The Death of Saul | Page 6

rusht
Upon
the Royal captive, who, till then,
Had lain by them unseen. But while
the shout
Swept like a storm along the swelling ranks
The soul of
Saul went drifting through the dark,
Like some fair ship with sails
and cordage rent,
Out from the stormy trials of his life,
To tempt
the terrors of an unknown sea.
And then the cry of lamentation rose

In Israel, and the Hebrew maidens hung
Their speechless harps upon
the willow branch,
And mourned the loved and lost unceasingly.
(_a_) Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and
they said, Nay, but we will have a King over us, that we also may be
like all the nations. And Samuel said to all the people, "See ye him
whom the Lord hath chosen." And all the people shouted and said,
"God save the King!"--I SAMUEL, viii. and ix. 19, 20, 24.
(_b_) And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons
judges over Israel. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned

aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.--I SAMUEL,
viii., 1, 2.
(_c_) And Saul said, "Bring hither a burnt offering," and he offered the
burnt offering. And Samuel came, and Saul went out to meet him. And
Samuel said, "What hast thou done? Thou hast not kept the
commandment of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee, and thy
kingdom shall not continue."--I SAMUEL, xiii., 10, 14.
(_d_) And Samuel said, "The Lord sent thee, and said go and utterly
destroy the sinners, the Amalekites. Wherefore didst thou not obey the
voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil?" And Saul said unto
Samuel, "The people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, to sacrifice unto
the Lord thy God at Gilgal." And Samuel said, "Behold, to obey is
better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion
is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected
thee."--I SAMUEL, xv,, 18, 23.
(_e_) And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul,
that David took an harp, and played with his hand. So Saul was
refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.--I
SAMUEL, xvi., 23.
(_f_) And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and
pitched in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they
pitched in Gilboa.--I SAMUEL, xxviii., 4.
(_g_) Then said Saul unto his servants, "Seek me a woman that hath a
familiar spirit, that I may go to her and enquire of her." And his
servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar
spirit at Endor." And Saul disguised himself, and came to the woman
by night. And he said, "I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit,
and bring him up whom I shall name of thee."--I SAMUEL, xxviii., 7,
8.
(_h_) And Samuel said to Saul, "Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring
me up?" And Saul answered, "I am sore distressed, for the Philistines

make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me
no more. Therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known
unto me what I shall do." And Samuel said, "Because thou obeyedst not
the voice of the Lord, nor executedst not his fierce wrath upon Amalek,
therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. To-morrow
shalt thou and thy sons be with me; and the Lord also shall deliver the
host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines." Then Saul fell
straightway all along on the earth.--I SAMUEL, xxviii., 15, 20.
(_i_) And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and
he was sore wounded of the archers. Then said Saul unto his
armour-bearer, "Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith, lest
these uncircumcised come and thrust me through." But his
armour-bearer would not, therefore Saul took a sword and fell upon it.
And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise
upon his sword, and died with him.--I SAMUEL, xxxi., 3, 5.
(_j_) And David said unto the young man, "How knowest thou that
Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?" And the young man that told him
said: "As I happened by chance upon Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul
leaned upon his spear: and lo! the chariots and horsemen followed hard
after him. And he said unto me, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay
me; for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole within
me. So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he
could not live, after that he