch,
because he differed by his deeds from all the other servants.
(^197) The LXX., by a slight alteration in the Hebrew lettering, have rendered it
"beating" or "drumming."
(^198) Instead of, "that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my
presence" (21:15), as in our Authorised Version, translate, "that ye have brought
this one to rave against me."
(^199) We have arranged these Psalms in the chronological order of the events to
which they refer, although we would not, of course, be understood as implying that
they were exactly composed at those very periods.
(^200) See Lieutenant Conder's very interesting paper on The Scenery of David's
Outlaw Life, in the Quarterly Report of the Palestine Exploration Fund, for Jan.
(^)