CHAP. XXVII. He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him.-Verse 12. The Hebrew has, for abhor, "stink." It is affirmed of a man who is hated by another: "Ah! how he stinks in his nose!" When a person comes amongst those whom he dislikes, he exclaims, "What a stink!" It is indeed a bitter sarcasm for a man to rise from company and say, "I must be off; there is a stink here." This mode of speaking is adopted only when persons address those of inferior castes.* CHAP. XXVIII. Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.-Verse 2. The head is always spoken of as the principal part of the body; and when a man places great confidence in another, he asserts: "I will make him the keeper of my life or head." An injured man expostulating with another, to whom he has been kind, asks: "Why is this? have I not been the keeper of your life?" A good brother is called "the life-keeping brother." Any thing valuable also is spoken of as being on the head. Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth.-Verse 20. When people are under the influence of great sorrow or fear, they always do the same thing, and roll themselves along, making bitter lamentations. When men have escaped great danger, they roll themselves on the earth to the distance of a quarter of a mile, after the car of the temple, in performance of their vow. He refused, and said, I will not eat.-Verse 23. Saul, no doubt, on account of his sorrow and fear, refused to eat, as do others under similar circumstances at this day. • There was in a certain cutchery an officer taken from the fisher-caste, which is lower than most others. A high-caste man went to the cutchery for a stamp, when the officer told him to get out of his way, that he was very busy. "Yes," said the man of caste, "I will get out of your way; I smell fish!" But when people are angry they often decline taking their food. Should the wife not bring the dinner to her lord at the proper time, or should it not be properly prepared, he declares he will not partake of it, and that he has made up his mind to die of hunger! She entreats him by the love she bears for him, she touches his feet with her hands, and strokes his chin, but, No! he has made up his mind; die he will! She shall have no more trouble! The afflicted woman then runs to call the mother or sisters of her inexorable lord, who has determined to commit suicide by starvation. They all come round him, but his eyes are fixed on the ground, and there are the viands just as left by his weeping wife. Then commence their tender entreaties, backed by the eloquence of tears; the mother, the sisters, the wife, all beseech him to take a little; and then the matron, from whose hand he has often been fed before, puts a little into his mouth; and it is merely to please them, that he begins to eat.* See the observations on 1 Kings xxi. 4. The woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof and she brought it before Saul.-Verses 24, 25. This calf was killed, dressed, cooked, and eaten in as short a time as possible; which quick process the urgent necessity of the royal guest might demand. But it is evident from other passages, that it was a custom to kill, cook, and eat an animal in a very short time. The heat of the climate in eastern countries certainly prevents flesh from being kept many hours; but there is no need to put the animal on the fire whilst its flesh is still warm. The people affect to be disgusted with us for keeping fowls six or eight hours before they are cooked, and say we are fond of eating chettareyche, that is, "dead flesh." There are some Englishmen who become so accustomed to these things, that they have the chicken grilled and on their table, which a quarter of an hour before was playing in their yard. • Some husbands will not for years eat any thing brought by their wives. CHAP. XXX. Behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and This is said of the Amalekites, after they had spoiled Ziklag. Parkhurst under says on this passage, also on 1 Kings xii. 32, "It plainly denotes dancing round in circles;" and he believes the word "is applied to the celebration of religious feasts, whether in honour of the true God or of idols;" and he cites several passages in support of his opinion. When the Heathen worship their demon gods, they dance in circles round the sacrifices, and throw themselves into the most violent contortions. Their arms, head, and legs appear as if they were in convulsions. They dash themselves suddenly on the ground, then jump up, and again join in the circular dance. When David came near to the people, he saluted them.-Verse 21. In the Hebrew," he asked them how they did." To inquire after the health is in the East, as in England, a common mode of salutation. They do not, however, answer in the same unhesitating way. When a man has perfectly recovered from a fit of sickness, he will not say, "I am quite well;" because he would consider such an expression to savour of boasting, and be afraid of a relapse. He would therefore say, "I am a little better; not quite so ill as I was." Sometimes, when the question is asked, he will reply: "Can you not see for yourself? what answer can I give?" To say, "You look well, or have become stout," is very annoying. A short time after my arrival in Ceylon, a very stout Brahmin paid me a visit; and on my saying he looked remarkably well, he fell into a great rage, and left the room. I explained to him afterwards, that I did not intend any offence; when he replied, that it was very unfortunate to be addressed in such language. 2 SAMUEL. СНАР. І. They mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for THUS did David, and those who were with him, weep, and fast until the evening, because the "mighty were fallen," and because "the weapons of war" had "perished." When a father or mother "falls on the ground," the children have stated periods when they weep and fast in memory of their dead. On the day of the full moon, those who have lost their mothers fast until the sun comes to the meridian, and in the evening they take milk and fruit. For a father, the sons fast on the new moon in the same way as for the mother. Fasts are exceedingly numerous amongst the Hindoos, and they often keep them with great rigour. Numbers abstain three days every month. On the first they do not eat till three o'clock P. M.; on the second, at night; and on the third, not till the evening. Some also watch during the whole of the last night. The Mahometans make a great merit of fasting (as they term it) forty days and forty nights: many of them take only just sufficient to sustain life. In the beginning of their great fast, therefore, a man will be comely and in good condition; but in the end of it he will appear to be little better than a skeleton. CHAP. II. Blessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.-Verse 5. The bodies of Saul and his sons were burnt by the men of Jabesh-Gilead. Two of the thirty-two charities of the Hindoos are, to burn the bodies of those whose relations cannot do it, and to pay for the beating of the tom-toms to the place of burning. It is therefore considered a work of great N merit to perform the funeral rites for a respectable stranger, or for those whose relations are not able to meet the expenses. Hence the funerals of those who have lived in poverty, or who have known better days, may be seen conducted with great pomp, because the reward is great to him who advances the money, and because he receives great praise from the people. Rāma Swamy, once a rich merchant, died in extreme poverty; but his funeral rites were conducted with great splendour at the expense of an opulent individual. CHAP. III. Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me.-Verse 14. Girls are espoused at the age of six and ten years of age, though they are not generally married till they are twelve or thirteen. Before they are fully betrothed, the register of their birth is examined, and the astrologer casts their nativity; and should the planets under which the parties are born occupy friendly mansions, the espousals will soon be finished; if, however, they are found to be in opposing houses, nothing will induce the parties to agree. After the espousals, should the young man die, it will be very difficult to procure her another suitor, because it will be feared there is something unfortunate about her, and that he who espouses her again may meet a similar fate. CHAP. IV. Rechab and Baanah went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.-Verse 5. It is exceedingly common for people to recline on their couches in the heat of the day. Hence, when you call on a person at that time, the answer often is: "The master is asleep."* • Captain Basil Hall speaks of the inhabitants of South America as having the same custom. The old Romish missionaries in China used to take their siesta with a metal ball in the hand, which was allowed to project over the couch : beneath was a brass dish; so that as soon as the individual was asleep, the fingers naturally relaxed their grasp, and let the ball drop; and the noise of its fall awoke him from his slumbers. |